What the Data Tells Us
23 actionable findings derived from CloudFront log analysis across 30 months (Nov '23 – Apr '26) of HRA tool usage data, covering traffic patterns, feature adoption, user behavior, and geographic distribution.
An unidentified event drove a 4,075% EUI surge in March 2024
171 → 7,140 visits in one month · Probably an internal HuBMAP/HRA training session
No public record found for this event. Likely an internal HuBMAP/HRA training or course module. Reach out to the HRA team for records of any workshops or courses in March 2024.
October 2024 triple-tool spike was eerily symmetric
CDE=1,218 · EUI=1,254 · RUI=1,253 · Probably: 'HRA: Powers of Ten' Workshop
Probably the 'HRA: Powers of Ten' JumpStart workshop (Andreas Bueckle, IU CNS, NIH HuBMAP JumpStart Fellowship 2024–25). Lean into this by building a unified 'HRA Demo Mode' or guided multi-tool walkthrough that an instructor can run in one session.
April 2025: A CDE + FTU Explorer co-spike we weren't tracking
CDE +156% · FTU +471% · Probably: HuBMAP working group or HRA release training
Probably an HRA working group session or training around a new HRA release. There are at least 3 distinct recurring event types — each warrants its own outreach strategy.
October is consistently the highest-traffic month
Oct avg: 4,311 visits · Oct 2025: 4,813 (all-time peak)
Plan major feature releases and outreach campaigns for September so they're polished before the October peak. Ensure server infrastructure can handle 4–5× normal traffic.
KG Explorer launched and immediately dominated — but is now declining
Peak 16,302 in Mar '26 → 2,578 in Apr '26 (-84%)
Monitor KG Explorer's upcoming monthly numbers closely. If decline continues past the seasonal dip, investigate whether users are hitting friction points.
The March 2024 event permanently lifted EUI's baseline
Pre-event avg: 132/mo → Post-event avg: 209/mo (+58%)
Events are one of the highest-ROI growth strategies for HRA tools. Each major event leaves a lasting baseline increase. Doubling event frequency could compound baseline growth significantly.
Non-KG tools are flat-to-declining in H2 2025
535–787 visits/mo (ex-KG), down from 744–1,491 in H1
Cross-linking between tools could keep users in the HRA ecosystem rather than leaving after one tool. KG Explorer's success may be cannibalizing EUI and FTU traffic.
KG Explorer error rate fell 70% from launch — fixes are working
87 errors/100 visits at launch (Oct '25) → 26.5 by Apr '26
CDN icon path fixes and CORS improvements are measurably reducing the error rate despite growing visit volume. Complete the technology-names API CORS fix to push below 5 errors/100 visits.
User return rates are climbing — habitual use is forming across all tools
RUI 25% · EUI 16.2% · KG Explorer 26.6% in Apr '26
RUI's high return rate reflects tissue registration as a professional recurring task. KG Explorer building from near-zero to meaningful return rates in months is strong. Invest in bookmarking, sharing, and keyboard shortcuts to deepen these habits.
Top cross-tool combo: CDE + EUI + RUI — the full atlas workflow
2,052 users visited 2+ tools · top combo: 554 users
Power users who chain multiple tools are your highest-value audience. Surface contextual deep-links between the top 3 combos (CDE+EUI+RUI, EUI+RUI, EUI+KG) directly in each tool's UI. Even a 5% increase in the multi-tool rate would represent hundreds of higher-engagement sessions.
RUI opacity controls are nearly invisible to users
262 total opacity toggles across 5,548 RUI visits (4.7%)
Surface opacity controls with an onboarding tooltip on first RUI load. A simple 'Tip: You can toggle organ visibility' prompt could dramatically increase this metric.
CDE export/download usage cannot be measured yet
297 visualizations created · download events not yet tracked in app
Add an explicit CDE download/export analytics event first. After instrumentation is in place, audit the post-visualization screen and add a more prominent CTA if measured usage remains low.
EUI spatial search users are deeply engaged once inside
1106 scene navigation events vs 222 button clicks (5.0×)
The spatial search onboarding has a 47% continuation rate. Simplifying organ selection or adding 'Quick Search' presets for common organs (kidney, heart) could significantly increase completion.
RUI users move left more than right
A key: 1,558 uses · D key: 913 uses
Lateral movement is asymmetric (left over right), while both vertical (W/S) and depth (Q/E) controls are active. Consider a visible movement guide or smart-snap features to reduce navigation friction.
47% of all errors come from 3 fixable bugs
16,636 KG + 1,531 EUI errors traceable to specific root causes
Fix in priority order: (1) Patch API CORS on technology-names endpoint. (2) Audit KG Explorer CDN paths for icon assets. (3) Add null guard in EUI's getLastPickedObject before index [0].
64% of CDE users skip the landing page entirely
233 of 362 uploads bypassed the landing CTA
The upload page itself needs to be fully self-explanatory. Add in-page guidance, accepted file format info, and a quick-start template directly on the upload screen.
GTEx Portal is HRA's largest external API consumer — 2.01M requests
GTEx 2.01M · HubMAP 1.65M · SenNet 121K · EBI 110K
HRA is foundational API infrastructure for at least 4 major genomics platforms. Any breaking API changes need careful deprecation periods and partner notifications.
The HRA portal is the primary tool discovery mechanism
7,804 portal navigation interactions in tracked UI elements
The portal's 'Applications' navigation link (1,078 interactions) is a critical funnel point. Ensure the tool listing page loads fast and is updated immediately when new tools launch.
Users browse 'Data' 1.8× more than 'Apps' — data drives tool discovery
Data: 922 clicks · Apps: 507 · Development: 234
Embed tool launch points directly within data browsing pages. 'Explore this dataset in EUI' CTAs placed on data pages capture users already in research mode.
FTU Explorer's entire value is in one element
7,142 bar graph interactions from a single UI element
FTU Explorer has a very focused use case. Double down on the bar graph: add filtering, export, and comparison features. Consider it as a standalone embeddable widget.
Engagement is bimodal — users either bounce immediately or go very deep
28% single-event bounces · 23% with 11+ events
Two distinct user archetypes exist. Design for both: add immediate value indicators on first load to hook bouncers, and invest in advanced features for power users who return.
Asia-Pacific accounts for nearly 1 in 4 visits
22,298 visits (28.3%) from Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific is the #2 market by region. Ensure HRA tools are geographically distributed to minimize latency for Asian users, and consider outreach to HK, SG, and JP institutions.
Ecuador, Bulgaria, and Seychelles show suspicious traffic volume
EC: 775 · BG: 334 · SC: 109
Cross-reference CloudFront IP addresses for Ecuador and Seychelles traffic against known CDN ranges. If confirmed as CDN artifacts, exclude from geographic analyses.