# Empty-State Action Card on a Dashboard A/B Test Page: https://alidemirbas.com.tr/en/lab/ab-test-library/tests/empty-state-action-card-on-a-dashboard-ab-test ## Hypothesis If an empty dashboard shows a card that explains the first useful task, new users may not have to guess where to start. Among eligible users who open the dashboard before any data exists, the first-action completion rate could rise. ## When to run this test Support contacts asking “Where should I start?”, session recordings of users sitting on a blank screen and leaving, or accounts that never reach a first action after signing up all point to new users stalling on an empty dashboard. Users who see the card should then complete the predefined first action more often and reach their first meaningful data sooner. If the first action itself is hard or broken, fix that first; before launch, confirm the card can be dismissed and does not block access to any other feature. ## Primary metric **First-action completion rate**: Compare completion of the same predefined first action among eligible users assigned while their dashboard is empty. ## Other metrics - **Time to first meaningful data**: Measure time from the empty state to the predefined first data event. - **Seven-day active use**: Compare all assigned users over the same seven-day activity window, not only those who follow the card. - **Support contacts**: Track questions such as “Where should I start?”. - **Card dismissal rate**: Use dismissal as a diagnostic measure within the variant; there is no equivalent card in the control. ## What to check before and during the test - **Card**: Add one predefined card that explains a practical first task. - **Keep constant**: Keep dashboard features, task requirements and other onboarding steps unchanged. - **Exit condition**: Remove empty-state guidance once the relevant data or action exists. - **Segments**: Apply the same eligibility rules when reviewing self-registered and invited users. - **Separate tests**: Test card copy, illustration or checklist-versus-single-action separately. ## What to watch when reading the result - Compare first-action completion across all assigned eligible users, not only those who followed the card. If support contacts rise or seven-day active use drops, a lift in first actions is not enough to ship; read card dismissal only as a diagnostic inside the variant. - This card and this empty state are all the result speaks for. Review self-registered and invited users with the same eligibility rules, and compare seven-day active use over the same window in both arms to see whether an early gain lasts. - If only a limited number of new users reach the empty state, the difference may stay unclear for a long time. Take the users per variant that the [sample size calculator](https://alidemirbas.com.tr/en/calculators/sample-size-calculator) gives for your current first-action completion rate and divide it by how many new users see the empty state in one arm each day. That gives you the run length up front; do not decide before it ends. - If the card uses sample content, label it clearly as an example, never present data the user has not provided as real, and do not show one segment's sample to another. Adding sample data also widens what the test changes, so plan it separately if you want the card's effect on its own. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Can an empty-state card include sample data? Yes, if clearly labeled as an example and distinguishable from the user’s real data. Adding sample data changes the experience beyond guidance alone, so define that scope explicitly. ### Can card-dismissal rates be compared between arms? No equivalent card exists in control. Dismissal is a variant-only diagnostic. Use first meaningful action completion across all assigned eligible users as the primary outcome. ### What should be checked after first-action completion improves? Track meaningful-data creation, repeat use and support contacts over the same follow-up window. Compare all assigned users, not just those who acted on the card.