Heatmaps: Data Quality

How to interpret heatmaps correctly and avoid false conclusions.

Minimum vs Recommended Thresholds

  • Minimum to show “Ready”: 30 sessions and 50 clicks
  • Recommended: 100+ sessions and 200+ clicks before making high-impact changes

Segment by Device

  • Desktop and mobile layouts differ (sticky headers, collapsed menus, different CTA placement)
  • Always check desktop and mobile heatmaps separately for key pages

Common Pitfalls

  • A/B tests running: heatmaps may reflect mixed layouts across variants
  • Dynamic content: personalized sections can change element positions across sessions
  • Rage clicks: repeated clicking can create hot spots that indicate frustration, not interest

Tip

Use recordings to validate what a heatmap hotspot means. Start from Session Recordings.

Date Ranges

Heatmaps are most useful when the page layout is stable. If you changed your theme recently, interpret older heatmap data carefully.

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