When designing a digital experience, every click, swipe, and decision matters. But how do you visualize the steps a user takes—or their broader journey—to achieve their goals?
User flows and user journeys are two important tools for mapping these experiences, each serving a distinct purpose. A user flow breaks down a specific, linear process—like checking out or signing up—to streamline efficiency. A user journey, on the other hand, captures the bigger picture, showing a user’s path across channels while accounting for their emotions, motivations, and pain points.
So, which one should you use? The answer depends on what you’re optimizing for: focused task completion or holistic user experience design. Below, we’ll explore the key differences, when to use each, and how they work together.
What is a user flow?
A user flow shows the path a user takes to complete a specific action within your website or app. The goal of a user flow is to optimize efficiency and remove friction in a linear process. A user flow, for example, would map out the checkout process, from the time a user decides to purchase the items that are in their shopping cart until they complete the transaction.
In the checkout example, a user flow could include clicking the checkout button, entering payment and shipping information, selecting a shipping method, entering a coupon code, confirming the order details, and placing the order. Each of these steps would be outlined in a user flow diagram.
What is a user journey?
A user journey is a high-level view of how a user moves through an app or website. While a user flow might tell you how a user goes through the checkout process, a user journey would focus on how they make a purchase, potentially including any research they do prior to landing on your website or app. The primary goal of a user journey map is to understand the user's emotions, pain points, and opportunities in the overall experience. A user journey includes not only the steps that a user takes on your website or app, but also any steps they take on other channels during their journey.
For example, a user journey to make a purchase might start with an Instagram ad that leads them to your website. From there, they might look at product pages, read reviews (on or off the site), add products to their cart, and then eventually go through the checkout process. Their user journey may include multiple, more focused user flows.
User journeys also encompass more than just the steps a user takes to complete a task. A journey can include information about a user’s motivations and emotions during the process.
Key differences between user journeys and user flows
The definitions above of user flows and user journeys give some insight into how they differ. But let’s take a closer look.
Focus: User flows have a narrow focus, on the micro level: e.g., "How does a user reset their password?" User journeys have a broad focus, on the macro level: e.g., "How does a user discover, evaluate, and buy a product?"
Visual representation: User flows are generally represented with a user flow diagram, resembling a flowchart. User journeys are more often represented with a timeline, showing more general steps and the user’s emotions along the way.
Task-focused vs. holistic: User flows are very task-focused, outlining the steps a user takes from point A to Point B. User journeys are more holistic, looking at the overall user experience they may have with a product or brand.
While there are key differences between user journeys and user flows, when designing a product or website, you’ll want to employ both to effectively plan different parts of the user experience.
Do I need a user journey map or a user flow diagram?
Whether a user flow or user journey is more appropriate depends on the specifics of what you’re mapping out. If you’re designing a specific task—like a checkout process, app onboarding, or password recovery—use a user flow. If you’re analyzing a more holistic view—customer experience, brand interactions, or cross-channel behavior—use a user journey.
If you’re still unsure of whether to use a user journey or a user flow, there are a few questions you can ask:
Does every step take place on the website or app? User journeys can encompass actions the user may take on or off your website or app, while a user flow does not. If you need to include steps a user might take on other channels, such as social media or email, then a user journey is likely more appropriate.
Is this a short-term task (minutes or hours) or something that might take place over time (days or weeks)? User flows generally focus on a specific task that a user can complete in a matter of minutes, or possibly hours at the longest. User journeys, though, can take place over a longer time period, potentially stretching to days or weeks.
Is including user motivations and emotions important? User flows don’t take into account the motivations users have, just the actions they take to complete a task. The closest they get to motivation or emotions is when examining potential blockers or exit points. User journeys, on the other hand, usually do take into account the motivations and emotions of users as they move along the journey.
User Flows vs User Journeys: The Bottom Line
Both user flows and user journeys are important parts of the UX design process—they just serve different purposes. User flows are perfect for optimizing specific, task-driven processes, ensuring efficiency in actions like checkout or onboarding. User journeys provide a broader perspective, helping to shed light on the emotional and behavioral context behind user interactions.
The best approach is to use them together. Start with a user journey to map the high-level experience, identifying key touchpoints and pain points. Then, use user flows to refine critical processes, removing friction at each step. By combining the two, you’ll be able to streamline individual tasks and craft a more intuitive and satisfying overall experience.
Next time you’re designing or refining a digital product, ask yourself: Do I need to focus on a single task, or the bigger picture? The answer will guide you to the right tool.