I'm building a SaaS and deciding how the main landing page should behave for authenticated users. When someone who is already logged in visits the homepage, should they be sent straight to the app dashboard, or should they stay on the homepage with the primary button changed to "Go to App"? Some products redirect automatically, while others leave the choice to the user. Which approach usually provides the better experience?
4 Answers
Treat the marketing site and the application as separate destinations. Let users move between them with clear navigation rather than making the marketing site depend on authentication state. A logged-in visitor might still be researching a feature or looking up pricing, so taking control away can feel disruptive.
I’d avoid an automatic redirect. If someone intentionally visits the landing page, they may want to check pricing, documentation, features, or share the page. Keep the homepage available and change the main CTA to “Go to App” so they still have a quick shortcut.
A small banner or secondary link pointing to the app is a low-risk compromise. You preserve the landing page for docs and pricing while making the dashboard easy to reach. If you later learn that nearly everyone wants the app immediately, you can add a more targeted redirect for a dedicated app URL instead of redirecting the entire homepage.
A redirect can work when the homepage has little value for existing users and the app immediately takes them somewhere useful. It’s especially reasonable if the product has a strong dashboard or remembers their last app location. Just be careful not to send people to an empty or confusing first screen.
That’s the key distinction: redirecting is fine when the landing page is purely a sign-in gateway, but less helpful when it contains useful information for current customers.