Why We Track Sign-Up Methods

When someone joins Jottings, we do something simple but intentional: we remember how they signed up.

Whether it's through email, Google OAuth, or Apple Sign-In, that choice gets recorded. Not for marketing hype or dark patterns, but for something more practical—understanding our users and building a better product.

Let me explain why this matters.

The Question Behind the Data

A few months ago, I noticed something interesting in our user growth. We had just launched Google and Apple OAuth sign-in options, and I was curious: would people actually use them? Or would email remain the dominant way people join?

Without tracking this, I'd have no way to know. I'd be flying blind, making product decisions based on assumptions instead of actual user behavior.

So we added sign-up method tracking. It's not a privacy violation—it's a single field stored alongside each user's account. No tracking pixels. No third-party analytics services. Just a straightforward fact: when did this person create their account, and through what method?

What We Actually Learn From This

The data tells me a few things:

First, it reveals how people prefer to authenticate. If 80% of new users choose "Continue with Google" over the email form, that tells me something. People like friction-free sign-up. They'd rather reuse an existing identity than create a new password to remember. That insight could influence future auth decisions—maybe we add more OAuth providers, or improve the email experience to compete better.

Second, it helps me understand where users come from. Not in a creepy "tracking you across the web" way, but in the sense of user acquisition channels. If I run an experiment promoting the platform through a specific channel, and then see a spike in Google OAuth sign-ups, I know that channel resonated with a certain type of user. Maybe they're more technical, or privacy-conscious, or just pragmatic about account management.

Third, it's genuinely useful for support. When someone emails in with an issue, understanding their sign-up method gives me context. Did they struggle with the email verification process? Are they a newer user still getting comfortable with the platform? Are they on an OAuth provider that might have had recent changes? These little details help me give better support faster.

The Boring Truth About Analytics

Here's the thing I've realized building Jottings: most analytics are boring. Tracking page views, button clicks, time-on-page—it all feels like theater. Lots of noise, little signal.

But tracking how someone joins your product? That's actually meaningful because it connects directly to a decision. It's binary. It happened or it didn't. It's intentional. And it shapes everything that comes after.

A user who signs up with Google is in a different state than one who verified their email address. One has tied their account to their Google identity. The other has created a unique password just for Jottings. These aren't just technical differences—they suggest different comfort levels with the platform and different maintenance needs (password resets vs. account recovery).

Not Everything Worth Measuring is Worth Obsessing Over

That said, we don't obsess over this data. I'm not running weekly cohort analyses or A/B testing different OAuth button colors. This isn't a growth-hacking operation where every micro-conversion is weaponized.

The sign-up method data serves a specific purpose: it helps me make better decisions about authentication UX, understand user acquisition patterns, and provide better support. If that stopped mattering, I'd probably stop tracking it.

This is the distinction I try to maintain with Jottings. We collect data that's genuinely useful for running the platform and serving users better. We don't collect data because "it might be useful someday" or because "everyone else does it."

Why You Should Care

If you use Jottings, knowing that we track your sign-up method might raise a question: can I trust this platform with my content?

I think the answer is in how we use this information. We're not selling it. We're not using it to manipulate you. We're using it to answer questions like "are our OAuth integrations actually working?" and "how can we make the sign-up experience better?"

It's the difference between metrics that serve the business and metrics that serve the user. We're trying to be the latter.

I also publish updates like this—sharing what we're tracking and why—because transparency matters. You deserve to know what data is being collected about you and how it's being used. Not hidden in a 50-page privacy policy, but in plain language.

What's Next

We'll probably keep tracking sign-up methods for as long as it remains useful. If we ever add new authentication options—passwordless email magic links, WebAuthn, single sign-on for teams—this data will help us understand if those are actually filling a need or solving an imaginary problem.

And if patterns shift dramatically, we'll adjust. Maybe mobile users prefer Apple Sign-In. Maybe desktop users stick with email. The data will tell us.

That's how I think about product development. Not "what can we measure?" but "what do we actually need to understand to build something better?"

If you're building a product and wondering what to track, I'd suggest asking yourself that question first. The best analytics aren't the most comprehensive—they're the ones that actually change how you build.

Jottings respects your privacy. We track sign-up methods to improve authentication and understand our users better, not to profile or manipulate. All data is stored securely and never shared with third parties. Read our privacy policy for details.

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