Design internal triggers for sustained user engagement. Use when building habit-forming features, improving retention without notifications, or transitioning users from external prompts to self-motivated engagement.
Self-Initiated Triggers (Internal Triggers) are emotional states or situations that prompt users to engage with a product without any external reminder. They represent the goal state of habit formation - when users think of your product automatically in response to specific feelings or contexts.
External Triggers Internal Triggers
(Pushed to user) (Pulled by user)
| |
v v
+-------------+ +-------------+
| - Push | | - Boredom |
| notif | Journey | - Anxiety |
| - Email | -----------> | - FOMO |
| - Ads | | - Loneliness|
| - WOM | | - Curiosity |
+-------------+ +-------------+
| |
v v
Expensive Free
Interruptive Seamless
Declining effect Strengthening
Emotion/Situation Product Association
| |
v v
"I feel bored" --> "I'll check Instagram"
"I have a question" --> "I'll Google it"
"I feel anxious" --> "I'll check Slack"
"I'm waiting" --> "I'll open TikTok"
| Trigger | Emotion | Example Products |
|---|---|---|
| Negative | Boredom, anxiety, loneliness, FOMO | Social media, news, messaging |
| Positive | Curiosity, excitement, anticipation | Learning apps, games |
| Situational | Waiting, commuting, winding down | Podcasts, reading apps |
| Routine | Morning, mealtime, bedtime | News, meditation, fitness |
Phase 1: External Trigger
"We sent you a notification"
|
v
Phase 2: Association Forming
Repeated: Trigger → Action → Reward
|
v
Phase 3: Internal Trigger Emerging
Emotion alone triggers action
|
v
Phase 4: Automatic Habit
No conscious thought needed
Research questions:
| User Segment | Primary Emotion | Secondary Emotion | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Segment 1] | [Emotion] | [Emotion] | [When/Where] |
| [Segment 2] | [Emotion] | [Emotion] | [When/Where] |
External Triggers Internal Triggers
[_____________________] [_____________________]
80% 20%
Target state:
[_____________________] [_____________________]
30% 70%
| Strategy | Implementation |
|---|---|
| Repeated pairing | Consistent context → action → reward |
| Emotional resonance | Design for target emotion |
| Ritual creation | Encourage routine usage |
| Social reinforcement | Others validate the behavior |
| Metric | Weak Trigger | Strong Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Return frequency without prompts | Low | High |
| Time to return after absence | Long | Short |
| Usage without notifications | Rare | Common |
| Self-reported "automatic" use | Never | Often |
## Internal Trigger Analysis
**Product:** [Name] **Date:** [Date]
### Target Internal Trigger
**Primary emotion:** [Emotion] **Trigger context:** [Situation when emotion
occurs] **Desired association:** "When I feel [emotion], I [product action]"
### Current State
| Engagement Type | % of Sessions |
| ------------------------ | ------------- |
| Push notification driven | [X%] |
| Email driven | [X%] |
| Self-initiated | [X%] |
### User Research Findings
**Interview insight 1:** "[Quote about when/why they open the product]"
**Interview insight 2:** "[Quote about emotional state]"
### Trigger Strengthening Plan
| Strategy | Action | Expected Outcome |
| ------------ | ----------------- | ---------------- |
| [Strategy 1] | [Specific action] | [Metric impact] |
| [Strategy 2] | [Specific action] | [Metric impact] |
### Success Metrics
| Metric | Current | Target | Timeframe |
| --------------------------- | ------- | ------ | --------- |
| Self-initiated sessions | [X%] | [Y%] | [Months] |
| Return without notification | [X%] | [Y%] | [Months] |
Target emotion: Boredom + need for stimulation Association built: "I have a spare moment → I'll check Twitter"
Mechanisms:
Target emotion: Anxiety about missing information Association built: "I feel out of the loop → I'll check Slack"
Mechanisms:
Target emotion: Guilt + achievement desire Association built: "I should be productive → I'll do a lesson"
Mechanisms:
| Aspect | Healthy | Unhealthy |
|---|---|---|
| Emotion exploited | Curiosity, growth desire | Anxiety, loneliness, FOMO |
| User outcome | Feels better after use | Feels worse or unchanged |
| Sustainability | Long-term satisfaction | Short-term with regret |
| Control | User feels in control | User feels compelled |
| Method | Combined Use |
|---|---|
| Hooked Model | Internal triggers are the goal state |
| Fogg Behavior Model | Trigger is the T in B=MAT |
| Jobs-to-be-Done | Emotional jobs are internal triggers |
| Loss Aversion | Fear of loss as internal trigger |