Session recording
Session recording, also called session replay, denotes the recording of real user sessions on a website. Mouse movements, clicks, scrolling and form interactions are captured and reconstructed as a playable video. That shows how visitors actually use a page, where they hesitate and at which point they leave. Session recording adds qualitative insight to quantitative web analytics. Well-known tools are Hotjar, Microsoft Clarity, Mouseflow and FullStory.
Also known as: session recording, session replay
What is session recording?
Classic Web analytics answers what happens on a website: how many people visit a page, how long they stay and where they drop off. It does not answer why, though. Session recording closes exactly that gap by making individual users’ actual behaviour visible.
Technically, a script records a session's interactions and reconstructs a playable replay from them. You see how the cursor moves, where clicks happen, how far the page is scrolled and how visitors deal with forms. It looks like a video but is in truth a resource-saving reconstruction of the page and the events.
The value lies in spotting friction. If many users hesitate at the same point, repeatedly tap an element that is not clickable or keep correcting a form field, that points to a usability problem. Such patterns stay invisible in figures alone and only become tangible in the recording.
Session recording compared with heatmaps
Session recording and Heatmaps belong together but are not the same. A Heatmap aggregates the behaviour of many sessions into one picture and shows, for instance, which areas are clicked especially often or how far pages are scrolled on average. It gives the overview of typical behaviour.
Session recording, by contrast, shows individual, specific sessions. While the heatmap reveals that a problem exists, the recording helps understand the cause in detail. In practice the two complement each other: the heatmap points the way, the recording supplies the explanation.
Most tools offer both functions in one package. Heatmap tools such as Hotjar or Microsoft Clarity combine aggregated visualisations with the option to replay individual sessions. You can thus switch seamlessly between overview and detailed analysis.
Session recording tools compared
The common tools differ above all in their range of features, cost and data protection options. Microsoft Clarity is entirely free and particularly friendly for beginners. Hotjar combines recordings with surveys and feedback features. Mouseflow puts the emphasis on detailed funnel analysis, and FullStory addresses larger teams with deep product analytics.
The overview below helps you choose. Pay particular attention to the masking features, because they decide GDPR suitability.
| Tool | Features | Free? | GDPR / masking | Ideal for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotjar | Recordings, heatmaps, surveys | Limited free tier | Automatic masking possible | Marketing & UX teams |
| Microsoft Clarity | Recordings, heatmaps, insights | Completely free | masking built in | Beginners & small budgets |
| Mouseflow | Recordings, funnel, form analysis | Small free tier | Field masking configurable | conversion optimisation |
| FullStory | Deep product analysis, search | Trial only | Granular masking | Product & enterprise teams |
Data protection in session recording
Session recording is particularly sensitive under data protection law, because what users type potentially becomes visible. Without safeguards, names, addresses, payment details or passwords could end up in the recordings. Masking sensitive input fields is therefore not optional but a duty. Serious tools mask form fields by default and let further areas be hidden deliberately.
Because session recording generally processes personal data, prior consent is required under the GDPR. Recording may only start after the user has, through a Consent management platform has consented. A GDPR-compliant tracking therefore ties the recording script strictly to the consent status.
A data processing agreement with the provider, EU data processing where possible and defined deletion periods matter too. At Elisabit we set up session recording so it delivers solid insight without endangering data protection, and build it cleanly into your consent setup.
- Mask input fields containing personal data by default
- Only start recording after valid consent via the consent platform
- Sign a data processing agreement with the provider
- Choose EU data processing where the tool offers it
- Set clear deletion periods for recorded sessions
Using session recording sensibly
The biggest mistake with session recording is watching many sessions aimlessly. Recordings only show their value when used deliberately, for instance to investigate a specific page with a high Bounce rate or a form with a low completion rate. That turns hours of watching into focused root-cause work.
Combining it with quantitative data is particularly effective. When Google Analytics 4 or Marketing dashboards shows weak conversion on a particular page, the recording provides the qualitative explanation. Quantitative analysis points to the problem, session recording uncovers the cause.
Within conversion optimisation, session recording is a valuable building block. Insights from recordings lead to hypotheses that can then be A/B test be verified. That closes the loop of observing, hypothesising, testing and improving that keeps making a website better.
Frequently asked questions
What is session recording?
Session recording, also called session replay, is the recording of real user sessions on a website. Mouse movements, clicks, scrolling and form interactions are captured and reconstructed as a playable replay. That shows how visitors actually use a page, where they hesitate and at which point they leave.
How does session recording differ from heatmaps?
A heatmap aggregates the behaviour of many sessions into one picture and shows frequently clicked areas for instance. Session recording, by contrast, shows individual sessions in detail. The heatmap reveals that a problem exists, the recording helps understand the cause. The two complement each other and are often combined in the same tool.
Which session recording tool is best?
That depends on your needs. Microsoft Clarity is entirely free and friendly for beginners. Hotjar combines recordings with surveys and feedback. Mouseflow suits detailed funnel and form analysis, and FullStory addresses larger teams with deep product analytics. For the GDPR, the masking functions are decisive in all of them.
Is session recording GDPR compliant?
Session recording generally processes personal data and therefore requires prior consent through a consent management platform. Sensitive input fields also have to be masked, a data processing agreement concluded and deletion periods defined. With the right configuration, GDPR-compliant tracking can be achieved.
Is Microsoft Clarity really free?
Yes, Microsoft Clarity is entirely free and usable with no session limit, including heatmaps and recordings. That makes it a popular starting tool. Here too, though, its integration has to be tied to consent and sensitive fields masked, to stay privacy-compliant.
How do I use session recording sensibly?
Rather than watching many sessions aimlessly, you should use recordings deliberately to investigate specific problems, a page with a high bounce rate for instance. Combining them with quantitative data from Google Analytics 4 is particularly effective: the figures show the problem, the recording uncovers the cause. Hypotheses for A/B tests emerge from that.
Related terms
Software that visualises how website visitors click, scroll and move.
Collecting, measuring and analysing website data in order to improve content and conversions in a targeted way.
Conversion tracking measures which user actions are triggered by which channels and campaigns.
Event tracking records individual user actions — clicks, scrolls, downloads or purchases — as measurable events for web analytics.
Software that obtains, documents and manages cookie and tracking consent in a legally sound way.
Web tracking tools record and analyse user behaviour — from Google Analytics 4 to Matomo and others.
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