# What is Heatmap & Session Recording?

What is Heatmap & Session Recording? A heatmap visually shows where visitors click, scroll, and look. Session recording captures visitor behavior.

## How it works in practice

Heatmaps and recordings let you be 'a fly on the wall.' GA4 numbers say 'high bounce rate.' A heatmap shows why: visitors tried clicking an image that wasn't zoomable, missed the checkout button, or stalled at a shipping question.

## Related metrics

- CRO — heatmaps are a primary CRO tool
- Bounce Rate — heatmaps explain bounce rate
- A/B Testing — points to which elements to test
- UX — the most direct tool for spotting UX issues

## Common misconception

'Heatmaps show what matters to the customer.' They show where people click, not why. Always supplement with session recordings and customer surveys.

## How to fix it

Dead clicks (clicks on non-clickable elements)? Make them clickable. Visitors stop before the CTA? Move the CTA higher. No one reaches the reviews? Move reviews above the fold.

## Real-world example

A garden tools store: a heatmap revealed that on mobile, 73% tried to pinch-zoom a product image and failed. Adding pinch-to-zoom raised add-to-cart by 19%.

## Where to start

Install Microsoft Clarity (free) today. Two weeks later, spend 2 hours watching 10 sessions of cart abandoners. You'll uncover 3-5 UX issues you didn't know about.

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Category: Analytics · From the [Jimmy OS KPI Glossary](https://jimmy-os.com/glossary/kpi.md) · Source page: https://jimmy-os.com/glossary/kpi/heatmap-session-recording