# Session replay

Session replay is a reconstruction of a user's visit to a website or app, rebuilt from recorded page changes, clicks, scrolls and inputs, so a team can watch what the user saw and did. Teams use it to debug issues and find where people get stuck.

## How does session replay work?

On the web, session replay works from a log of page changes rather than a screen video. A small script captures a snapshot of the page structure when the session starts, then logs every change after that: elements appearing, text updating, mouse movement, clicks, scrolls and form input.

A player later rebuilds the page from that log and plays it back, so it looks like a recording but is lighter to store and easier to search. Most tools let you filter sessions by events such as errors, rage clicks (repeated clicks on one spot), dead clicks (clicks that do nothing) or a drop-off at a specific step.

Mobile apps work differently: most mobile replay tools capture periodic screenshots or a wireframe of the screen instead.

## What is session replay used for?

Replay answers "what happened?" questions that charts can't.

- **Debugging:** support or engineering watches the exact steps behind a bug report instead of asking the user to describe them.
- **Finding friction:** a funnel shows where people drop off; replay shows what they saw at that moment.
- **UX review:** designers watch real use of a new screen before deciding whether to change it.

Here is a typical case. A funnel shows that many new admins stop at "connect your data source." Watching twenty replays of that step reveals a pattern: people paste an API key, the form clears without an error message, and they try twice before leaving. That's a fix you can ship this week.

## Is session replay privacy-safe?

It can be, if you set it up with privacy as the default. Replay sees whatever is on screen, so the responsibility sits with the team.

- **Mask inputs by default.** Text fields, especially passwords, payment and personal details, should be masked before data leaves the browser.
- **Block sensitive areas.** Exclude whole pages or elements (billing, health records, messages) from recording.
- **Get consent where required.** In the EU, GDPR requires a lawful basis for recording, and the ePrivacy rules usually require consent before a replay script stores or reads data on the device. In the US, session replay has drawn wiretapping claims under state laws such as California's. Respect your consent settings, and say in your privacy policy that you record sessions.
- **Limit retention and access.** Keep recordings only as long as you need them, and restrict who can watch.

Check the specifics with your privacy or legal team, since requirements vary by region and industry.

## What can't session replay tell you?

Replay shows what a user did, not why. You can watch someone open three menus and leave, but you're guessing at what they were looking for. At scale, nobody watches thousands of sessions either, so replay works best on a narrow question.

The missing piece is intent: what the user was trying to do, said in plain words. Foldspace puts the two side by side: [session replay](https://docs.foldspace.ai/user-guides/analytics/session-replay/) sits in the included product analytics with funnels and retention, and Conversational Analytics shows what each user asked the Product Agent for, so the recording of what someone did comes with what they were after.

## Learn more

- [Product Analytics](/platform/product-analytics)