What a heatmap shows
A heatmap aggregates the behaviour of thousands of users into a single visual layer on top of the
page. Unlike event analytics (GA4, Adobe Analytics), it requires no upfront tagging of elements — it
surfaces all activity at once.
The colour scale runs red → orange → yellow → blue in descending order of interaction intensity.
Types of heatmap
| Type | What it tracks | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Click map | Clicks and taps | Which elements get pressed, where people click outside links (“dead clicks”) |
| Scroll map | Scroll depth | The page “fold” — where the majority stops |
| Move map | Mouse movement | An approximate point of attention (not a replacement for eye tracking) |
| Rage clicks | Repeated clicks in one spot | Detecting broken elements and false links |
E-commerce use cases
Category page (PLP)
A scroll map typically shows a sharp cliff at the third or fourth row of products. That means the
sorting algorithm is critical: users only ever see the top of the listing. Personalized PLP sorting,
which lifts relevant products higher, addresses exactly this problem.
A click map on a PLP reveals where people click besides the products themselves — filters, sorting,
“show more” — and helps prioritise interface work.
Product page (PDP)
A scroll map shows whether users reach the reviews, the specifications and the recommendation block.
If the “similar products” block sits below the fold and fewer than 30% of users ever see it, the
hypothesis is obvious: move it up.
Homepage
A click map on the homepage exposes the real navigation structure visitors use: what they look for
first, which banners work and which are simply furniture.
Heatmaps as the starting point for hypotheses
A heatmap is a qualitative instrument. It does not tell you what would be better — it shows you what
is happening now. The working cycle:
- Heatmap → reveals a pattern (most users never reach the recommendations)
- Hypothesis → a specific change is formulated (move the recommendation block above the fold)
- A/B test → checks whether the change produces a statistically significant lift in CR or RPV
- Rollout → if the test comes back positive
Tip: a rage click map is one of the fastest ways to find technical bugs on product pages. Users
click five times in the same place because the element looks clickable and does not respond — the
classic signature of a broken link or a blocked button.