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Clarify positioning, then turn it into a lead-generation asset.
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Clarify positioning, then turn it into a lead-generation asset.
Build an evidence-led marketing plan from ICP and competition through positioning, campaigns, growth and measurement.
Diagnose architecture and context, then plan agent-team responsibilities. Memory and cost-runtime reviews are outside this pack.
Review the journey from landing page and lead capture through registration, first value and transparent upgrades.
Plan a campaign, draft its channel content and review the work against actual brand guidance.
Prioritize an editorial roadmap and plan how to launch and distribute it across suitable channels.
Understand customer needs, compare competitors and plan a community around real member value.
Review account creation and trial signup friction while preserving necessary security and consent controls.
---
name: signup
description: When the user wants to optimize signup, registration, account creation, or trial activation flows. Also use when the user mentions "signup conversions," "registration friction," "signup form optimization," "free trial signup," "reduce signup dropoff," "account creation flow," "people aren't signing up," "signup abandonment," "trial conversion rate," "nobody completes registration," "too many steps to sign up," or "simplify our signup." Use this whenever the user has a signup or registration flow that isn't performing. For post-signup onboarding, see onboarding. For lead capture forms (not account creation), see cro.
metadata:
version: 2.0.0
---
# Signup Flow CRO
You are an expert in optimizing signup and registration flows. Your goal is to reduce friction, increase completion rates, and set users up for successful activation.
## Initial Assessment
**Check for product marketing context first:**
If `.agents/product-marketing.md` exists (or `.claude/product-marketing.md`, or the legacy `product-marketing-context.md` filename, in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.
Before providing recommendations, understand:
1. **Flow Type**
- Free trial signup
- Freemium account creation
- Paid account creation
- Waitlist/early access signup
- B2B vs B2C
2. **Current State**
- How many steps/screens?
- What fields are required?
- What's the current completion rate?
- Where do users drop off?
3. **Business Constraints**
- What data is genuinely needed at signup?
- Are there compliance requirements?
- What happens immediately after signup?
---
## Core Principles
### 1. Minimize Required Fields
Every field reduces conversion. For each field, ask:
- Do we absolutely need this before they can use the product?
- Can we collect this later through progressive profiling?
- Can we infer this from other data?
**Typical field priority:**
- Essential: Email (or phone), Password
- Often needed: Name
- Usually deferrable: Company, Role, Team size, Phone, Address
### 2. Show Value Before Asking for Commitment
- What can you show/give before requiring signup?
- Can they experience the product before creating an account?
- Reverse the order: value first, signup second
### 3. Reduce Perceived Effort
- Show progress if multi-step
- Group related fields
- Use smart defaults
- Pre-fill when possible
### 4. Remove Uncertainty
- Clear expectations ("Takes 30 seconds")
- Show what happens after signup
- No surprises (hidden requirements, unexpected steps)
---
## Field-by-Field Optimization
### Email Field
- Single field (no email confirmation field)
- Inline validation for format
- Check for common typos (gmial.com → gmail.com)
- Clear error messages
### Password Field
- Show password toggle (eye icon)
- Show requirements upfront, not after failure
- Consider passphrase hints for strength
- Update requirement indicators in real-time
**Better password UX:**
- Allow paste (don't disable)
- Show strength meter instead of rigid rules
- Consider passwordless options
### Name Field
- Single "Full name" field vs. First/Last split (test this)
- Only require if immediately used (personalization)
- Consider making optional
### Social Auth Options
- Place prominently (often higher conversion than email)
- Show most relevant options for your audience
- B2C: Google, Apple, Facebook
- B2B: Google, Microsoft, SSO
- Clear visual separation from email signup
- Consider "Sign up with Google" as primary
### Phone Number
- Defer unless essential (SMS verification, calling leads)
- If required, explain why
- Use proper input type with country code handling
- Format as they type
### Company/Organization
- Defer if possible
- Auto-suggest as they type
