Microsoft Clarity | Heatmap (Clicks) Rendering Issues and Data Reliability Questions

Question

Hello,

We would like to better understand some inconsistencies we are seeing in the Click Heatmap, as we are currently unsure whether the issue is related to your platform or to our website (www.searainternational.com) implementation.

We are attaching screenshots and screen recordings to provide clearer visibility into the issues described below.

1. Scrolling behavior appears incorrect When analyzing the heatmap, the page scroll seems distorted. Elements do not appear to follow the normal scrolling behavior of the live site, and the layout looks misaligned during navigation.

2. Pop-up interference and “Change screenshot” behavior Our website displays a pop-up notification immediately upon access. This pop-up interferes with the analysis of other clicks on the page.

We attempted to use the “Change screenshot” feature to remove the pop-up and better visualize underlying clicks. However:

The pop-up remains visible.

It appears displaced to the bottom of the page.

The homepage seems artificially extended.

A large white area appears.

The pop-up reappears at the bottom of the screen.

Given this behavior, we are concerned about the reliability of the click data. If the page rendering is not accurate, how can we ensure that the click mapping reflects actual user behavior?

We would appreciate clarification on the following:

How exactly does the “Change screenshot” feature work?

Could this be a platform bug?

Could this be related to an implementation or configuration issue on our side?

Is this behavior expected when dealing with dynamic pop-ups?

Additionally, we have noticed that screenshots sometimes load without CSS styling.

• Is this normal behavior during screenshot rendering?
• Is this an expected limitation, or does it indicate an issue?

At this point, we need to understand whether the data shown in the heatmap can be considered fully reliable, as we base strategic decisions on this information.

We look forward to your clarification so we can proceed with confidence in the data.

Best regards,Hello,

We would like to better understand some inconsistencies we are seeing in the Click Heatmap, as we are currently unsure whether the issue is related to your platform or to our website (www.searainternational.com) implementation.

We are attaching screenshots and screen recordings to provide clearer visibility into the issues described below.

1. Scrolling behavior appears incorrect
When analyzing the heatmap, the page scroll seems distorted. Elements do not appear to follow the normal scrolling behavior of the live site, and the layout looks misaligned during navigation.

2. Pop-up interference and “Change screenshot” behavior
Our website displays a pop-up notification immediately upon access. This pop-up interferes with the analysis of other clicks on the page.

We attempted to use the “Change screenshot” feature to remove the pop-up and better visualize underlying clicks. However:

The pop-up remains visible.

It appears displaced to the bottom of the page.

The homepage seems artificially extended.

A large white area appears.

The pop-up reappears at the bottom of the screen.

Given this behavior, we are concerned about the reliability of the click data. If the page rendering is not accurate, how can we ensure that the click mapping reflects actual user behavior?

We would appreciate clarification on the following:

How exactly does the “Change screenshot” feature work?

Could this be a platform bug?

Could this be related to an implementation or configuration issue on our side?

Is this behavior expected when dealing with dynamic pop-ups?

Additionally, we have noticed that screenshots sometimes load without CSS styling.

• Is this normal behavior during screenshot rendering?
• Is this an expected limitation, or does it indicate an issue?

At this point, we need to understand whether the data shown in the heatmap can be considered fully reliable, as we base strategic decisions on this information.

We look forward to your clarification so we can proceed with confidence in the data.

Attachments:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tzdRqbMnLZDtPRBSMICGUM6rpeNaLVq_/view?usp=drive_link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YRlZncYHYsYlB4lOiGLRM8E9Ub17Vyxo/view?usp=drive_link

Best regards,

Answer 1

It seems you are experiencing several issues with the Click Heatmap in Microsoft Clarity, particularly regarding scrolling behavior, pop-up interference, and rendering of screenshots without CSS styling. Here are some insights based on the information available:

1. Scrolling Behavior: If the scrolling behavior appears distorted and elements do not align as expected, this could be due to how Clarity captures the DOM content during recordings. If the page state is not accurately represented in the recording, it may lead to misalignment in the heatmap.
2. Pop-up Interference: The presence of a dynamic pop-up can indeed interfere with the analysis of other clicks on the page. When using the "Change screenshot" feature, if the pop-up remains visible or is displaced, it may indicate that Clarity is not able to properly capture the state of the page at that moment. This could be a limitation when dealing with dynamic elements like pop-ups.
3. Reliability of Click Data: If the rendering of the page is not accurate, it raises valid concerns about the reliability of the click data. The heatmap data reflects user interactions based on how the page was recorded, so if the recording does not accurately represent the live site, the click mapping may not reflect actual user behavior.
4. CSS Styling Issues: Screenshots loading without CSS styling can occur if Clarity does not have access to the styling assets required to render the recordings correctly. This can happen if the resources are blocked or not publicly accessible. It is important to ensure that your styling resources are available to Clarity to avoid such issues.
5. Expected Behavior: The behavior you are experiencing with dynamic pop-ups and the rendering of screenshots may not be fully supported by Clarity, especially if those elements are not captured correctly during the recording process. It is advisable to check if your implementation allows Clarity to access all necessary resources.

For further assistance, consider reaching out to Clarity support to clarify whether these behaviors are expected or if they indicate a potential bug or configuration issue on your side.

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References:

• Troubleshooting Heatmaps
• Troubleshooting Recordings