Conversion rate optimisation and testing
Heatmaps and session recordings explained
The short answer
Heatmaps aggregate where visitors click, how far they scroll and where they hover on a page; session recordings replay individual visits. They show where a page confuses people, not why, and work best as the step between "this funnel step leaks" in GA4 and "here is the change we will test". Microsoft Clarity offers both free; consent and masking of form fields still apply.
On this page 7 sections
The four views
| View | Shows | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Click map | Where clicks and taps land, including on things that are not links | Rage clicks on images or text people expect to be links |
| Scroll map | The share of visitors who reach each depth of the page | Whether the call to action sits below where most people stop |
| Move or attention map | Where the cursor or viewport rests | Rough attention on long pages; weaker on mobile |
| Session recording | One visitor's visit replayed | Seeing a form error, a broken button, a confusing step |
How to use them without wasting a week
- Start from a number. Find the leaking step first in a GA4 funnel exploration, then watch that page only.
- Separate mobile and desktop. A page that works on desktop can bury the button on a phone.
- Watch recordings filtered to the problem: visitors who reached the form but did not submit, rage clicks, quick-backs.
- Write down a hypothesis ("people miss the price because it sits under the fold on mobile") and test the change: A/B testing for small business.
Traffic you need
A click map built from 30 visits is anecdote. As a rough working rule, wait for a few hundred page views per device type on the page before reading a heatmap, and watch at least 10 to 20 recordings of the problem step before concluding. Recordings are useful at any traffic level for finding bugs: one recording of a form that will not submit is enough.
Privacy
- Recordings capture what people type unless fields are masked. Keep default masking on, and mask anything showing personal, health or payment data.
- In the EU, UK and similar regimes, recording tools generally need consent like other non-essential analytics. Microsoft Clarity provides a Consent API and works with consent platforms. Not legal advice.
- Microsoft says Clarity should not be used on sites or apps that target users under 18.
- Healthcare sites should not record patient portals or intake flows: see analytics for healthcare practices and HIPAA.
Tools
Microsoft Clarity is free with no paid tier, covering recordings, heatmaps and funnels. Hotjar, Crazy Egg, Mouseflow and others add surveys, longer retention or team features on paid plans. On-page surveys answer the "why" a heatmap cannot: a one-question poll on the leaking page often beats a week of recordings (Survicate vs Hotjar). Our roundup: best heatmap and CRO tools, and Hotjar alternatives.
Questions
- Is Microsoft Clarity really free?
- Yes. Microsoft describes Clarity as a free service with no obligation to upgrade, covering session recordings, heatmaps, funnels and dashboard insights.
- Do heatmaps need cookie consent?
- In the EU and UK, heatmap and session recording tools that store identifiers or read device data are generally treated as non-essential analytics needing consent. Use the tool's consent integration and mask sensitive fields. This is general information, not legal advice.
- What is a rage click?
- A rage click is several rapid clicks on the same spot, usually because something looks clickable and is not, or because a button does not respond. Recording tools flag them so you can find broken or confusing elements.
Sources
Next step
Try the a/b test significance and sample size calculator
Related guides
How to build a funnel exploration in GA4
Build a GA4 funnel exploration step by step: open vs closed funnels, directly vs indirectly followed by, elapsed time, next action and breakdowns, with a lead-gen example.
A/B testing for small business: traffic and significance
How to run an A/B test on a small site, how much traffic you need, how to read statistical significance, and when not to test. With a free calculator.
How to track form submissions and leads back to their source
How to record the source, campaign and keyword of every form lead, in GA4 and in your CRM, and when a lead tracking platform is worth it.
Do calculators and quizzes generate leads?
How interactive content (calculators, quizzes, assessments) captures leads and first-party data, which formats suit which businesses, and how to measure it.