Heatmap
AnalyticsAlso: Click Map · Scroll Map · Attention Map
Quick definition
A visual representation of where users click, scroll or move their mouse on a webpage, using colour intensity to show areas of high and low engagement.
Where it shows up in the data
Shows where users click or tap on a page. Reveals which elements attract attention, whether users click on non-clickable elements (indicating confusion) and whether CTAs are being found and used.
Shows how far down a page users scroll before leaving. Critical for understanding whether users see your most important content, your CTA and your pricing information.
Tracks where users move their mouse, which correlates loosely with where their eyes are looking on desktop. Less reliable than click maps but useful for identifying areas of interest in long-form content.
The most useful heatmaps are filtered by device (mobile vs desktop behave very differently) and by traffic source or campaign to understand whether different audiences engage with content differently.
What it actually means
A heatmap aggregates the behaviour of thousands of visitors into a single visual, using colour (red/orange for high engagement, blue/green for low) to show patterns. They are best used to validate or challenge assumptions about how users interact with a page. You might assume visitors read your entire landing page — a scroll map will tell you whether that is actually true. You might assume the big blue button is obviously the CTA — a click map might show visitors are clicking on a nearby image instead.
A heatmap shows you the page your visitors actually see, not the page you designed.
How it shows up
Heatmaps are visual — they do not produce a single metric. Interpret them alongside quantitative data: if a page has a 70% exit rate AND a scroll map showing 80% of users leave before seeing the CTA, the diagnosis is clear. Pair qualitative (heatmap) with quantitative (GA4 exit rate, conversion rate) for complete picture.
The Australian context
Microsoft Clarity is free and GDPR/Privacy Act compliant for Australian use with proper configuration. Hotjar is the most widely used paid option. Both integrate with Google Analytics for session-level context. Clarity has no session limits, making it viable for high-traffic sites that would pay significant sums for Hotjar equivalents.
Where people get this wrong
Related terms
Common questions
What is the best free heatmap tool?
Microsoft Clarity is the best free option. It offers unlimited sessions, click and scroll heatmaps, session recordings and basic filtering with no session cap. It integrates with GA4 and is suitable for most small-to-medium Australian businesses.
How many sessions do I need for a reliable heatmap?
Aim for at least 1,000 sessions per device type (desktop and mobile separately) before drawing conclusions. For low-traffic pages, this may take several weeks. Use the data directionally until you reach adequate sample size.
Can heatmaps help with SEO?
Indirectly. If heatmaps show users are not scrolling to important content, not engaging with key sections, or rage-clicking in confusion, these are UX signals that correlate with high bounce rates — which can affect rankings. Fix the UX and the engagement signals improve.
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About New Rebellion
New Rebellion is a marketing intelligence consultancy. We build tools, score Australian businesses on how their marketing actually performs, and publish Debrief every day. This dictionary is part of how we work in the open.
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