How to Test User Onboarding in Vibecoded Apps

Walk through the entire signup process from the very beginning, starting from the landing page. Test every step in sequence and verify progress indicators are accurate. AI-generated multi-step forms frequently lose data between steps — fill in step one, advance to step two, go back to step one, and confirm your data is still there.

Test abandonment and return: close the browser mid-signup and return later. Does the app remember where you left off, or do you have to start over? Also test skipping optional steps — if a step is labeled as optional, pressing skip should work without errors and should not block access to the rest of the onboarding.

After signup, verify what the user sees on their first visit. Is there a welcome screen, a tutorial, or a guided tour? Test that these elements only appear on the first visit and are dismissible. AI-generated tour components often reappear on every page load or cannot be closed, creating a frustrating experience.

Test the empty state — what does the app look like before the user has created any data? Vibecoded apps frequently show broken layouts, "undefined" text, or generic error messages when there is no data to display. The empty state should be intentional, guiding the user toward their first meaningful action.

If your app introduces features gradually, test each trigger point. Features that unlock after certain actions should appear at the right time with clear introduction. AI-generated progressive disclosure often fires too early (overwhelming new users) or too late (after users have already looked for the feature and failed to find it).

Test the onboarding with different user types if your app supports them. An admin and a team member might need different onboarding paths. Verify that role-specific features are shown only to relevant users and that the onboarding adapts based on how the account was created (direct signup vs. team invitation vs. OAuth).