SessionSight: Replay
Overview
Use this page to filter and open recorded sessions for replay. A session is a recorded sequence of one visitor's interactions with a tracked container (a tracked web application); SessionSight captures it automatically so you can watch exactly what happened instead of reconstructing it from logs or a support ticket.
Session Replay sits downstream of SessionSight tracking: a container must already be configured and recording on the Configuration: SessionSight: SessionSight page, and sessions must have landed in SessionSight's reporting datasource before they appear here. Other SessionSight pages, such as Dashboard, Heatmaps, Funnels, and Journeys, surface aggregate patterns and often send you back to this page to inspect the individual sessions behind a spike or drop-off.
On this page you filter sessions by tenant, container, date range, segment, free-text search, visitor ID, event type, and sort order, then narrow further with quick chips (favorites, unwatched, has notes) and automatically detected signals such as rage clicks or JS errors. From the resulting list you open a session for full replay or live viewing, mark favorites, and export the filtered set to CSV.
Key concepts
- session - A recorded sequence of one visitor's interactions with a tracked container, captured by SessionSight so you can play it back later. (related: SessionSight: Dashboard)
- container - The tracked web application or property whose sessions this page lists. The container determines which reporting datasource is queried for its sessions. (related: Configuration: SessionSight: SessionSight)
- segment - A saved grouping of sessions matching a set of criteria, selectable from the Segments filter to narrow the list to a known audience or behavior pattern without rebuilding the same filters each time.
- signal - A behavior pattern, such as rage clicks or a JS error, that SessionSight detects automatically within a session and exposes as a one-click filter chip for finding problem sessions.
- reporting datasource - The backend store SessionSight queries to list and play back sessions. If the connection or its organization name is misconfigured, the session list fails to load. (related: Configuration: SessionSight: SessionSight)
When to use it
- Investigating a spike in rage clicks, dead clicks, or JS errors flagged on another SessionSight page.
- Reviewing exactly how a specific visitor navigated a container after a support ticket or bug report names them.
- Auditing sessions a teammate favorited or annotated with notes for follow-up.
- Narrowing sessions to a date range and segment before a release retrospective.
- Exporting a filtered set of sessions for offline review or sharing outside the platform.
Before you begin
- A container with SessionSight tracking configured and enabled on the Configuration: SessionSight: SessionSight page.
- A working connection from SessionSight to its reporting datasource, set up on the Configuration: SessionSight: SessionSight page; this page cannot list sessions if that connection or its InfluxDB organization name is wrong.
- At least one recorded session within the date range you plan to search; sessions only exist once tracking has been live for that period.
- Permission to view SessionSight sessions for the tenant and container you select.
Common workflows
Find and replay a session flagged by a specific signal
Persona: load-test operator or UX analyst
- Select the target container from the Container dropdown.
- Expect: The dropdown shows the chosen container, for example sut-crane-08.
- Set the From and To date fields to the period you want to review.
- Expect: The date fields show the new range.
- Select the Rage clicks signal chip.
- Expect: The chip switches to its active state and the list reloads immediately to show only sessions flagged with rage clicks.
- Select Search to apply the container and date range together with the signal filter.
- Expect: The session list reloads, showing only sessions from the selected container, date range, and Rage clicks signal.
- Select Replay on the session you want to review.
- Expect: The session's recorded playback opens.
Verify: The replay view opens for a session that matches your container, date range, and Rage clicks filter, and that session's row now shows as watched instead of unwatched.
Export a filtered set of sessions to CSV
Persona: load-test operator or UX analyst
- Set the Event Type dropdown to the event you want to isolate.
- Expect: The dropdown shows the selected event type.
- Select Search.
- Expect: The list reloads showing only sessions containing that event type.
- Select Export CSV.
- Expect: The button label changes to Exporting while the file is prepared, then a CSV file download starts.
Verify: A CSV file download starts and contains only the sessions that matched your Event Type filter.
Steps
Step 1
Open the Replay page under SessionSight.
Expected result: The page loads with the filter row (Tenant, Container, date range, Segments, Search, Visitor ID, Event Type, Sort By) and the quick filter and signal chips, but the session list does not appear: a Failed to load sessions banner reports that SessionSight cannot reach its reporting datasource.
This is the starting point for every session search, and the banner tells you to fix the datasource connection before any filter can return results.
