Filters are a feature in heatmap that allow you to customize and drill down on specific types of users, offering a more focused data set to analyze. Pre-built filters address common scenarios, while Custom Filters enable you to make an infinite number of filters to find your exact types of users to analyze.
Why Use Filters?
Filters help you uncover actionable insights by breaking down user behavior into meaningful segments. With them, you can:
See which traffic sources drive the most engaged visitors.
Analyze the behavior of users from a specific marketing campaign.
Compare new vs. returning users to uncover differences in engagement or conversions.
Using filters streamlines analysis and helps you focus on the metrics that matter most to your goals.
Platform Filters
Filters allow you to customize and drill down on specific types of user groups in your analysis. You’ll have access to pre-built filters that allow for common session-specific or Ecommerce-specific data in addition to Custom Filters capabilities.
Session-Specific:
Entry Page - Allows you to analyze visitor behavior based on the first page they land on when entering your site.
Ads Platform - Allows you to track ad performance by integrating with major platforms to see exactly how campaigns drive user behavior.
Traffic Source - Helps you analyze visitor behavior based on where they came from before landing on your site.
Session Tag - Lets you segment heatmap data based on URL session tags, helping you track specific user journeys, campaign performance, or custom URL parameters tied to user sessions.
Total Pages Visited - Allows you to focus on users based on how many pages they viewed during their session.
Viewed Page - Isolates heatmap data for users who have visited a specific page.
Returning Users - Users who have returned to the site previously
New Users - Users who are visiting the site for the first time
Rage Clicks - Cluster of clicks occurring on a specific section of the page within a timeframe of a few seconds
Ecommerce-Specific:
Purchasers - Users within a session that completed a purchase
Non-purchasers - Users within a session that did not complete a purchase
Average order value - Segments heatmap data based on users spending behavior.
A/B Tests - Enables you to compare heatmap data across different test variations, providing element level engagement for clearer test performance analysis.
Filters by Feature
Each feature in the platform supports different types of filters, allowing you to answer targeted questions about user behavior and performance.
Web Analytics
Filters in Web Analytics help you break down traffic and session data to see how different sources, campaigns, and user types impact site performance.
Session Filters: Ads Platform, Traffic Source, Session Tag, Viewed Page, Returning Users, New Users
Custom Filters
Funnels
Filters in Funnels reveal how specific user groups move through your conversion paths. You can see where different audiences drop off and how experiments impact performance.
Session Filters: Ads Platform, Traffic Source, Session Tag, Returning Users, New Users, Rage Clicks
Ecommerce Filters: Average Order Value, A/B Tests
Custom Filters
Heatmaps
Filters in Heatmaps let you visually compare how different user groups interact with your pages. This makes it easy to spot behavior differences and optimize layouts for each audience.
Session Filters: Entry Page, Ads Platform, Traffic Source, Session Tag, Total Pages Visited, Viewed Page, Returning Users, New Users, Rage Clicks
Ecommerce Filters: Purchasers, Non-Purchasers, Average Order Value, A/B Tests
Custom Filters
Recordings
Filters in Recordings make it simple to focus on the most relevant sessions. By zeroing in on specific types of users, you can quickly identify usability issues and see how different cohorts actually navigate your site.
Session Filters: Entry Page, Ads Platform, Traffic Source, Session Tag, Total Pages Visited, Viewed Page, Returning Users, New Users, Rage Clicks
Ecommerce Filters: Purchasers, Non-Purchasers, Average Order Value
Custom Filters
How to Use Filters
You can apply filters across Analytics, Funnels, Heatmaps, and Recordings directly from the main header navigation bar.
To apply filters:
Open the feature you want to analyze (ie: Heatmaps).
Click the Filters dropdown.
Choose from the available pre-built filters under Session or Ecommerce columns.
To create a new cohort, scroll to Custom Filters and select Add Custom Filter. Your saved custom filters will be available for reuse later.
After choosing your desired filters, click Apply to view the filtered data.
Comparing User Segments in Heatmaps
Heatmaps allow you to directly compare two user segments to see how behavior differs on the same page elements.
Click the Filters dropdown.
Select your first filter segment.
Click the Compare button in the Filters dropdown.
Select a second segment within the side panel to compare against the first.
Click Apply Filters to see the filtered data.
To review the compared data, select specific elements to see data of both user segments.
This helps you understand how different types of users interact with your site, for example, comparing new vs. returning users to spot differences in engagement or conversion.
When to Use Filters: Scenarios for Smarter Analysis
Filters are especially helpful when you want to zoom in on specific user behaviors or campaigns. Some common use cases include:
Analyzing traffic from a particular ad or email campaign.
Identifying patterns among returning visitors who engage more deeply.
Spotting usability issues by reviewing sessions with high rage clicks.
Understanding how purchasers vs. non-purchasers interact differently.
Need Help?
If you have questions or run into any issues while using Heatmap, our support team is here to help. Contact us anytime at Support@heatmap.com.