Hotjar Recordings Not Showing: Common Tracking and Session Problems
When Hotjar recordings are not showing, tracking may be installed but no sessions are captured. The cause is usually page coverage, consent, sampling or plan-related behavior, browser restrictions or a change to the site. Distinguish a tracking problem from a capture problem, because the fixes are different.
Table of Contents
- 01.Tracking vs capture
- 02.What to check first
- 03.Confirm tracking first
- 04.Consent and eligibility
- 05.Sampling and plan-related behavior
- 06.Page targeting and site changes
- 07.How to test the fix
- 08.How to validate the final result
Tracking vs capture
Recordings require the tracking code to load and the session to be eligible for capture. The code can be present and still produce no recordings if the session is not sampled, consent is not given or the page is not targeted. Confirm the code loads first, then check capture eligibility. A tracking problem and a capture problem need different fixes.
| Cause | What happens | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking not loaded | No session data at all | Check the tracking code installation |
| Consent not given | Session not eligible | Check consent state |
| Sampling | Session not selected for capture | Check plan and sample rate |
| Page targeting | Page not in recording target | Check recording targeting rules |
| Browser restrictions | Session blocked by browser | Test in a clean browser |
What to check first
- Confirm the tracking code loads on the page you expect recordings for.
- Check the consent state and whether the session is eligible.
- Review the recording targeting rules to confirm the page is included.
- Check the plan and sample rate, because not every session is captured.
- Test in a normal browser session without privacy extensions.
Confirm tracking first
Before blaming capture, confirm the tracking code loads. If the code is missing or not firing, no session data exists to record. This is a tracking problem, covered in the guide on Hotjar tracking not working. Only move to capture checks once the code is confirmed loading.
Consent and eligibility
A session without consent is not eligible for recording. If your site gates Hotjar behind consent, sessions before consent are not captured. This is correct behavior. Check the consent state on the page and confirm the session you are testing has consent. Do not bypass consent to capture more recordings.
Sampling and plan-related behavior
Hotjar does not capture every session on every plan. Capture depends on the plan limits and the sample rate. A site with high traffic may capture only a fraction of sessions, which means a single test session may not appear. Do not invent exact thresholds or plan limits, because they change. Check the current plan settings and the daily capture limit to understand how many sessions you should expect.
Page targeting and site changes
Recordings are captured for pages that match the targeting rules. If the page you test is not in the recording target, no recording appears. Check the recording targeting configuration. A site change can also break recordings if it removes the tracking code or changes the page structure. If recordings stopped after a deploy, check the code and the page. Page targeting problems are covered in the guide on Hotjar tracking wrong pages.
How to test the fix
- 1.Confirm the tracking code loads on the test page.
- 2.Grant consent where applicable and start a new session.
- 3.Confirm the test page is in the recording targeting rules.
- 4.Allow time for the recording to process and appear in the list.
How to validate the final result
Recordings are working when new sessions appear in the recordings list after the fix, the test page is captured and the capture rate matches the plan settings. If the code loads and consent is given but no recordings appear, sampling or targeting is the cause. Form interaction problems in recordings are covered in the guide on Hotjar recordings missing form interactions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Hotjar not showing my recordings?
Confirm the tracking code loads first, then check consent, page targeting and the plan sample rate. Hotjar does not capture every session on every plan, so a single test session may not appear. Check the current plan settings to understand the expected capture rate.
Does Hotjar record every session?
Not necessarily. Capture depends on the plan limits and the sample rate. A high-traffic site may capture only a fraction of sessions. Do not assume every session is recorded, and check the current plan settings for the expected capture rate.
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Related Guides
Hotjar Tracking Not Working: What to Check First
When Hotjar tracking does not work, the cause is the tracking code, page coverage, consent, a website change or browser behavior. Confirm the code is present and loading before debugging anything deeper.
Hotjar Is Tracking the Wrong Pages: How to Fix Page Targeting Problems
Wrong page tracking comes from URL targeting rules, query parameters, dynamic URLs or SPA behavior. Compare the rules with the actual URLs the site uses to find the mismatch.
Hotjar Recordings Are Missing Form Interactions: What Can Cause It?
Missing form interactions usually come from dynamic forms, iframes, privacy masking, consent or page behavior. Do not disable privacy protections to see more data.