Purchase funnel

A purchase funnel is a defined sequence used to examine progress towards buying, such as viewing a product, adding it to a basket, starting checkout and purchasing.[2] GA4 has separate measures for these events.[1] A funnel requires additional choices about sequence, time boundaries and counting; independent event totals do not by themselves establish a completed customer journey.[2]

A store can use a funnel to investigate where progression breaks down. Specify whether every step is required, later entry is allowed and shoppers may return across sessions. Use a consistent unit at each step, such as users, rather than silently comparing event counts with unique people. Missing steps can also reflect instrumentation problems or accelerated purchase routes, so treat apparent drop-off as a research signal rather than immediate proof of a design defect.