Heatmaps
Heatmaps are visual overlays that show where people click/tap, move the mouse, and scroll on a page or screen. Colors indicate intensity (warmer = more activity). Common web types include click/tap maps, scroll maps, move/attention maps, area/zone maps, and diagnostics like rage-clicks. These views help you see what users notice and interact with or without reading raw logs.
Why It Matters
Find friction quickly: Heatmaps reveal missed CTAs, dead clicks, and where scrolling stops—so you can fix placement, wording, or layout.
Prioritize high-impact changes: Compare behavior by device, source, or audience to decide what to optimize first. Many tools offer filters/segments for this.
Design for attention: Users still focus more above the fold (even though they scroll), and often scan in an F-pattern on text-heavy pages. Heatmaps make these patterns visible.
Examples
Scroll map insight: Only 45–50% of visitors reach pricing on a long product page. Move pricing higher and add a sticky CTA. (Scroll maps show the average fold and how far users scroll.)
Click map insight: Heavy clicks on a non-clickable image (or rage-clicks) signal confusing affordances make it a link or restyle it.
Segmentation insight: A Confetti view colors clicks by source (e.g., paid vs. organic), revealing different behaviors to optimize per channel.
Best Practices
Choose the right type: Use scroll maps to check visibility and placement; click/tap maps for interaction issues; area/zone maps to compare regions.
Mind the fold: Place key messages and CTAs where they’ll be seen early; reinforce them below. People still pay more attention above the fold.
Segment before acting: Compare heatmaps by device, traffic source, and audience; mobile patterns often differ from desktop.
Pair with other methods: Use session recordings, funnels, and A/B tests—heatmaps show where, not always why.
Know the limits: Dynamic content and iframes can distort screenshots/coverage in some tools—check your platform’s capture limits.
Interpret mouse vs. eye carefully: Mouse-move heatmaps can be directionally correlated with gaze in certain contexts, but they are not a full substitute for eyetracking studies.
Related Terms
FAQs
Q1. What kinds of heatmaps exist?
Most suites offer click/tap, scroll, move/attention, and area/zone maps; many also flag rage-clicks.
Q2. Do heatmaps work on mobile apps?
Yes, mobile/app heatmaps visualize taps and scroll depth; many tools also show the average fold on mobile.
Q3. Does the fold still matter?
Yes. People do scroll, but eyetracking still shows more attention above the fold; design the top to earn the scroll.
Q4. Are mouse-move heatmaps the same as eye-tracking?
No. Mouse signals can correlate with gaze in some tasks, but they aren’t a replacement for eyetracking when precise attention data is required.
Q5. Which tools provide heatmaps?
Popular options include Microsoft Clarity, Hotjar, and Crazy Egg, all support click and scroll maps, with variations like engagement zones or Confetti segmentation.