Session Replays
Session replays let you watch recordings of actual user sessions on your website. See exactly how visitors navigate, interact, and experience your site, helping you identify usability issues and optimize the user experience.
Accessing Session Replays
- Log into your AnalyticsCloudMonitor account
- Select a website from the dropdown in the top navigation
- Click "Replays" in the left sidebar
- Note: Session replays are only available for websites with Normal tracking
Understanding Session Replays
What Session Replays Show
Session replays capture and display:
- Mouse Movements: Cursor movement across the page
- Click Actions: Every click and interaction
- Scroll Behavior: How users scroll through pages
- Form Interactions: Text input, selections, and submissions
- Page Navigation: How users move between pages
- Time Stamps: Duration of each action
Session Replay Benefits
Use session replays to:
- Identify Usability Issues: Find confusing navigation or broken elements
- Understand User Behavior: See how visitors actually use your site
- Optimize Conversion Funnels: Find where users drop off
- Improve User Experience: Make data-driven design decisions
- Debug Technical Issues: Identify bugs or broken functionality
Session Replays Dashboard
Replay List View
The replays dashboard shows all recorded sessions:
- Session ID: Unique identifier for each session
- Visitor Information: Location, device, browser
- Session Duration: How long the session lasted
- Pages Viewed: Number of pages in the session
- Events Recorded: Number of interactions captured
- Date/Time: When the session occurred
- Actions: View, export, or delete options
Filtering and Sorting
Find specific sessions using filters:
- Date Range: Filter by specific time periods
- Session Duration: Focus on long or short sessions
- Pages Viewed: Filter by number of pages
- Geographic Location: Sessions from specific areas
- Device Type: Desktop, mobile, or tablet sessions
- Traffic Source: Organic, paid, social, etc.
Watching Session Replays
Opening a Replay
- Find the session you want to watch in the list
- Click "View" next to the session
- The replay will open in a new window
- Use the playback controls to navigate
Playback Controls
Use these controls to navigate the replay:
- Play/Pause: Start or stop the replay
- Speed Control: Adjust playback speed (1x, 2x, 4x)
- Timeline: Jump to specific points in the session
- Step Forward/Backward: Move through actions one by one
- Fullscreen: Watch in full-screen mode
Analyzing Session Replays
What to Look For
When watching replays, pay attention to:
- Navigation Patterns: How users move through your site
- Confusion Points: Where users seem lost or frustrated
- Form Issues: Problems with form completion
- Button Clicks: What users try to click
- Scroll Behavior: How far users scroll on pages
- Exit Points: Where users leave your site
Common Issues to Identify
- Broken Links: Users clicking on non-functional elements
- Confusing Navigation: Users getting lost or confused
- Form Problems: Users struggling with form completion
- Mobile Issues: Problems specific to mobile devices
- Performance Problems: Slow loading or unresponsive elements
- Content Issues: Users not finding what they're looking for
Using Session Replays for Optimization
Usability Improvements
Apply replay insights to improve your site:
- Fix Broken Elements: Repair non-functional links and buttons
- Improve Navigation: Make navigation more intuitive
- Optimize Forms: Simplify form completion process
- Enhance Mobile Experience: Fix mobile-specific issues
- Clarify Content: Make information easier to find
Conversion Optimization
Use replays to improve conversion rates:
- Identify Drop-off Points: Find where users abandon the process
- Optimize CTAs: Improve call-to-action placement and design
- Simplify Checkout: Streamline the purchase process
- Reduce Friction: Remove obstacles that prevent conversions
- Test Improvements: Measure the impact of changes
Session Replay Management
Managing Replays
For each session replay, you can:
- View: Watch the full session recording
- Export: Download replay data for analysis
- Delete: Remove the replay from your account
- Share: Share specific replays with team members
- Bookmark: Mark important replays for later review
Bulk Operations
Perform actions on multiple replays:
- Select multiple replays using checkboxes
- Choose an action from the bulk actions dropdown
- Confirm the action
- The selected replays will be processed
Advanced Session Replay Features
Filtering Options
Filter replays for more specific analysis:
- Session Duration: Focus on long or short sessions
- Pages Viewed: Sessions with specific page counts
- Geographic Location: Sessions from specific areas
- Device Types: Desktop, mobile, or tablet sessions
- Traffic Sources: Organic, paid, social, referral
- New vs Returning: First-time vs repeat visitors
Search and Find
Quickly find specific sessions:
- Search by URL: Find sessions that visited specific pages
- Search by Action: Find sessions with specific interactions
- Search by Duration: Find sessions of specific lengths
- Search by Location: Find sessions from specific areas
Session Replay Best Practices
Regular Review
- Weekly Reviews: Check replays regularly for patterns
- Focus on Issues: Prioritize sessions with problems
- Look for Patterns: Identify recurring usability issues
- Document Findings: Keep notes of important observations
Team Collaboration
- Share Insights: Share important replays with your team
- Prioritize Issues: Focus on high-impact problems first
- Test Solutions: Implement fixes and measure impact
- Iterate: Continuously improve based on new data
Exporting Session Replay Data
Export Options
- Select the replay you want to export
- Click the "Export" button
- Choose export format (CSV or JSON)
- Select the data you want to include
- Download the file
What You Can Export
- Session Data: Duration, pages viewed, events
- Visitor Information: Location, device, browser
- Interaction Data: Clicks, scrolls, form interactions
- Timestamps: When each action occurred
- Page URLs: All pages visited during the session
Troubleshooting Session Replays
No Replays Available
- Verify your website uses Normal tracking (not Lightweight)
- Check that session replays are enabled in website settings
- Ensure you have sufficient visitor traffic
- Wait 24-48 hours for initial data collection
- Check your website's privacy settings
Replay Quality Issues
- Check for multiple tracking codes on your site
- Verify the website URL is correct
- Clear browser cache and test again
- Check for ad blockers or privacy tools
- Ensure sufficient bandwidth for replay playback
Session Replay Limitations
Keep in mind these limitations:
- Storage Limits: Replays are stored for a limited time
- Sample Size: Not all sessions are recorded
- Privacy Tools: Ad blockers may prevent recording
- Dynamic Content: May not capture all dynamic elements
- Performance Impact: Recording may slightly affect page performance
- Mobile Limitations: Touch interactions may not be fully captured
Privacy and Compliance
Privacy Protection
Session replays respect user privacy:
- No Personal Data: Sensitive information is automatically masked
- Cookie Consent: Respects user cookie preferences
- Opt-out Options: Users can opt out of session recording
- Data Retention: Configurable retention periods
GDPR Compliance
Session replays are GDPR-compliant:
- Consent Management: Respects user consent preferences
- Data Minimization: Only records necessary interaction data
- User Rights: Users can request data deletion
- Transparency: Clear information about data collection
💡 Pro Tip
Use session replays in combination with heatmaps for comprehensive user behavior analysis. Replays show individual journeys, while heatmaps show aggregate patterns.
Next Steps
Now that you understand session replays, explore these related features: