What are product tours?
Product tours are interactive, step-by-step guides that walk users through your application. They overlay your actual UI and draw attention to specific elements, helping users discover features, complete key workflows, and get value from your product faster.
Unlike static documentation, product tours meet users exactly where they are — inside your app, at the moment they need guidance.
Why product tours matter
First impressions shape whether a new user sticks around or churns. Product tours address two critical challenges:
- Onboarding drop-off: New users often sign up, look around briefly, and leave without experiencing your core value. A well-placed tour guides them to their first success moment.
- Feature blindness: Existing users miss new or underused features because they never stumble upon them. Tours proactively surface what matters.
Teams that deploy targeted tours typically see higher activation rates, faster time-to-value, and fewer support tickets about basic functionality.
Tour types in Userorbit
Userorbit gives you several tour formats, each suited to different situations:
Slideouts
A panel that slides in from the side of the screen. Slideouts are great for multi-step walkthroughs where you want to explain a workflow without obscuring the entire interface. Users can still see and interact with the underlying page.
Modals
Full-focus overlays that demand attention. Use modals for important announcements, welcome screens, or moments where you need the user to make a decision before continuing — such as choosing a plan or acknowledging a policy change.
Tooltips
Small, anchored pointers that attach to a specific UI element. Tooltips are ideal for contextual hints: explaining what a button does, clarifying a form field, or highlighting a new menu item. They are lightweight and feel native to the interface.
Banners
Horizontal bars that appear at the top or bottom of the page. Banners work well for site-wide notices, maintenance alerts, or subtle feature promotions that should be visible but not intrusive.
Feature highlights
A pulsing beacon or spotlight effect that draws the eye to a specific element. Feature highlights are useful when you want to nudge users toward something new without interrupting their current task. Users can click the highlight to learn more or dismiss it.
Welcome screens
A dedicated first-run experience that greets new users. Welcome screens typically combine a brief message with a call to action — like starting a guided tour or choosing initial preferences. They set the tone for the entire onboarding journey.
Choosing the right format
The best tour type depends on context. Ask yourself:
- How urgent is the message? High urgency favors modals; low urgency favors tooltips or banners.
- How much explanation is needed? Multi-step processes call for slideouts; single-element hints call for tooltips.
- Should the user act now or later? Feature highlights let users engage on their own time, while modals require immediate attention.
You can also combine types within a single tour — for example, open with a welcome screen modal, then transition into a tooltip-driven walkthrough.