Interactive Smartlook Demo
Smartlook is a behavior analytics tool that combines session recordings with event tracking for websites and mobile apps. Teams use it to watch how real users move through their product, see where they get stuck, and tie those recordings to funnels and events.
What is Smartlook?
Smartlook is a product and behavior analytics tool built around two connected things: session recordings and quantitative analytics. The recordings let you watch a replay of what a real user did, every click, scroll, and hesitation, as if you were looking over their shoulder. The analytics side gives you funnels, events, and heatmaps. The point of combining them is that the numbers tell you where users drop off, and the recordings show you why.
One thing that sets Smartlook apart is solid support for mobile app analytics, not only websites. It records sessions inside native iOS and Android apps, which many web-first session tools do not do well. That makes it a fit for teams whose product is an app rather than a site. It also offers always-on recording, so you can look back at sessions you did not know you needed when an issue surfaces.
Smartlook automatically captures events without you defining each one in advance, which lowers the setup burden, and it lets you build funnels from those events and jump straight to recordings of the people who dropped out. Heatmaps show where attention and clicks concentrate on a page. Pricing is usage-based, tied to how many sessions or events you record, with a free tier for smaller volumes.
How to get started with Smartlook
- 1
Install the tracking code or SDK
Add Smartlook's snippet to your website or its SDK to your mobile app. This is what enables recording and event capture. For a mobile app, the SDK install is the step that unlocks Smartlook's native recording, so confirm it is integrated correctly before relying on the data.
- 2
Configure privacy masking
Before recording real users, set up masking so sensitive fields like passwords, payment details, and personal information are never captured. Doing this first is the responsible order, because it protects user data from the very first session rather than after you realize something private was recorded.
- 3
Let sessions and events collect
With tracking live, Smartlook begins recording sessions and automatically capturing events. Give it time to gather a meaningful sample of real usage. Because it records continuously, you build a library of sessions you can look back on later when a question or issue comes up.
- 4
Build a funnel and watch the drop-offs
Create a funnel for an important flow using the captured events, then look at where users fall out. From the drop-off point, open recordings of the users who left at that step. This is the core loop: the funnel shows where you lose people, and the recordings show you why.
- 5
Act on what you see
Use the insights from recordings and heatmaps to fix the specific points where users struggle, then keep watching to confirm the change helped. Behavior analytics is most valuable when it closes that loop, so tie what you observe to a concrete change rather than just collecting recordings no one reviews.
Who is Smartlook most useful for?
Smartlook is most useful for product, UX, and growth teams who want to understand user behavior beyond what raw numbers show. A product manager can see that a funnel leaks at a certain step, then watch recordings of users at that exact step to understand the cause, whether it is a confusing label, a broken element, or a missing piece of information. That move from what to why is the core value.
It fits teams with mobile apps especially well, since Smartlook's native app recording is stronger than many alternatives that started on the web. A team running both a website and an app can use one tool across both. UX designers use the recordings and heatmaps to validate whether a redesign actually helped, and support teams use recordings to see exactly what a user did before reporting a problem. For onboarding flows that recordings reveal as confusing, an interactive Supademo can guide users through the step they were getting stuck on.
It is less of a fit for teams that need deep, dedicated product analytics at the level of the specialized analytics platforms, or that have strict requirements about recording user sessions for privacy reasons. Session recording always carries privacy considerations, so teams need to mask sensitive data and handle consent properly. Used responsibly, though, Smartlook turns behavior into something you can watch rather than only measure.
Behavior analytics and session replay tools differ in whether they lead with heatmaps, enterprise digital experience analytics, or developer-focused replay, so the right choice depends on your platform and how deep your analysis needs to go.
FullStory is a digital experience platform combining session replay with deep analytics and automatic capture, aimed at larger organizations that want rich insight into web and app behavior. It is more enterprise-focused and typically pricier than Smartlook. Teams that need extensive analysis and can invest in it lean toward FullStory, while Smartlook offers a more accessible path with strong mobile recording.
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PostHog bundles product analytics, session replay, feature flags, and experimentation in one open-source-friendly platform. Teams that want behavioral analysis plus those adjacent tools in a single product, and the option to self-host, gravitate to it. Smartlook is more focused on the recording-and-behavior use case, while PostHog spreads across a wider analytics toolkit.
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LogRocket pairs session replay with frontend performance and error tracking, so you can connect what a user did to the technical problems they hit. It leans toward engineering and product teams debugging issues. Smartlook leans more toward behavior and funnel analysis across web and mobile, so the choice depends on whether you are chasing UX insight or technical bugs.
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Hotjar is widely used for heatmaps, session recordings, and on-page feedback surveys, with an emphasis on being approachable for marketing and smaller teams. It is web-focused and lighter on deep event analytics than Smartlook. Teams that mainly want heatmaps and quick qualitative feedback often choose Hotjar, while Smartlook adds stronger event analytics and mobile recording.
FAQs on Smartlook
Commonly asked questions about Smartlook. Have more? Reach out and our team will be happy to help.
What is the point of session recordings?
Session recordings let you watch a replay of what a real user did in your product, including their clicks, scrolling, and where they paused. The value is seeing why something happens, not just that it does. When analytics show users dropping off at a step, the recordings reveal the cause, whether a confusing label or a broken element, which numbers alone cannot tell you.
Does Smartlook work for mobile apps?
Mobile app support is one of Smartlook's stronger points. It records sessions inside native iOS and Android apps, which many web-first session tools handle poorly or not at all. A team with both a website and an app can use Smartlook across both. If your product is primarily a mobile app, that native recording is a meaningful reason to consider it.
How does Smartlook combine recordings with analytics?
Smartlook ties its quantitative analytics directly to recordings. You build a funnel from events, see where users drop out, and then jump straight to recordings of the specific people who dropped at that step. It also automatically captures events without you defining each one ahead of time. The connection between the funnel number and the actual session is what makes the why investigable rather than guessed at.
How does Smartlook compare to FullStory and Hotjar?
Smartlook sits among behavior analytics tools alongside FullStory and Hotjar. FullStory is a more enterprise-focused digital experience platform with deep analytics. Hotjar is known for accessible heatmaps and feedback tools aimed at smaller teams. Smartlook's distinguishing strength is strong native mobile app recording combined with event analytics, so app-heavy teams often find it a better fit than web-first alternatives.
What about user privacy with session recording?
Session recording always carries privacy responsibilities. Smartlook provides tools to mask sensitive data like passwords and personal information so it is never captured, and teams need to handle consent in line with regulations that apply to them. Used responsibly, with sensitive fields masked and proper consent, it gives you behavioral insight without exposing private user data, but that setup is the team's responsibility to get right.