Toolkit

Workflow catalogue template

A workflow catalogue is a structured list of the important workflows a product team wants to understand, measure, and maintain.

It helps teams keep track of what users are trying to achieve, where workflows begin and end, which steps matter, and how each workflow connects to events, metrics, and decisions.

The catalogue is not a journey map or a dashboard. It is a practical reference for measurement design and measurement operations.

What this is

This is a copyable template for documenting measurable workflows. Use it as the starting point for a workflow catalogue, spreadsheet, product documentation page, or analytics governance workspace.

Related concepts: workflow, entry point, exit, completion point, workflow step.

When to use it

Use a workflow catalogue when a product has more than a few important workflows, or when measurement is becoming hard to explain.

It is useful when teams need to:

agree which workflows matter
define workflow boundaries
identify meaningful steps
connect workflows to events and metrics
spot gaps in measurement coverage
review ownership and maintenance
avoid measuring screens or features in isolation

A catalogue is especially helpful when several teams contribute to the same product or measurement system.

What a workflow catalogue should include

A useful workflow catalogue should capture enough detail to make workflows measurable, without becoming too heavy to maintain.

At minimum, include:

workflow name
user intent
entry point
completion point
meaningful steps
possible exits or failure points
related events
related metrics
owner
review status

These fields help the team move from a broad workflow name to a clearer measurement model.

Template

Workflow name:
[Plain-language verb phrase]

User intent:
[What the user is trying to achieve]

Product area:
[Where this workflow sits in the product]

Entry point:
[Where the workflow starts]

Completion point:
[What counts as successful completion]

Workflow steps:
1. [Meaningful step]
2. [Meaningful step]
3. [Meaningful step]

Possible exits or failure points:
- [Where users may pause, abandon, or fail]
- [Where users may pause, abandon, or fail]

Related events:
- [event.name]
- [event.name]

Related metrics:
- [Metric name]
- [Metric name]

Primary product question:
[What the team needs to understand]

Decision supported:
[What this measurement may help the team decide]

Owner:
[Person, role, or team]

Review status:
[Draft / active / needs review / retired]

Notes:
[Any useful context, assumptions, or known gaps]

The template can be used in a document, spreadsheet, database, product management tool, or analytics governance workspace. The format matters less than whether the catalogue is easy to use and keep current.

Example: account registration

Workflow name:
Register for an account

User intent:
Create an account so I can access the product.

Product area:
Account access

Entry point:
User starts account creation.

Completion point:
User accesses the product for the first time.

Workflow steps:
1. View registration form
2. Enter details
3. Submit form
4. Verify email
5. Access product

Possible exits or failure points:
- User views the form but does not enter details
- User encounters a validation error
- User submits the form but does not verify email
- User verifies email but does not access the product

Related events:
- registration.form_viewed
- registration.form_submitted
- registration.form_error_shown
- registration.email_verified
- registration.completed

Related metrics:
- Form submission rate
- Form error rate
- Email verification rate
- Registration completion rate
- Time to complete registration

Primary product question:
Are users able to create an account and access the product without unnecessary friction?

Decision supported:
Where should we improve the registration experience?

Owner:
Account access product team

Review status:
Active

Notes:
Completion is defined as first product access, not form submission.

This example shows how the catalogue keeps the workflow, evidence, metrics, and decision connected.

How to maintain it

A workflow catalogue should be reviewed when the product changes.

Review a workflow when:

a step is added, removed, or reordered
a new entry point is introduced
the completion point changes
events are added or retired
metrics are reused in a new context
a dashboard depends on the workflow
confidence in the measurement drops

The catalogue should not become a static inventory. It should help the team keep measurement aligned with the current product experience.

Common mistakes

Common mistakes include:

naming workflows too broadly, such as “onboarding”
listing screens instead of user behaviour
ignoring entry points and completion points
omitting exits or failure points
adding events without linking them to steps
creating a catalogue that nobody owns
treating the catalogue as finished after the first version

A workflow catalogue should make measurement easier to understand and operate. If it becomes too complex to maintain, simplify it.

How to apply this

Start with the most important workflows, not every possible workflow.

For each one, define:

what the user is trying to achieve
where the workflow starts
what counts as completion
which steps matter
where users may leave or fail
which events provide evidence
which metrics help the team understand progress
who owns the workflow definition

Once the core workflows are clear, the catalogue can become the foundation for event catalogues, metric catalogues, instrumentation requirements, and dashboard design.

What is a workflow?
Entry points, exits, and completion
Example: mapping a registration workflow

Key takeaway

A workflow catalogue helps teams keep important product workflows clear, measurable, and maintained.

It gives product, design, engineering, and analytics teams a shared reference for connecting user behaviour to events, metrics, and decisions.