- The Failed to load sessions banner links to SessionSight datasource and offers a Retry action.
- Tenant and Container default to your current context, for example LoadGen B.V. / Production Web App.
- The date range defaults to roughly the past week.
Step 2
Select Refresh in the page header.
Expected result: The header now shows the Configure and Refresh buttons, and the page reruns the session query; because the reporting datasource is still unreachable, the same Failed to load sessions banner reappears.
Refresh is how you retry a search after addressing a connection problem, and seeing the same error confirms the datasource issue has not yet been fixed.
- Refresh reruns the current filters against the reporting datasource.
-
Configure opens the SessionSight configuration page where the datasource connection is set up.
Field reference
| Field | Purpose | Format / Validation | Required | Default |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenant | Selects which tenant's containers and sessions are listed. Switching tenants changes the options in Container and clears the current session results until you search again. | dropdown | No | the current tenant, for example LoadGen B.V. |
| Container | Selects which tracked web application's sessions to browse. The reporting datasource used for the search is derived from the container, so pick the one that matches the application you are investigating. | dropdown | No | the most recently used container, for example Production Web App |
| From | Sets the start of the date range sessions are pulled from. A narrower range reduces how long the search takes and lowers the risk of a timeout on high-traffic containers. | date (DD/MM/YYYY) | No | approximately one week before today |
| To | Sets the end of the date range sessions are pulled from, used together with From to bound the search window. | date (DD/MM/YYYY) | No | today |
| Segments | Restricts the list to sessions belonging to a saved segment instead of browsing all sessions. Choose a segment when you want a predefined audience or behavior slice rather than rebuilding the same filter combination by hand each time. | dropdown | No | All segments (none selected) |
| Search | Runs a free-text search across session content and metadata. Use it to find sessions by keyword when you do not know the exact visitor ID or which structured filters to apply. | free text | No | - |
| Visitor ID | Filters the list to sessions recorded by one specific visitor. Use this when following up on a single reported issue where you already have the visitor's identifier. | free text | No | - |
| Event Type | Restricts the list to sessions that contain a specific kind of recorded event rather than every session. Leave it at All Events to see sessions regardless of event content. | dropdown | No | All Events |
| Sort By | Controls the order sessions appear in the list. Last Seen (newest) surfaces the most recently active sessions first, which is the setting to use when monitoring for new problems rather than clearing an older backlog. | dropdown | No | Last Seen (newest) |
Controls reference
Search
Runs the session query against the reporting datasource using the current Tenant, Container, date range, Segments, Search text, Visitor ID, Event Type, and Sort By values.
When to use: After you set or change any of the filter fields, to load matching sessions.
Side effects: Read-only: replaces the session list with the new results, or shows a no-results or error state.
Refresh
Reruns the current query against the reporting datasource without changing any filter values.
When to use: After fixing a datasource connection problem, or to pick up sessions recorded since your last search.
Side effects: Read-only: reloads the list with the latest data.
Configure
Opens the SessionSight configuration page where container tracking and the reporting datasource connection are set up.
When to use: When the session list fails to load, or you need to review which containers are tracked.
Side effects: Read-only navigation: does not change this page's filters or results.
All
Shows every session regardless of favorite or watched status.
When to use: To clear a Favorites or Unwatched filter and see the full list again.
Side effects: Read-only: immediately reapplies the list filter.
Favorites
Narrows the list to sessions marked as favorite.
When to use: To revisit sessions flagged earlier for follow-up.
Side effects: Read-only: immediately reapplies the list filter.
Unwatched
Narrows the list to sessions that have not yet been opened for replay.
When to use: To work through a backlog of unreviewed sessions.
Side effects: Read-only: immediately reapplies the list filter.
Has notes
Narrows the list to sessions that have notes attached.
When to use: To review sessions a teammate annotated for you.
Side effects: Read-only: immediately reapplies the list filter.
Rage clicks
Narrows the list to sessions flagged with repeated rapid clicking, typically a sign of frustration with an unresponsive element.
When to use: Investigating UI elements that may be broken or slow to respond.
Side effects: Read-only: immediately reapplies the list filter; can be combined with other signal chips.
Dead clicks
Narrows the list to sessions with clicks on elements that produced no response, often clicks on non-interactive elements.
When to use: Finding UI that looks clickable but is not.
Side effects: Read-only: immediately reapplies the list filter; combinable with other signal chips.
