Retention Rate & User Health
The Retention Rate page shows how well your community keeps members engaged over time. Access it at WB Plugins > Statistics > Retention Rate.
Overview
The User Health Dashboard segments all registered users by their engagement level based on login activity. This approach ensures you always see meaningful data, regardless of registration rates.
Active Users Overview
Three stat cards show activity at different intervals:
| Card | Definition | Color |
|---|---|---|
| Active Today | Users who logged in today | Green |
| Active This Week | Users who logged in within 7 days | Blue |
| Active This Month | Users who logged in within 30 days | Blue |
User Health Segments
A visual breakdown shows all users by engagement level:
| Segment | Definition | Time Since Last Login | Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active | Highly engaged users | Within 7 days | Green |
| At Risk | Reduced engagement | 8-30 days ago | Yellow/Orange |
| Dormant | Haven’t been active recently | 31-90 days ago | Red |
| Inactive | May have churned | 90+ days ago | Gray |
Health Bar Visualization
The health bar shows user distribution visually. Each segment is color-coded and displays the number of users in segment, percentage of total users, and hover tooltip with exact counts.
Monthly Retention Rate
A single metric showing active user percentage.
Formula: (Users logged in within 30 days / Total registered users) x 100
The display includes a large percentage showing current retention rate, trend indicator arrow showing up/down/stable, context text showing “X of Y users logged in this month”, and change from last month.
Interpreting the Data
Healthy Community Indicators
| Metric | Good | Needs Attention | Critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Users | > 40% | 20-40% | < 20% |
| At Risk | < 20% | 20-30% | > 30% |
| Dormant | < 15% | 15-25% | > 25% |
| Monthly Retention | > 50% | 30-50% | < 30% |
Action Items by Segment
Active Users (Green) – Continue engaging these users. Identify what keeps them active. Consider loyalty or recognition programs.
At Risk Users (Yellow) – Priority: High – Best opportunity for re-engagement. Send targeted emails or notifications. Offer incentives to return. Ask for feedback on reduced activity.
Dormant Users (Red) – Send “We miss you” campaigns. Highlight new features since their last visit. Consider exclusive offers to win them back.
Inactive Users (Gray) – May require stronger incentives. Consider email verification or list cleanup. Analyze patterns to prevent future churn.
Technical Details
Data Source
The dashboard queries the wp_usermeta table for last_login meta values. This meta key is automatically updated whenever a user logs in.
How Login Tracking Works
- User logs in to WordPress
- Plugin hooks into
wp_loginaction - Updates
last_loginuser meta with current timestamp - User appears in appropriate health segment
Performance
Queries are optimized for large user bases. Results calculated on page load (no AJAX). For sites with 10,000+ users, consider implementing additional caching.
Troubleshooting
Dashboard Shows All Users as Inactive – This happens when last_login meta hasn’t been set. The plugin only tracks logins after activation. Wait for users to log in naturally or use WP-CLI to bulk-set last_login for existing users.
Numbers Don’t Match Total Users – Health segments only count users with last_login meta. Users who registered before activation and haven’t logged in since won’t appear in segments.
Retention Rate Shows 0% – Ensure plugin has been active long enough for users to log in, login tracking is enabled in General Settings, and BuddyPress/BuddyBoss is active.