What Makes a Good KPI? A UX Researcher’s Checklist

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader

Measuring success in user experience (UX) research depends heavily on choosing the right key performance indicators (KPIs). Without clear, meaningful KPIs, teams risk focusing on irrelevant data or missing critical insights that drive product improvements. But what exactly makes a KPI good for UX research? This post breaks down the essential qualities and offers a practical checklist to help UX researchers select KPIs that truly matter.

A UX researcher reviewing user data on a laptop screen

Understand What a KPI Should Do

A KPI is a measurable value that shows how effectively a team is achieving key objectives. In UX research, KPIs help track user satisfaction, usability, engagement, and overall experience quality. Good KPIs guide decision-making and highlight areas needing improvement.

To be effective, a KPI must:

• Reflect a clear goal or outcome

• Be measurable with available data

• Provide actionable insights

• Align with business and user needs

  
  

Checklist for Choosing Good UX KPIs

1. Tie KPIs to Specific UX Goals

Start by defining what success looks like for your project or product. Common UX goals include improving task completion rates, reducing errors, increasing user satisfaction, or speeding up onboarding.

Example: If your goal is to improve onboarding, a KPI could be the percentage of users who complete the onboarding process within the first session.

2. Ensure KPIs Are Quantifiable

KPIs must be based on data you can collect reliably. Avoid vague or subjective measures that are hard to track consistently.

Example: Instead of “users feel happy,” measure the Net Promoter Score (NPS) or System Usability Scale (SUS) score, which provide numeric values.

3. Focus on Actionable Metrics

Choose KPIs that lead to clear actions. If a KPI shows a problem, your team should know what to do next.

Example: A high drop-off rate on a checkout page signals a need to simplify the process or fix bugs.

4. Keep KPIs User-Centered

KPIs should reflect the user’s experience, not just business metrics. While revenue and conversion rates matter, UX KPIs focus on how users interact with and perceive the product.

Example: Track average time to complete a key task rather than just sales numbers.

5. Limit the Number of KPIs

Too many KPIs dilute focus. Select a handful of meaningful indicators that cover different aspects of UX without overwhelming the team.

Example: Use three to five KPIs such as task success rate, error rate, user satisfaction, and time on task.

Close-up of a UX dashboard showing task success rate and user satisfaction metrics

Examples of Effective UX KPIs

• Task Success Rate

Measures the percentage of users who complete a task successfully. High success rates indicate good usability.

• Error Rate

Tracks how often users make mistakes during tasks. A rising error rate signals usability issues.

• Time on Task

Measures how long users take to complete a task. Shorter times usually mean the interface is intuitive.

• User Satisfaction Score

Collected through surveys, this score reflects how users feel about their experience.

• Retention Rate

Shows how many users return to the product over time, indicating ongoing value.

Avoid Common Pitfalls

• Choosing vanity metrics that look good but don’t inform decisions, like total page views without context.

• Ignoring qualitative feedback that explains why KPIs change.

• Setting unrealistic targets that demotivate teams.

• Using KPIs that don’t align with user needs or product goals.

  
  

How to Implement Your KPI Checklist

1. Define your UX goals clearly. Write down what success means for your project.

2. Identify available data sources. Check analytics tools, surveys, and usability tests.

3. Select KPIs that fit your goals and data. Use the checklist above to evaluate each candidate.

4. Set realistic benchmarks. Use past data or industry standards to set targets.

5. Review KPIs regularly. Adjust as your product and user needs evolve.