Session Replay
A recording of a user's interactions within an app session, used to understand behavior and diagnose problems.
Definition
Session replay is a technique that records or reconstructs user interactions during a session - taps, scrolls, form inputs, and navigation - for analysis. It can help investigate a specific drop-off step after funnel data identifies the affected cohort. Session replay complements funnel data: the funnel indicates where users drop off; replay can help form hypotheses about why.
→ In practice
"We watched 15 session replays of users who dropped off at the 'data source connected' step. 12 of the 15 showed users tapping the connect button multiple times with no visible feedback - there was a silent API timeout we hadn't caught."
Common questions
Is session replay the same as screen recording?
Session replay is typically event-based (taps, navigation, inputs reconstructed visually) rather than actual screen recording. This makes it more privacy-friendly and less storage-intensive. Some tools offer actual screen recording as an add-on.
How many session replays do I need to watch to find a pattern?
Review a deliberate sample from the same affected cohort and stop only when the evidence supports a testable hypothesis. Treat repeated behaviour as a lead to validate with event, error, and platform data rather than proof by itself.
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