Quick backs
Narrows the list to sessions where the visitor left a page and returned almost immediately.
When to use: Diagnosing pages that do not meet visitor expectations.
Side effects: Read-only: immediately reapplies the list filter; combinable with other signal chips.
Excessive scroll
Narrows the list to sessions with unusually heavy scrolling.
When to use: Reviewing pages with long or hard-to-navigate content.
Side effects: Read-only: immediately reapplies the list filter; combinable with other signal chips.
JS errors
Narrows the list to sessions during which a JavaScript error occurred.
When to use: Correlating recorded sessions with error reports from monitoring.
Side effects: Read-only: immediately reapplies the list filter; combinable with other signal chips.
Clear filters
Resets the active filters when too many are combined.
When to use: When a 'Too many filters at once' message appears because too many chips and fields are combined.
Side effects: Mutates the current filter selection and reloads the list with the relaxed filters.
Retry
Reruns the session query after a load failure.
When to use: After you or an administrator fixes the reporting datasource connection shown in the error banner.
Side effects: Read-only: reloads the list.
SessionSight datasource
Opens the SessionSight configuration page where the reporting datasource connection is set up.
When to use: When the error banner reports the datasource is unreachable.
Side effects: Read-only navigation.
Summarize
Generates a summary of the currently filtered sessions.
When to use: To get an overview before reviewing sessions individually.
Side effects: Read-only.
Export CSV
Exports the currently filtered session list to a CSV file. The label changes to Exporting while the file is prepared.
When to use: For offline analysis or sharing the filtered session set outside the platform.
Side effects: Read-only against stored data: produces a downloadable file and does not change any session.
Favorite toggle (session row)
Marks or unmarks an individual session as a favorite.
When to use: To flag a session for later follow-up.
Side effects: Mutates that session's favorite status, which affects the Favorites filter chip.
Watch live
Opens a live view of a session that is still in progress or very recent.
When to use: To monitor an in-progress visitor session as it happens.
Side effects: Read-only: opens the live replay view.
Replay
Opens the full recorded playback of a session.
When to use: This is the primary action for reviewing what a visitor did during the session.
Side effects: Read-only: opens the replay view and marks the session as watched, which affects the Unwatched filter chip.
Previous / Next
Moves the session list to the previous or next page of results.
When to use: When more sessions match the current filters than fit on one page.
Side effects: Read-only: reloads the visible rows.
Verify the result
A successful search replaces the filter area's empty space with a list of session rows, each showing session metadata plus a star to favorite it, a Watch live action for sessions still in progress, and a Replay action to open full playback. Selecting Replay on a row opens that session's recorded interactions, and the row then shows as watched rather than unwatched. If instead you see the Failed to load sessions banner, the search did not run: check the reporting datasource connection through the SessionSight datasource link before trying any other filter. If the list loads but is empty, widen the From/To range or remove chip and signal filters rather than assuming no sessions were ever recorded.
Troubleshooting
- Symptom: A Failed to load sessions banner appears instead of a session list. Fix: Open the SessionSight datasource link and verify the reporting datasource connection and its InfluxDB organization name (exact spelling and case), then select Retry.
- Symptom: The list loads with no banner but no rows appear. Fix: Widen the From/To date range or clear signal and chip filters; a narrow range combined with multiple signals can exclude every session.
- Symptom: A 'Too many filters at once' message appears. Fix: Select Clear filters, then reapply filters one at a time until you find a combination that returns results.
- Symptom: The search takes a long time or times out. Fix: Narrow the From/To date range and add a Container or Event Type filter before retrying.
- Symptom: You see a permission message instead of results. Fix: Contact your administrator to grant SessionSight session-viewing permission for the selected tenant and container.
- Symptom: Export CSV stays on 'Exporting...' or fails to produce a file. Fix: Narrow the date range and filters, then select Export CSV again.
Related articles
- Prerequisite: Configuration: SessionSight: SessionSight - sets up container tracking and the reporting datasource this page queries
- See also: SessionSight: Dashboard - shows session volume and signal trends that often lead you to replay a specific session here
- See also: SessionSight: Heatmaps - aggregates click and scroll behavior across sessions that you can drill into individually here
- See also: SessionSight: Journeys - shows the page paths visitors took, which you can open and replay individually from this page
- See also: SessionSight: Funnels - flags funnel drop-off steps whose individual sessions you can review here