Hotjar Tracking Not Working: What to Check First
When Hotjar tracking is not working, no recordings, heatmaps or events collect because the tracking code is not loading or not eligible to fire. The cause is usually the tracking code installation, page coverage, consent, a website change or browser behavior. Confirm the code is actually present and loading before debugging anything deeper.
Table of Contents
- 01.What Hotjar tracking depends on
- 02.What to check first
- 03.The tracking code and installation
- 04.Consent and session eligibility
- 05.Page coverage
- 06.Website changes and browser behavior
- 07.How to test the fix
- 08.How to validate the final result
What Hotjar tracking depends on
Hotjar needs its tracking code installed on the page, the code must load, the session must be eligible under consent and plan rules, and the page must match the targeting configuration. When tracking does not work, one of those links is missing. The diagnosis starts with the code and works inward, because nothing else matters if the code is not present.
| Cause | What happens | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| Missing code | Hotjar never loads | Check the page source for the tracking code |
| GTM misfire | Code tag does not fire | Check GTM preview for the Hotjar tag |
| Consent | Session not eligible | Check consent state and CMP integration |
| Page coverage | Code only on some pages | Confirm the code is site-wide |
| Website change | Code removed by a deploy | Check after recent site changes |
What to check first
- View the page source and confirm the Hotjar tracking code is present.
- If using GTM, confirm the Hotjar tag fires in GTM preview.
- Check the consent state on the page and whether Hotjar is gated behind consent.
- Confirm the code is installed on the page you are testing, not only the homepage.
- Test in a normal browser session, not an incognito session that may block tracking.
The tracking code and installation
The first check is whether the tracking code is on the page at all. Hotjar provides a tracking code that must be installed in the page head or through a tag manager. View the page source and search for the Hotjar site ID. If the code is missing, tracking cannot work. If the code is installed through GTM, confirm the tag fires in GTM preview, because a broken trigger means the code never loads even though it is configured.
Consent and session eligibility
Hotjar can be gated behind consent. If your site uses a consent management platform, Hotjar may only load after consent is given. A session without consent produces no tracking, which is correct behavior, not a bug. Check the consent state on the page and confirm Hotjar is configured to respect consent. Do not disable consent to force tracking, because that bypasses user privacy choices.
Page coverage
The tracking code must be on every page you want to track. A common problem is the code installed only on the homepage or only on a subset of pages. If recordings appear for some pages but not others, the code may be missing from those pages. Confirm the code is included in a site-wide template, not a single page. Page targeting problems are covered in the guide on Hotjar tracking wrong pages.
Website changes and browser behavior
A website deploy can remove the tracking code, especially if the code was added manually rather than through a tag manager. If tracking stopped after a site change, check whether the code is still present. Browser extensions and privacy settings can also block Hotjar, which means some sessions never track. This is expected behavior for those sessions and not a configuration problem.
How to test the fix
- 1.Confirm the tracking code is present in the page source.
- 2.If using GTM, confirm the Hotjar tag fires in preview.
- 3.Grant consent where applicable and confirm a new session appears.
- 4.Test on a page that previously had no recordings to confirm coverage.
How to validate the final result
Tracking works when new sessions appear in Hotjar after the fix, recordings capture the tested pages and heatmaps begin collecting. Allow time for collection, because Hotjar does not show sessions instantly. If the code is present and consent is given but no sessions appear, the targeting configuration or plan limits may be the cause, covered in the guide on Hotjar recordings not showing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Hotjar not tracking my site?
The tracking code may be missing, not firing through GTM, gated behind consent or only installed on some pages. View the page source for the code, check GTM preview if you use it and confirm the consent state. Start with the code, because nothing else works without it.
Does consent affect Hotjar tracking?
Yes. Hotjar can be configured to load only after consent. A session without consent produces no tracking, which is correct behavior. Do not disable consent to force tracking. Check the consent state and the CMP integration if tracking is consent-gated.
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Related Guides
Hotjar Recordings Not Showing: Common Tracking and Session Problems
Recordings can be missing even when tracking is installed, because of consent, sampling, page targeting or browser restrictions. Distinguish a tracking problem from a capture problem first.
Hotjar Heatmap Not Collecting Data: How to Troubleshoot It
A heatmap that stays empty usually fails on the page URL target, traffic volume, dynamic page behavior or consent. Confirm the URL matches the target and the page gets enough matching sessions.
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.