Total Authentication Success Rate

Total Authentication Success Rate (TASR) measures the share of authentication attempts that end with the user reaching the intended authenticated state. It is the fastest way to answer, at scale, whether users can actually get into the product, and whether the authentication layer is helping or blocking growth.

We measure Total Authentication Success Rate from the moment a user clearly signals intent to authenticate, for example they submit an identifier or tap Sign in until they either reach an authenticated session or they fail or abandon. Measurement boundary, we start at the first attempt start event, and we end at either a success event or an attempt timeout that we classify as abandonment.

flowchart LR
    I((Intent
Start)) --> S((Start
Auth Attempt))
    S --> M((Complete
Auth Steps))
    M --> D{Outcome}
    D -->|Succeeded| A((Authenticated
Session))
    D -->|Failed or
Abandoned| N((Not
Authenticated))

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We calculate Total Authentication Success Rate per attempt, where we count one attempt once per session, even if the user retries multiple times or switches methods before succeeding.

• Auth Attempts started is the count of deduped sessions that entered the authentication flow.
• Auth Attempts succeeded is the count of those sessions that reached the authenticated state within the attempt window.

Typical ranges vary by audience and method mix.

Count an attempt as succeeded when the user reaches the intended authenticated session, including completion of any required step up such as MFA. If a user tries one method, then switches and succeeds, the session is still one success.

Do not count sessions that only verify an email, issue a reset link or pass an intermediate checkpoint without granting authenticated access.

Count an attempt when the user enters the auth flow with clear intent, such as submitting an identifier, launching a passkey prompt or submitting credentials.

Exclude known automated testing, health checks and detected bot flows. Deduplicate rapid retries within a short window so a single struggling session does not inflate the denominator.

Use Total Authentication Success Rate to connect authentication quality directly to growth, cost and risk outcomes.

• More successful sign ins: Diagnose which segment drops first, then simplify the highest volume path, then validate via sustained lift by segment for at least a full business cycle.
• Fewer user abandonments: Diagnose long time to complete or confusing prompts, then reduce steps and clarify recovery, then validate via higher success with stable attempt volume.
• Lower support contacts: Diagnose spikes in lockouts, resets, and error messages, then improve recovery UX and reduce false lockouts, then validate via fewer contact reasons tied to access.
• Lower fraud and abuse exposure: Diagnose high failure with high risk enforcement, then move to phishing resistant methods and better risk signals, then validate via fewer compromised accounts with stable success.

• Intent and selection bias: If you start counting only after a user chooses a method, you can miss users who bounce earlier and you will overstate success.
• Missing telemetry: If abandonments are not logged consistently, TASR can look healthy while users silently give up.
• Mix shifts across segments: A shift toward harder cohorts, such as new devices or new geographies, can drop TASR even if nothing broke.
• Retries counted as new attempts: If every retry is counted, TASR can fall due to counting artifacts rather than real access problems.

At minimum, break down Total Authentication Success Rate by authentication method, platform, OS and browser, app version, geography, and new versus returning users. Track a daily trend and alert on sudden drops over short windows.