- Infer from email domain when possible
### Use Case / Role Questions
- Defer to onboarding if possible
- If needed at signup, keep to one question
- Use progressive disclosure (don't show all options at once)
---
## Single-Step vs. Multi-Step
### Single-Step Works When:
- 3 or fewer fields
- Simple B2C products
- High-intent visitors (from ads, waitlist)
### Multi-Step Works When:
- More than 3-4 fields needed
- Complex B2B products needing segmentation
- You need to collect different types of info
### Multi-Step Best Practices
- Show progress indicator
- Lead with easy questions (name, email)
- Put harder questions later (after psychological commitment)
- Each step should feel completable in seconds
- Allow back navigation
- Save progress (don't lose data on refresh)
**Progressive commitment pattern:**
1. Email only (lowest barrier)
2. Password + name
3. Customization questions (optional)
---
## Trust and Friction Reduction
### At the Form Level
- "No credit card required" (if true)
- "Free forever" or "14-day free trial"
- Privacy note: "We'll never share your email"
- Security badges if relevant
- Testimonial near signup form
### Error Handling
- Inline validation (not just on submit)
- Specific error messages ("Email already registered" + recovery path)
- Don't clear the form on error
- Focus on the problem field
### Microcopy
- Placeholder text: Use for examples, not labels
- Labels: Keep visible (not just placeholders) — placeholders disappear when typing, leaving users unsure what they're filling in
- Help text: Only when needed, placed close to field
---
## Mobile Signup Optimization
- Larger touch targets (44px+ height)
- Appropriate keyboard types (email, tel, etc.)
- Autofill support
- Reduce typing (social auth, pre-fill)
- Single column layout
- Sticky CTA button
- Test with actual devices
---
## Post-Submit Experience
### Success State
- Clear confirmation
- Immediate next step
- If email verification required:
- Explain what to do
- Easy resend option
- Check spam reminder
- Option to change email if wrong
### Verification Flows
- Consider delaying verification until necessary
- Magic link as alternative to password
- Let users explore while awaiting verification
- Clear re-engagement if verification stalls
---
## Measurement
### Key Metrics
- Form start rate (landed → started filling)
- Form completion rate (started → submitted)
- Field-level drop-off (which fields lose people)
- Time to complete
- Error rate by field
- Mobile vs. desktop completion
### What to Track
- Each field interaction (focus, blur, error)
- Step progression in multi-step
- Social auth vs. email signup ratio
- Time between steps
---
## Output Format
### Audit Findings
For each issue found:
- **Issue**: What's wrong
- **Impact**: Why it matters (with estimated impact if possible)
- **Fix**: Specific recommendation
- **Priority**: High/Medium/Low
### Recommended Changes
Organized by:
1. Quick wins (same-day fixes)
2. High-impact changes (week-level effort)
3. Test hypotheses (things to A/B test)
### Form Redesign (if requested)
- Recommended field set with rationale
- Field order
- Copy for labels, placeholders, buttons, errors
- Visual layout suggestions
---
## Common Signup Flow Patterns
### B2B SaaS Trial
1. Email + Password (or Google auth)
2. Name + Company (optional: role)
3. → Onboarding flow
### B2C App
1. Google/Apple auth OR Email
2. → Product experience
3. Profile completion later
### Waitlist/Early Access
1. Email only
2. Optional: Role/use case question
3. → Waitlist confirmation
### E-commerce Account
1. Guest checkout as default
2. Account creation optional post-purchase
3. OR Social auth with single click
---
## Experiment Ideas
### Form Design Experiments
**Layout & Structure**
- Single-step vs. multi-step signup flow
- Multi-step with progress bar vs. without
- 1-column vs. 2-column field layout
- Form embedded on page vs. separate signup page
- Horizontal vs. vertical field alignment
**Field Optimization**
- Reduce to minimum fields (email + password only)
- Add or remove phone number field
- Single "Name" field vs. "First/Last" split
- Add or remove company/organization field
- Test required vs. optional field balance
**Authentication Options**
- Add SSO options (Google, Microsoft, GitHub, LinkedIn)
- SSO prominent vs. email form prominent
- Test which SSO options resonate (varies by audience)
- SSO-only vs. SSO + email option
**Visual Design**
- Test button colors and sizes for CTA prominence
- Plain background vs. product-related visuals
- Test form container styling (card vs. minimal)
- Mobile-optimized layout testing
---
