I'm building a SaaS product and deciding how the main homepage should behave for users who are already signed in. When they visit the landing page, should they be sent straight to the app dashboard, or should they stay on the homepage with the main CTA changed to "Go to App"? Some products redirect automatically, while others let users remain on the marketing site. What approach usually provides the better experience?
4 Answers
The right choice depends on the purpose of the homepage. If it’s primarily marketing content, a redirect may reduce friction. If it contains information existing users still need, don’t redirect by default. Whatever you choose, provide a consistent navigation link between the marketing site and the app.
A middle ground is probably safest: keep the landing page, show a prominent “Go to App” button or small banner for signed-in users, and redirect only from an explicit app entry point such as /app or /dashboard. That preserves the user’s intent and avoids the surprise of being teleported somewhere else.
I’d avoid an automatic redirect. A logged-in user might be visiting the homepage to check pricing, read documentation, review features, or share the page with someone. Keeping the page accessible and changing the CTA to “Go to App” gives them a shortcut without taking control away from them.
This works especially well if you have separate pages for pricing, features, docs, and announcements. The homepage can remain useful while the CTA remembers the user’s last app location.
Redirecting can make sense when the landing page has little value for existing customers and the app has a clear dashboard or workspace waiting for them. In that case, sending them directly to the app saves a click. Just make sure deep links to useful marketing or documentation pages aren’t intercepted unexpectedly.
That’s also easy to implement and low-risk. Most people who want the app will click the button, while users returning for pricing or docs can stay where they intended.