If you’ve ever watched users fumble through your web app and thought, “Why are they clicking there?”—this one’s for you. Heatmaps can answer that question, but only if you use them right. This guide is for designers, product folks, and developers who want more than vanity metrics. We’ll look at how to use Smartlook heatmaps to get real, actionable insights—without getting lost in pretty colors or drowning in noise.
1. What Are Heatmaps, Really?
Let’s not overcomplicate things. A heatmap is a visual tool that shows where people click, scroll, or move their mouse on your site. The “hotter” the area, the more action it gets. With Smartlook, you get click, move, and scroll heatmaps.
Why bother? - You see what users actually do, not just what they say. - You spot patterns and weirdness fast. - You can back up your “this is confusing” gut feeling with real data.
What heatmaps aren’t:
They’re not a silver bullet. They won’t tell you why someone leaves, just what they did before they left. And they don’t magically fix your UX. They’re a map, not a GPS.
2. Getting Started with Smartlook Heatmaps
Step 1: Install Smartlook on Your Web App
First, you need to add Smartlook’s script to your site. If you haven’t already:
- Sign up for a free Smartlook account.
- Grab the JavaScript snippet from your dashboard.
- Add it to your site’s
<head>tag, or use your tag manager.
If you’re using a modern web framework (React, Vue, etc.), check their docs for the right integration method. Don’t overthink it—just make sure the script runs on every page you want to track.
Pro tip:
Test it in a dev or staging environment first. Nobody likes surprise bugs in production.
Step 2: Set Up Your First Heatmap
- In your Smartlook dashboard, go to the “Heatmaps” section.
- Click “Create Heatmap.”
- Enter the URL or path you want to track (e.g.,
/signupor/dashboard). - Choose the type: Click, Move, or Scroll.
- Set the device type (desktop, tablet, mobile). You’ll want to check all three eventually—user behavior can be wildly different across devices.
- Hit “Create.”
That’s it. Smartlook will start collecting data from real users immediately.
3. Making Sense of the Data
Here’s where most people get stuck. Heatmaps look cool, but you need to read them like a detective, not a tourist.
Step 3: Let the Data Build Up
Don’t try to analyze heatmaps after a day or two. Wait until you have at least a few hundred visits—ideally more. Otherwise, you’ll chase ghosts. Small numbers = random noise.
Ignore:
- Data from your team (filter out internal IPs if possible)
- One-off spikes (e.g., a single user rage-clicking 50 times)
Step 4: Start with Click Heatmaps
Click heatmaps show you where people are actually interacting.
What to look for: - Are users clicking on things that aren’t clickable? (e.g., static text, images) - Are key buttons (like “Sign Up” or “Submit”) getting ignored? - Are people clicking the same spot over and over? (Could be confusion or frustration)
Common issues you’ll spot: - Misleading design (looks like a button, isn’t) - Broken CTAs (calls-to-action nobody notices) - Distractions (ads or popups stealing attention)
Step 5: Check Scroll Heatmaps
Scroll heatmaps show how far down the page users actually go.
Watch for: - Drop-offs: Most people never scroll past the first screen. If your main message or CTA is buried, move it up. - Dead zones: Content nobody sees is content you might as well delete. - Overly long pages: If almost nobody makes it to the end, maybe you’re saying too much.
Don’t obsess over 100% scroll rates. Most users won’t reach your footer, and that’s normal.
Step 6: Compare Across Devices
Behavior on mobile is often totally different. Use Smartlook’s device filters to see separate heatmaps for desktop, tablet, and mobile.
Things to keep an eye on: - Tappable areas too close together on mobile? People will fat-finger the wrong thing. - Desktop-only features that don’t work on mobile? You’ll spot them fast.
Step 7: Layer Heatmap Insights with Session Recordings
Heatmaps show where stuff happens, but not always why. Smartlook also records anonymized user sessions. If you see weird clicks or rage patterns, watch a few real user sessions to see what’s up.
- Are users clicking because they’re confused?
- Are they missing something because it’s hidden or off-screen?
Don’t get creepy: Respect privacy. Use anonymization features, and don’t watch sessions you wouldn’t want watched yourself.
4. Turning Heatmap Insights into Action
A pile of heatmaps is useless unless you actually do something with them. Here’s how to turn your findings into changes that matter:
Step 8: Make a Short List of Issues
Don’t try to fix everything at once. List the top 2–3 real problems the heatmaps reveal. Examples:
- Users are clicking a non-clickable image expecting it to do something.
- The main call-to-action is way below the fold.
- Mobile users can’t reach the menu.
Step 9: Prioritize by Impact
Not all issues are equal. Fix the stuff that’s hurting conversions or causing confusion first. Cosmetic issues can wait.
Ask: - Is this stopping people from signing up, buying, or using a key feature? - Would fixing this be a quick win or a big project?
Step 10: Test Changes (and Repeat)
Make your changes—move a button, clarify a headline, make an image clickable if it makes sense. Then let Smartlook collect new data and check if things improve.
- Did users start clicking the right button?
- Is the scroll depth closer to where you want it?
- Fewer rage clicks?
Don’t expect miracles. Sometimes you’ll fix one problem and uncover another. Welcome to UX.
5. What To Ignore (And What Not To)
Ignore: - “Hot” areas that aren’t important to your goals. Just because people click your logo a lot doesn’t mean you should redesign it. - Outliers: Rage clicks from one frustrated user shouldn’t send you on a wild goose chase. - Heatmaps with too little data—wait for a real sample size.
Don’t ignore: - Consistent confusion: If many users keep clicking the same “wrong” spot, something’s off. - Important CTAs getting cold spots: If your “Buy Now” button is blue and the rest of the page is red-hot, that’s a problem. - Device-specific issues: Mobile pain points kill conversions fast.
6. Pitfalls and Honest Limitations
Let’s be real—heatmaps aren’t magic bullets.
- They don’t tell you “why.” You’ll see what happened, but you still need to figure out the cause.
- Sample bias is real. If your users are mostly internal testers or bots, your heatmap is useless.
- Not every “hot” area is good. Sometimes users are just lost or annoyed.
- Visual clutter. If your app is heavy on dynamic content, modals, or SPAs, heatmaps can get messy or misleading. Smartlook does a decent job with SPAs, but always sanity-check with session recordings.
7. Pro Tips to Get More from Smartlook
- Use funnels and events: Don’t just look at pretty colors—track real user journeys and see where they drop off.
- Segment your users: Look at heatmaps by user type or country. Sometimes your issues are only problems for a certain group.
- Filter out noise: Exclude your own team and test users from the data. Otherwise, you’ll just see where you click.
- Combine with other tools: Heatmaps are great, but pair them with surveys or analytics for the full picture.
Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Get Fancy
You don’t need a PhD in analytics to use heatmaps well. Install Smartlook, collect enough real-world data, look for obvious issues, fix them, and repeat. Avoid getting lost in the weeds—focus on what actually helps your users. Iterate a little at a time, and don’t let the pretty colors distract you from what really matters: making your web app better for real people.