What DAU/MAU measures
DAU/MAU is a stickiness metric: how many monthly active users are active on a typical day. It's useful for engagement tracking, but it depends heavily on how you define 'active' and your product's natural cadence.
Formula
DAU/MAU = DAU / MAU
How to use it
- Keep a stable 'active' definition (e.g., key event) for comparability.
- Track by segment (persona/plan) to avoid blended averages hiding issues.
- Use WAU/MAU for weekly cadence products; DAU/MAU can be too noisy otherwise.
How to improve stickiness
- Shorten time-to-value so new users return quickly.
- Make core workflows habitual with reminders, templates, and defaults.
- Remove friction in repeat actions (speed, saved state, permissions).
Benchmarks and caveats
- Daily cadence products expect higher DAU/MAU than weekly or monthly tools.
- Use a consistent active window (calendar day vs rolling 24 hours).
- Compare within the same segment before comparing across products.
Stickiness QA checklist
- Ensure DAU and MAU use the same event definition and filters.
- Exclude internal users and test accounts from both numerators.
- Deduplicate users across devices if possible.
Common mistakes
- Comparing DAU/MAU across products with different usage frequency expectations.
- Using DAU and MAU from different date ranges or definitions.
- Treating stickiness as the only goal (retention and revenue still matter).