Table of Contents
Definition
Cohort retention measures what percentage of users who signed up in a given time period continue making purchases in subsequent months.
Quick answer: Cohort retention tracks the percentage of users from a specific signup month who continue spending in later months. A 15% retention rate at month 6 is solid for cam traffic.
Key takeaways
- Group referrals by their first purchase month, then track what percentage remain active each subsequent month
- Most cam affiliate cohorts lose 50-70% of spenders by month 2 and stabilize around 10-20% by month 6
- Retention curves that flatten above 10% at month 6+ indicate your traffic will generate strong long-term revshare
- CB-Stats displays retention as both a heatmap matrix and a curve chart for visual comparison across cohorts
What cohort retention measures
Why retention decides whether revshare is worth it
How to read a retention curve
| Month | Typical retention | Strong retention |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | 25-35% | 35-45% |
| Month 3 | 15-20% | 22-30% |
| Month 6 | 10-15% | 15-22% |
| Month 12 | 8-12% | 12-18% |
How CB-Stats displays cohort retention
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good month-6 retention rate for cam affiliates?
A month-6 retention rate of 15% or higher is strong. Between 10% and 15% is average. Below 10% suggests your traffic has low purchase intent. These benchmarks are based on revshare programs where retention directly impacts your recurring income.
How do I improve cohort retention?
You cannot influence user behavior after the referral since you have no direct contact with them. What you can do is improve traffic quality. Target higher-intent keywords, focus on tier-1 geos, and use tracker links to identify which sources produce the stickiest users. Then scale those sources.
How is cohort retention different from overall retention?
Overall retention mixes all users together regardless of when they joined. Cohort retention isolates each signup period. This matters because traffic quality changes over time. A new content strategy might produce better-retaining users, but you would not see that in overall numbers until months later.