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First-run onboarding that gets users to the first win

Shorten the path from sign-up to the first moment a new user gets value, and measure it.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • 2 to 3 hours with an agent
  • By Devvrat Hans
  • Version 1.0, updated Oct 26, 2026

1Your site and stack

Optional. The prompt adapts as you type; leave a field blank and the agent works it out.

2Copy it into your agent

first-run-onboarding.md62 lines, about 825 tokens

Paste into any coding agent: Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Copilot, Windsurf or Cline.

# First-run onboarding that gets users to the first win

Launch day brings a burst of sign-ups to the production site, and most of them decide within minutes whether to come back. Make the first session lead to the first real win as fast as possible, and measure how many new users reach it.

Site: not given. Find the production URL in the project config, or ask me.

## Ground rules

1. Read before you write. Explore the parts of the codebase this job touches and tell me what is already in place.
2. Plan, then stop. Give me a numbered plan: what you will change, in which files, and why. Wait for my approval before editing anything.
3. Fix things at their source (the shared layout, the config, the generator), not with one-off patches page by page.
4. Keep the project's conventions: its framework APIs, file layout, naming and code style. Add no new dependency without asking.
5. Where something is already done well, say so and leave it alone.

## You will not

- Edit `.env` files, secrets or API keys, or print their values.
- Deploy, push, merge or publish anything.
- Delete data, or run migrations or scripts against a production database.
- Add tracking, third-party scripts or links to any site I did not ask for.
- Change copy, design or behaviour that this job does not need.
- Remove a step that the law or billing requires.
- Add a third-party onboarding tool without asking.

## Your stack

- Framework: Work out the framework, router and build output from the project files (package.json, lockfiles, framework config) before planning, and say which you found.
- Host: Work out where the site is hosted from the config files (vercel.json, netlify.toml, wrangler config, Dockerfile, fly.toml) and say which you found.

## Steps

### 1. Walk the first session

Trace what a new user sees from the moment sign-up completes: every screen, form and empty page until they have done the one thing the product is for. Count the steps and fields. Ask me what the first win is if it is not obvious (the first invoice sent, the first report seen).

### 2. Remove and defer

Propose what to cut or postpone: profile fields that are not needed yet, team invites, settings, tours that block the screen. Keep only what the first win needs. Show me the shortened flow before building it.

### 3. Help them start

Give empty screens a way forward: sample data or a template to start from, a short checklist of three to five steps that ticks itself as they go, and clear buttons. Keep any guidance dismissible.

### 4. Measure activation

Record an event when a user reaches the first win, with the time since sign-up, in the analytics the project already uses. Tell me how to see the share of new users who activate within a day.

## Done means

- [ ] The steps from sign-up to the first win are listed, and the shortened flow is approved.
- [ ] Fields and steps the first win does not need are removed or deferred.
- [ ] Empty screens offer sample data, a template or a clear next action.
- [ ] An activation event records when a new user reaches the first win.

## Report back

When you finish, give me:

- what you changed, file by file;
- anything you skipped, and why;
- anything I must do by hand (DNS records, dashboards, accounts, deploys);
- how to check each change on the live site.

One-line version

For agents that can read a URL. It fetches this prompt with your settings applied.

Read https://abacklaunch.com/prompts/first-run-onboarding.md and follow it for this project.

3Check the result

When the changes are live, run these free checks. Add your site URL above and each one opens already running on it.

This prompt will not

  • Edit .env files, secrets or API keys, or print their values.
  • Deploy, push, merge or publish anything.
  • Delete data, or run migrations or scripts against a production database.
  • Add tracking, third-party scripts or links to any site I did not ask for.
  • Change copy, design or behaviour that this job does not need.
  • Remove a step that the law or billing requires.
  • Add a third-party onboarding tool without asking.

It reads your code first, shows you a plan, and waits for your approval before it changes anything.

What you get

  • A walk-through of your first session with every step counted
  • A shorter path to the first win
  • A self-ticking checklist and useful empty states
  • An activation event you can measure

How to use this prompt

  1. 1

    Describe your stack

    Add your site, framework and host. The prompt adapts; blank fields are left for the agent to work out.

  2. 2

    Paste it into your agent

    Open your project in Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Copilot, Windsurf or Cline, and paste the prompt or the one-line version.

  3. 3

    Approve the plan

    The agent reads your code, shows you a plan with the files it will touch, and waits. Change anything you disagree with.

  4. 4

    Check the result

    When the changes are live, run the free checks below on your site to confirm each fix.

What the agent does

Launch day brings a burst of sign-ups to the production site, and most of them decide within minutes whether to come back. Make the first session lead to the first real win as fast as possible, and measure how many new users reach it.

  1. 1. Walk the first session

    Trace what a new user sees from the moment sign-up completes: every screen, form and empty page until they have done the one thing the product is for. Count the steps and fields. Ask me what the first win is if it is not obvious (the first invoice sent, the first report seen).

  2. 2. Remove and defer

    Propose what to cut or postpone: profile fields that are not needed yet, team invites, settings, tours that block the screen. Keep only what the first win needs. Show me the shortened flow before building it.

  3. 3. Help them start

    Give empty screens a way forward: sample data or a template to start from, a short checklist of three to five steps that ticks itself as they go, and clear buttons. Keep any guidance dismissible.

  4. 4. Measure activation

    Record an event when a user reaches the first win, with the time since sign-up, in the analytics the project already uses. Tell me how to see the share of new users who activate within a day.

Done means

  • The steps from sign-up to the first win are listed, and the shortened flow is approved.
  • Fields and steps the first win does not need are removed or deferred.
  • Empty screens offer sample data, a template or a clear next action.
  • An activation event records when a new user reaches the first win.

Questions

Are product tours worth it?

Short, skippable hints at the moment they are needed beat long tours on first load. Most people click through tours without reading them.

What is an activation event?

The moment a new user first gets real value, such as sending a first invoice. Measuring it tells you whether launch sign-ups are turning into users.

Should I ask for team invites during sign-up?

Usually not. Invites make more sense after the user has seen value; asking first adds a step most people skip anyway.

Does this prompt add links to Aback Launch to my site?

No. Nothing in the prompt mentions Aback Launch or asks your agent to link to us. The only exception is an optional badge step, which stays off unless you tick it. Some prompt libraries slip their own link into your codebase by default; we think that should always be your choice.

Which coding agents does it work with?

Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, Cline, and any agent that can read your project and edit files. You can copy it as a plain prompt, save it as a Claude Code skill or a Cursor rule, or add it to AGENTS.md.

Is it safe to run on my real codebase?

The prompt makes the agent read first, show a plan and wait for your approval, and it forbids touching secrets, deploying and deleting data. Still review the changes and run your tests before you deploy, as with any change.

Changelog

  • v1.0First version.

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