What are Monthly Active Users?
Key takeaway
Monthly Active Users is a KPI that quantifies the number of unique users engaging with a digital product, platform, or service within a specified monthly time frame. It provides insights into user participation, platform popularity, and overall user engagement.
What are Monthly Active Users?
Monthly Active Users (MAU) is a key performance indicator (KPI) used in the field of technology and online services to quantify the number of unique users who engage with a particular product, platform, or application within a defined monthly time frame. MAU is widely employed by companies, especially in the digital and social media industries, to assess the popularity and user engagement of their offerings.
User Engagement
User engagement refers to the level of interaction and involvement users have with a product or service. For MAU calculation, it typically includes actions such as logins, interactions, content creation, or any other meaningful participation within the platform during a specific month.
Unique Users
Unique users are individual accounts or entities that are counted only once, regardless of how many times they interact with the product or service within the specified month. Each user is considered distinct, providing an accurate representation of the actual user base.
Time Frame
The monthly time frame is the predefined period, usually one calendar month, during which user activities are measured to determine MAU. This consistent time frame allows for meaningful comparisons and trend analyses over time.
Key Performance Indicator
A Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is a measurable value that demonstrates the effectiveness of a business in achieving its objectives. MAU serves as a crucial KPI for companies seeking to evaluate the success and growth of their digital platforms.
User Retention
User retention is a metric closely related to MAU, reflecting the ability of a platform to keep users engaged over time. By analyzing changes in MAU and comparing them with new user acquisitions, companies can gain insights into user retention rates. A more detailed approach groups users into cohorts by month first active and then looks each subsequent month to see how many of each cohort remain active.
Active vs. Inactive Users
Active users are those who have engaged with the platform during the specified month, contributing to the MAU count. Inactive users are excluded from this count as they did not participate in any meaningful way during the given time frame.
Data Privacy
In the context of MAU, data privacy concerns the ethical and responsible handling of user information. Companies must adhere to regulations and best practices to protect user privacy while collecting and analyzing MAU data.