Median Time to Convert, Amplitude

Median Time to Convert for Amplitude stores. Tracked live in Vortex IQ Nerve Centre. How to read it, why it matters, and how to act on it.

Metrics type: Supporting Metrics • Category: Analytics

At a glance

Median Time to Convert is the median elapsed time between entering the primary purchase funnel and completing it in Amplitude, taken across users who converted. It captures the tempo of the journey, which often shifts before the conversion rate itself moves. The card pairs with sibling metrics in the Analytics category to build a complete diagnostic picture; cross-reference the related cards listed below for context.

What it counts	The median time, across converting users, between the first funnel step and the final purchase step, as reported by Amplitude’s Funnels time-to-convert measurement.
Sample type	Backend API data from Amplitude, refreshed on the standard data refresh.
Why it matters	A lengthening median signals growing hesitation or friction; a shortening one signals smoother intent. It is an early indicator that often leads conversion-rate changes.
Reading the value	Compare the current 30-day window against the prior period. Use the median rather than the mean so a few slow outliers do not distort the read.
Currency	count
Time window	30D vsP
Alert trigger	-
Sentiment key	amp_funnel_time_to_convert
Roles	owner, marketing

Calculation

Calculated automatically from your Amplitude data. For each user who completed the primary purchase funnel, Amplitude measures the elapsed time from the first step to the final step, then reports the median across those converters over the selected window. This card surfaces that median for the 30-day window and compares it against the prior period. The median is used so that a small number of very slow converters does not skew the value. See the At a glance summary above for what the metric tracks and the worked example below for a typical reading.

Worked example

A representative reading of Median Time to Convert for a typical merchant on Amplitude. Suppose half of converting users complete the funnel within 18 minutes this period, versus 12 minutes in the prior period. The 6-minute increase suggests rising hesitation, perhaps a slower page, a confusing new layout, or higher-consideration traffic. The conversion rate may still look stable, which is why this leading signal is useful. Use Vortex Mind to trace whether the slowdown ties to a specific step, device, or release; for natural-language exploration, ask Ask Viq how time to convert differs between new and returning users.

Sibling cards merchants should reference together

Card	Why merchants reach for it
amp_funnel_conversion	A rising time to convert often precedes a fall in this headline rate.
amp_funnel_step_dropoff	Pinpoints the step where hesitation accumulates into abandonment.
amp_top_conversion_paths	Shows whether slower paths are also the longer or more circuitous ones.
amp_session_conversion_rate	Session-level conversion that complements the user-level timing view.
amp_avg_session_length	Longer sessions can explain a longer time to convert or signal friction.

Reconciling against Amplitude

Where to look in Amplitude’s own dashboard:

Open the Funnels chart for the primary purchase funnel and switch to the time-to-convert view, then read the median rather than the average. Confirm the step definitions and conversion window match the Vortex IQ profile. The Dashboards section may pin a saved funnel, and Event Segmentation can verify the underlying step event counts.

Why the Vortex IQ value may legitimately differ:

Reason	Direction	What to do
Period boundary. Vortex IQ uses a 30-day rolling window by default; an Amplitude funnel may be set to calendar periods.	Variable	Match the date range on the Amplitude funnel to a rolling 30 days.
Time zone. Amplitude buckets events by the project time zone; Vortex IQ aligns to the merchant reporting time zone.	Marginal	Confirm the project time zone matches your reporting time zone.
Filter or segment scope. Profile-level filters (platform, B2B, test users) change which converters are included in the median.	Variable	Apply the same segment to the Amplitude funnel.

Cross-connector reconciliation: complement with sibling cards in the same category for the full diagnostic picture. For divergence investigations, use Vortex Mind.

Known limitations / merchant FAQs

Q: How often does Median Time to Convert update? The card refreshes on the standard data refresh (typically every 30-60 minutes for live integrations). For real-time signals, force a manual refresh from the dashboard.

Q: Why does my Amplitude dashboard show a different number? The most common reasons are reading the average instead of the median, step-definition and conversion-window differences, period-boundary differences (Vortex IQ uses 30-day rolling vs an Amplitude funnel set to calendar months), time-zone alignment, and segment scope. Match these settings before assuming a real divergence.

Q: How does Median Time to Convert relate to other Amplitude metrics? It is the tempo behind the funnel outcome. Read it with funnel conversion and step drop-off to see whether slowing journeys are turning into lost conversions. Single-metric reads can mislead; the diagnostic value is in the cross-reference.

Q: Can I customise the alert threshold? Yes, alert thresholds are configurable per profile in the Alert Rules tab. This card ships without a default alert, but you can add one tuned to your typical conversion tempo rather than relying on a generic default.

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Tracked live in Vortex IQ Nerve Centre

Median Time to Convert is one of hundreds of KPI pulses Vortex IQ tracks across Amplitude and 70+ other ecommerce connectors. Nerve Centre runs the detection layer; Vortex Mind investigates the cause when something moves; Ask Viq lets you interrogate any number in plain English.

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