Learn how to build a simple SaaS event tracking plan for key events, properties, activation, conversion, and retention.
Project BS
Privacy-first apps
A SaaS event tracking plan is a simple document that defines which product events to track, why they matter, what properties they need, and how they support product decisions.
The main problem is that many founders add analytics randomly. They install a tool, track a few clicks, add signup events, rename things later, and build dashboards before the event structure is clear. The result is product analytics that looks active but does not answer useful questions.
For indie makers, solopreneurs, and SaaS founders, this matters because early-stage analytics should make the product easier to understand. A tracking plan keeps analytics intentional before the code and dashboards get messy.
A tracking plan is the blueprint before wiring the product.
Random event tracking creates messy analytics because every event feels useful in isolation.
A founder may track button clicks, page views, modal opens, form submissions, account creation, onboarding steps, and feature usage. Some of those events matter. Many do not. Without a plan, it becomes difficult to know which events explain activation, conversion, or retention.
The deeper issue is trust. If the same action is tracked with different names, or if important properties are missing, the dashboard becomes harder to use. You may see numbers, but still not know what they mean.
A SaaS analytics setup should help answer product questions, not create another maintenance task.
The simplest way to build a SaaS event tracking plan is to start with the questions you need analytics to answer.
Do not start with every possible event. Start with the product decisions you expect to make.
Useful early questions include:
These questions help you decide which events deserve implementation. They also prevent analytics from becoming a collection of disconnected signals.
For an MVP, this is especially important. The goal is not to measure everything. The goal is to learn whether early users understand the product and reach the first useful outcome.
A lean SaaS event tracking plan should focus on the journey from first visit to first value.
Most early-stage products can start with five event groups: acquisition, signup, onboarding, activation, and retention.
Acquisition events show how users arrive. This matters after a SaaS launch, Product Hunt launch, Reddit post, newsletter mention, or build in public update.
Signup events show whether visitors take the first step. These may include signup_started and signup_completed.
Onboarding events show whether new users can move through the setup path. These may include onboarding_started, onboarding_step_completed, and onboarding_completed.
Activation events show whether users reached meaningful value. For a waitlist product, activation might be waitlist_page_published and first_subscriber_collected. For a Next.js starter kit, activation might be project_setup_completed. For a launch messaging tool, activation might be launch_post_generated and launch_post_copied.
Retention events show whether users return or continue using the product after the first session.
A SaaS event tracking plan helps you decide what to track before writing the tracking code.
It should answer:
If an event does not support a product decision, it probably does not belong in the first tracking plan.
For indie makers, this means analytics can stay small, useful, and easier to maintain.
Event names should be consistent before they appear in code.
A practical naming pattern is object_action_state. This works well for product analytics events because it keeps the object, action, and result visible.
Examples:
A clear event naming convention prevents confusion later. If one part of the product sends Signup Completed and another sends user_signed_up, the team has to clean the data before trusting it.
Use one format, document it, and avoid changing names without a migration plan.
Event properties add context to an event.
For example, signup_completed tells you that a user signed up. Properties can explain the signup method, plan, source, device type, or campaign.
Useful properties may include:
Do not add properties just because you can. Add them when they help answer a real question.
For example, if you want to know whether Product Hunt users activate differently from organic search users, source is useful. If you want to compare free and paid onboarding, plan is useful.
Properties should make events easier to interpret, not heavier to maintain.
Fewer events can be better when the product is early.
A small, well-defined tracking plan is easier to implement, debug, and trust. It also helps founders focus on the metrics that matter now: activation, conversion, and retention.
A bloated tracking plan can create false confidence. A dashboard with many charts may look professional, but it can still fail to answer the core question: are users reaching value?
For a pre-launch SaaS, beta product, or small MVP, it is usually better to track the main journey clearly than to instrument every interaction.
Analytics should support learning. It should not slow down the product.
The first mistake is tracking clicks instead of outcomes. A button click can be useful, but a completed action is often more meaningful.
The second mistake is skipping event properties. Without properties, it may be hard to segment users, compare channels, or explain conversion differences.
The third mistake is tracking too much too early. Too many events create implementation work and make dashboards harder to read.
The fourth mistake is using inconsistent event names. This creates confusion across code, dashboards, and documentation.
The fifth mistake is not connecting events to decisions. If nobody knows what decision a metric supports, the event may be noise.
The key takeaway is simple: a SaaS event tracking plan should make product analytics intentional before implementation.
Start with product questions. Define the core journey. Choose the activation event, conversion event, and retention event. Name events consistently. Add only the properties that help explain user behavior.
A tracking plan does not need to be complex. It needs to be clear enough that your analytics can guide product decisions instead of creating more uncertainty.
A SaaS event tracking plan is a document that defines which events, properties, and metrics should be tracked to understand user behavior inside a SaaS product.
Track the events that explain the journey from first visit to first value: signup, onboarding, activation, conversion, and one retention signal.
Fewer events are easier to implement, maintain, and trust. Early analytics should answer product questions before expanding into detailed dashboards.
Project BS built a free SaaS Event Tracking Plan Generator to help founders create a simple tracking plan for key events, properties, activation, conversion, and retention.
Use it as a starting point, then adapt the plan to your product stage, analytics implementation, and the decisions you actually need to make: https://data.project-bs.com/tools/saas-event-tracking-plan