Conversion Optimisation
Heatmap
Also known as: Heat map
Plain English
A visual map showing where users click or look most.
Definition
A heatmap is a visual representation of user glossaryInteractionInteraction refers to any action a user takes within a product and how the system responds. It includes clicks, taps, gestures, and inputs that drive the user experience.Open glossary term glossaryDataData is raw, uninterpreted information collected and stored so it can be analysed, processed, or used to inform decisions. On its own it carries no meaning; context and interpretation are what make it useful.Open glossary term, showing areas of high and low activity.
In practice
Used to analyse clicks, glossaryScroll DepthScroll depth measures how far users scroll down a page, indicating how much content they view.Open glossary term, and attention glossaryPatternA pattern is a reusable solution to a design problem that recurs across products and contexts. It captures an approach already shown to work, so a team solves the problem once rather than every time it appears.Open glossary term.
In context
It is best used to disprove assumptions rather than generate ideas. It reliably shows that a carousel's later slides are never seen.
The reality
guideHeatmapsVisualising aggregated user interaction to see where people click, focus, and scroll on a page.Open guide show glossaryPatternA pattern is a reusable solution to a design problem that recurs across products and contexts. It captures an approach already shown to work, so a team solves the problem once rather than every time it appears.Open glossary term but do not explain glossaryUser IntentUser intent is the underlying goal or reason behind a user’s action, search, or interaction.Open glossary term.
Compared with
Heatmap vs Clickstream
A heatmap aggregates activity onto one page: where attention landed. glossaryClickstreamClickstream data tracks the sequence of pages and interactions a user takes during a session.Open glossary term follows the sequence across pages. One answers what happened here; the other answers what happened next.
FAQ
Common questions
A few practical answers to the questions that usually come up around this term.
What is a heatmap?
It is a visual representation of user glossaryInteractionInteraction refers to any action a user takes within a product and how the system responds. It includes clicks, taps, gestures, and inputs that drive the user experience.Open glossary term.
What can heatmaps show?
Clicks, scroll glossaryBehaviourBehaviour refers to how users interact with a system, including actions, patterns, and responses.Open glossary term, and attention areas.
What is a limitation?
They do not explain why users behave that way.
When should you use heatmaps?
To identify glossaryPatternA pattern is a reusable solution to a design problem that recurs across products and contexts. It captures an approach already shown to work, so a team solves the problem once rather than every time it appears.Open glossary term and areas of interest.
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