This paper is concerned with the causal and temporal underpinnings of information systems success. It uses a typological approach based on fuzzy‐set Qualitative Comparative Analysis and process tracing. It investigates success across multiple cases of information systems adopted for monitoring the disbursement and use of resources within the European Social Fund. The study unravels the causal mechanisms and temporal pathways underpinning success in these systems. It develops a typological theory of monitoring systems success that reveals the temporal pathways embedded within individual cases, as well as broader theoretical patterns emerging across cases. Theoretical, methodological, and practical implications are discussed.