What is a heatmap?

What does it mean

Heatmap is a visual tool that shows how users behave on a website or in an online store. Using color representation, it reveals where people click, where they look, how far they scroll, and which parts of the page interest them the most.

For marketers, UX designers, and online store owners, a heatmap represents one of the fastest ways to understand visitor behavior and uncover obstacles in the purchasing process.

Instead of assumptions, you work with real data about how users actually use the web.

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What is a heatmap and what does it tell us about user behavior?

Imagine if you could see where every visitor to your website is looking. While a heatmap doesn't literally track a user's gaze, it very accurately shows which elements attract their attention.

Red and orange areas indicate regions with the highest activity, while blue or gray parts often go unnoticed.

A heatmap can reveal, for example:

• an invisible CTA button,
• important content placed too low,
• elements that people click on even though they are not clickable,
• places where users lose attention.

That's why heatmaps are among the basic tools of UX research and CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization).

Types of Maps: Click, Scroll, and Move Heatmaps

Not every heatmap tracks the same thing. The three most commonly used types are:

Click Heatmaps

They show which elements users click on most frequently.

They help reveal:

• the success of CTA buttons,
• interest in specific content,
• incorrect user expectations.

For example, if visitors repeatedly click on a product image that is not clickable, it may signal a need to adjust the UX.

Scroll Heatmaps

They show how far users get on a page.

They often reveal that a large portion of visitors never see content placed at the bottom of the page.

That's why they help decide:

• where to place CTAs,
• where to shorten content,
• or which sections to move higher.

Move Heatmaps

They track mouse cursor movement.

Although it's not precise eye tracking, research shows that the cursor often mimics user attention. Move heatmaps thus help understand which elements people notice the most.

How to Read Heatmap Data and Identify Problematic Areas

The biggest mistake when working with heatmaps is to only follow the colored spots without context.

It's not just about where people click, but why they click there.

When analyzing a heatmap, it's worth looking for:

• CTA buttons with low interaction rates,
• sections that users skip,
• places with high click concentration without results,
• differences between desktop and mobile,
• unexpected behavior patterns.

A heatmap alone doesn't tell you what needs to change. However, it shows where the problem is likely located.

That's why it's often combined with:

• web analytics,
• user session recordings,
• A/B testing,
• UX research.

Best Tools for Creating Heatmaps (Hotjar, Microsoft Clarity)

Today, there are several tools that allow you to track user behavior using heatmaps.

Hotjar

One of the most well-known tools for UX research. In addition to heatmaps, it offers session recordings, user feedback, and surveys.

It is mainly used for optimizing websites and e-shops.

Microsoft Clarity

A free tool from Microsoft that offers heatmaps and session recording.

Thanks to its simple implementation, it has become very popular, especially among small and medium-sized businesses.

Other Tools

Other solutions include:

• Crazy Egg,
• FullStory,
• Smartlook,
• Contentsquare.

The choice of tool mainly depends on the scope of the project, the volume of traffic, and the level of analysis you need.

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