Quick Answer (TL;DR)
User Activity Score measures composite score of user engagement behaviors. The formula is Weighted sum of actions normalized to 0-100. Industry benchmarks: Define per product. Track this metric when creating engagement segments.
What Is User Activity Score?
Composite score of user engagement behaviors. This is one of the core metrics in the engagement metrics category and is essential for any product team serious about data-driven decision making.
User Activity Score measures how deeply users interact with your product after the initial activation. Strong engagement is the bridge between activation and retention --- users who engage deeply are far more likely to stick around and eventually pay (or pay more).
Understanding user activity score in context --- alongside related metrics --- gives you a more complete picture than tracking it in isolation. Use it as part of a balanced metrics dashboard.
The Formula
Weighted sum of actions normalized to 0-100
How to Calculate It
Apply the formula Weighted sum of actions normalized to 0-100 using data from a consistent time period. Pull the values from your analytics platform or data warehouse, compute the result, and compare against the benchmarks below.
Benchmarks
Define per product
Benchmarks vary significantly by industry, company stage, business model, and customer segment. Use these ranges as starting points and calibrate to your own historical data over 2-3 quarters. Your trend matters more than any absolute number --- consistent improvement is the goal.
When to Track User Activity Score
When creating engagement segments. Specifically, prioritize this metric when:
You are building or reviewing your metrics dashboard and need engagement indicators
Leadership or investors ask about engagement performance
You suspect a change in product, pricing, or go-to-market strategy has affected this area
You are running experiments that could impact user activity score
You need a quantitative baseline before making a strategic decision
How to Improve
Build habit loops. Design triggers (notifications, emails, integrations) that bring users back to perform the core action on a regular cadence. Habits drive sustainable engagement.
Improve feature discovery. Users cannot engage with features they do not know exist. Use contextual tips, progressive disclosure, and smart defaults to surface relevant capabilities at the right time.
Study power users. Your most engaged users reveal the product's highest-value workflows. Analyze their behavior patterns and find ways to guide other users toward similar usage.
Close the feedback loop. Collecting scores is only valuable if you act on them. Route low scores to the right team for follow-up and track improvement over time.
Common Pitfalls
Survey fatigue. Over-surveying your users leads to low response rates and selection bias. Collect scores at strategic moments rather than constantly.
Confusing activity with value. High engagement numbers can mask users who are struggling rather than thriving. Pair engagement metrics with satisfaction and outcome metrics.
Measuring without acting. Tracking this metric is only valuable if you have a process for reviewing it regularly and a playbook for responding when it moves outside acceptable ranges.
Related Metrics
Scroll Depth --- how far down a page users scroll
Content Consumption Rate --- percentage of available content consumed
Bounce Rate --- percentage of single-page visits
Collaboration Rate --- percentage of users who interact with other users
Product Metrics Cheat Sheet --- complete reference of 100+ metrics