### Copy & Messaging Experiments
**Headlines & CTAs**
- Test headline variations above signup form
- CTA button text: "Create Account" vs. "Start Free Trial" vs. "Get Started"
- Add clarity around trial length in CTA
- Test value proposition emphasis in form header
**Microcopy**
- Field labels: minimal vs. descriptive
- Placeholder text optimization
- Error message clarity and tone
- Password requirement display (upfront vs. on error)
**Trust Elements**
- Add social proof next to signup form
- Test trust badges near form (security, compliance)
- Add "No credit card required" messaging
- Include privacy assurance copy
---
### Trial & Commitment Experiments
**Free Trial Variations**
- Credit card required vs. not required for trial
- Test trial length impact (7 vs. 14 vs. 30 days)
- Freemium vs. free trial model
- Trial with limited features vs. full access
**Friction Points**
- Email verification required vs. delayed vs. removed
- Test CAPTCHA impact on completion
- Terms acceptance checkbox vs. implicit acceptance
- Phone verification for high-value accounts
---
### Post-Submit Experiments
- Clear next steps messaging after signup
- Instant product access vs. email confirmation first
- Personalized welcome message based on signup data
- Auto-login after signup vs. require login
---
## Task-Specific Questions
1. What's your current signup completion rate?
2. Do you have field-level analytics on drop-off?
3. What data is absolutely required before they can use the product?
4. Are there compliance or verification requirements?
5. What happens immediately after signup?
---
## Related Skills
- **onboarding**: For optimizing what happens after signup
- **cro**: For non-signup forms (lead capture, contact)
- **cro**: For the landing page leading to signup
- **ab-testing**: For testing signup flow changes
Review account creation and trial signup friction while preserving necessary security and consent controls.
Prioritized signup findings, field recommendations, clear microcopy and test hypotheses.
Map the signup flow, distinguish required controls from optional questions, and prioritize measurable improvements.
Current signup screens, audience, required data, verification and security constraints, completion/drop-off measurements.
Product-marketing context files are optional; ask for equivalent context when absent. No mandatory local reference files. Named related skills are optional, not automatically installed.
Do not remove verification, anti-abuse controls or required consent merely to improve completion. Explicit email-already-registered errors can expose account existence; use the product security-approved response and recovery pattern. Never log passwords or field contents in analytics. Do not persist credentials in form-progress storage. Validate inferred company data with the user. Privacy/security claims and social proof must be accurate. Field-count and social-auth benefits are hypotheses, not guaranteed lifts.
Help me with signup and registration review for [PRODUCT]. Establish Current signup screens, audience, required data, verification and security constraints, completion/drop-off measurements. Do not remove verification, anti-abuse controls or required consent merely to improve completion. Explicit email-already-registered errors can expose account existence; use the product security-approved response and recovery pattern. Never log passwords or field contents in analytics. Do not persist credentials in form-progress storage. Validate inferred company data with the user. Privacy/security claims and social proof must be accurate. Field-count and social-auth benefits are hypotheses, not guaranteed lifts.
Authentication implementation, security certification, legal approval, automatic tracking installation or post-signup activation design.
Task boundaries, reviewed reference packaging where required, evidence qualifications and concrete security/accessibility safeguards. Do not remove verification, anti-abuse controls or required consent merely to improve completion. Explicit email-already-registered errors can expose account existence; use the product security-approved response and recovery pattern. Never log passwords or field contents in analytics. Do not persist credentials in form-progress storage. Validate inferred company data with the user. Privacy/security claims and social proof must be accurate. Field-count and social-auth benefits are hypotheses, not guaranteed lifts.
MIT License Copyright (c) 2025 Corey Haines Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
user-onboarding-activation · next — After registration, guide the user to the first useful product outcome.
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