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Visualizing the Chaos: Using Sankey Diagrams to Find "Hidden" Exit Paths

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If a marketing funnel is a structured highway, then the actual user journey is a complex web of backroads and detours. While funnels are excellent for measuring conversion, they fail to explain where users go when they deviate from your "happy path." This guide explores how to use Path Analysis and Sankey diagrams in SolarEngine to visualize the chaos and uncover hidden opportunities within your user flow.
 

I. Funnel vs. Path: Seeing the "Dark Matter" of Data

Standard funnel analysis is subtractive: it tells you that 500 users entered the shop and only 50 bought something. But what happened to the other 450?
  • Did they close the app?
  • Did they get stuck on a loading screen?
  • Did they navigate to a different feature entirely?
Path Analysis is additive. It visualizes the sequence of user behaviors to understand how users actually move through your app. It reveals the "Dark Matter"—the events and interactions that happen outside your defined funnel steps.
 

II. Master the Flow with Sankey Diagrams

SolarEngine uses Sankey diagrams to show the flow of events starting from or leading to a specific node. The width of the lines in the diagram represents the volume of users, allowing you to see at a glance where the majority of your traffic is "leaking."
 

Two Ways to Analyze Paths in SolarEngine

  1. Forward Path (Starting From): Select an initial event, such as "App Launch" or "Registration Success," to see where users go immediately after(). This is perfect for optimizing onboarding.
  2. Reverse Path (Leading To): Select a target event, such as "Churn" or "Purchase," and trace the steps backward. This helps you identify the specific actions that predict a conversion or a lost user.
 

III. 3 "Hidden" Insights You Can Find with Path Analysis

Using path analysis in SolarEngine allows you to move beyond "what happened" to "why it happened"().

1. Identifying "Distraction Points"

You might find that after entering the Store, 30% of users click on a "New Event" banner. If those users never return to complete their purchase, that banner is a distraction point that is cannibalizing your conversion rate.

2. Uncovering "Unintentional" Loops

Path Analysis can reveal if users are stuck in a loop (e.g., Settings -> Help -> Settings). This often points to a UI/UX issue where users are looking for a specific function but cannot find it.

3. Discovering New Growth Triggers

Sometimes, you'll find that users who visit a specific "Social" or "Community" page before checking out have a significantly higher LTV. This "hidden path" is a growth trigger you can then encourage through better UI placement.
 

IV. From Path Analysis to Action

Once you've identified an interesting or problematic path, SolarEngine allows you to dig deeper:
  • User Look-Up: After seeing a strange path in the Sankey diagram, use User Look-Up to search for specific devices and view their detailed behavior logs to confirm the logic.
  • Crowd Comparison: Use Users Analysis to compare the attributes (e.g., Device Brand, Region) of users who took the "efficient path" versus those who got lost.
  • Switch Analysis Entity: If you are a B2B app, switch your Analysis Entity to "Account ID" to see how different companies navigate your platform.
 
A marketing funnel tells you that your users are lost; Path Analysis shows you exactly where they are. By using SolarEngine’s Sankey diagrams to visualize the chaos of user behavior, you can turn unexpected detours into optimized journeys and build a product that works the way your users actually behave.
 
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Last modified: 2026-02-12Powered by