Heatmap
click and scroll mapA heatmap is a visualisation of visitor behaviour on a page: where they click, how far they scroll and where the mouse moves. Hot areas gather the most action, cold ones go unnoticed. The map reveals what analytics numbers cannot: the why.
Good to know
The heatmap is conversion optimisation’s diagnostic tool: when analytics says visitors leave a page, the map shows where attention actually lands and what goes unseen. The classic finding is key content in the scroll map’s cold zone, where most visitors never arrive.
Maps tell where, not why: session recordings run alongside, showing individual visitors’ paths and stumbles. A reliable map needs hundreds of visitors per page, and mobile and desktop are always read separately, because the same page behaves differently on each. The pair of a heatmap and recordings usually explains a conversion problem in an afternoon.
IN PRACTICE
The three map types
Click map
Where people press. Reveals clicks on elements that are not links, and buttons that get ignored.
Scroll map
How far the page gets read. Shows where the majority of visitors give up.
Move map
Where the mouse and gaze linger. A directional attention measure on desktop.
PITFALLS
Two heatmap mistakes
Conclusions from too little data
A map of a few dozen visitors is a random pattern. Collect hundreds of sessions per page and device type before interpreting.
Findings never reach a test
The map suggests, the test proves. A change without an A/B test can fix the map and worsen conversion.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Frequently asked questions
What do heatmap tools cost?+
The best-known tools have a free tier for small traffic; paid plans start at tens of euros a month. Free is enough to start.
Does a heatmap require consent?+
Yes: behavioural data collection falls under consent and the tool is wired to the cookie banner. Recordings mask typed inputs.
Which pages should get maps?+
The ones that matter: the front page, top service pages and campaign pages. Mapping the whole site drowns the signal in noise you will never read.
What should I look for in a scroll map?+
The point where 50 % of visitors have left: content above it is all the majority ever sees. Put the key message and call to action accordingly.
Heatmap or session recording?+
Both: the map shows the mass behaviour, the recording one visitor’s stumbles. The map finds the problem area, the recording explains what actually goes wrong there.
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Maintained by the VSCY editorial team · Updated 6 Aug 2026 · Part of the marketing glossary (99 terms)
