Overview
This article helps you add heatmap tracking software to your careers site. Heat mapping tools track where users move their mouse or tap, what they click, how far they scroll, and where they hesitate or abandon the site. Use these insights to improve candidate engagement, conversion journeys, and overall site usability.
Key benefits
Track visual heat mapping data showing exactly how candidates interact with your site.
Make data-driven improvements to navigation, calls to action, and content clarity.
Optimise conversion journeys including job search, registration, and application flows.
Improve SEO and usability through better content placement and page structure.
Identify drop-off points and hesitation areas to reduce candidate abandonment.
Compare behaviour across devices to identify mobile-specific issues.
Before you start
Before setting up heatmap software, make sure you have:
Access to your chosen heatmap provider account.
Your provider's script or tracking code from their setup process.
Permission to request or apply updates to your website based on your internal process.
Understanding of your site's Page tags and how to add scripts.
⚠️ Important: Heatmap tools are third-party services that can affect site performance. You are responsible for selecting, configuring, and managing any provider you use.
Choose a heatmap provider
Select a third-party heatmap provider that meets your requirements before adding tracking to your site.
Common heatmap providers
Popular heatmap providers include Microsoft Clarity, Hotjar, and Mouseflow. Each provider offers different features, data collection methods, privacy controls, and pricing models.
What to consider
When selecting a provider, consider the type of heatmaps you need such as click, scroll, movement, or attention maps.
Check whether:
You require session recordings.
What privacy and consent features are available for GDPR compliance?
The performance impact including script size and loading method.
Whether you need filtering by device, page, or specific candidate groups?
⚠️ Important: The Access Group is not affiliated with any heatmap provider. You are responsible for researching, selecting, and managing your chosen tool.
Get your provider script
Obtain the tracking script from your heatmap provider before adding it to your site.
Log in to your chosen heatmap provider account.
Complete the provider's setup process for your website.
Copy the script or tracking code your provider supplies.
📌 Note: Your provider may give you specific instructions about where the script should be placed, such as in the page head or before the closing body tag.
Add the script to your site
Add your heatmap script to your careers site using page tags.
Add the script to Page Tags
In Page tags, identify the correct code location (e.g. body or footer code) that matches your provider's instructions.
Paste your heatmap script or tracking code into the appropriate page tag field.
Apply the page tag to the pages you want to track.
Save your changes.
📌 Note: Your exact implementation may vary depending on your needs. For example, if you just want to track users on a specific custom page, you may want to add the script in the page's Structured Data area instead.
🤓 Tip: Apply the script only where needed to reduce performance impact. Focus first on high-traffic conversion pages such as job search results, individual job postings, and application forms where candidate behaviour insights provide the most value.
Verify tracking and performance
Check that tracking works correctly and monitor site performance after adding the script.
Confirm tracking
Wait for the changes to deploy to your live site.
Log in to your heatmap provider dashboard.
Visit your careers site and perform test actions.
Confirm that tracking data appears in your provider dashboard.
Allow data collection
Give your heatmap tool time to collect enough data before making decisions. The volume and speed of data collection depends on your site traffic levels.
Monitor performance
Review your site performance after adding the script. Check page speed and Core Web Vitals to confirm the script has not caused loading issues. Test on multiple devices and browsers to ensure consistent performance.
Best practices
Test any new heatmap script on a smaller set of key pages before rolling it out across your entire site.
Regularly review site performance including Core Web Vitals after enabling or changing heatmap settings.
Use filters in your heatmap tool by device or page to focus on the most important candidate journeys.
Review your cookie consent setup to ensure heatmap tracking respects user privacy and regulatory requirements.
Focus on key conversion pages like job search, job details, and application forms for most valuable insights.
Allow sufficient time for data collection before making major site changes based on heatmap insights: typically several weeks for lower-traffic sites or a few days for high-traffic sites to gather statistically meaningful patterns.
Document which pages have heatmap tracking enabled so your team understands where data is being collected.
📌 Note: Regular testing and monitoring help maintain optimal performance and user experience across all devices.
FAQs
Q1: How much does heatmap software cost?
Answer: Pricing varies by provider and features. For current pricing, check each provider's website directly as costs and plans change regularly. Some providers offer free tiers with limited features, while others use subscription pricing based on sessions tracked and functionality needed.
Q2: Can I use heatmap software without developer help?
Answer: You can add heatmap scripts yourself if you have access to page tags in your Admin Area. However, you may need support from your internal team depending on your organisation's change management process.
Q3: Why isn't tracking data appearing in my provider dashboard?
Answer: Confirm the script was copied correctly with no missing or extra characters. Check whether your provider requires the script to load in the page head or before the closing body tag. Verify the script is being applied to the correct pages via page tags. Check for cookie or consent restrictions that may prevent the tool from running until consent is given.
Q4: My site is loading slowly after adding heatmap software. What should I do?
Answer: Heatmap tools can increase page load times depending on script size, how the script loads, whether session recordings are enabled, and how many pages run the script. Limit the script to key pages only, disable recordings or reduce sampling in your provider settings, and consider switching providers if performance impact remains high after optimisation.
Q5: Will heatmap software slow down my careers site?
Answer: Some heatmap tools can affect page performance depending on script size and features enabled. Test your site performance before and after adding the script to confirm impact, and consider limiting tracking to key pages only.
Q6: Do I need cookie consent for heatmap tracking?
Answer: Heatmap tools that track user behaviour typically require consent under GDPR and similar regulations. Check your cookie consent implementation and ensure heatmap scripts only run after appropriate consent is given.
Q7: Can I track different pages separately?
Answer: Most heatmap providers let you filter data by page, device, or candidate characteristics such as traffic source, location, or behaviour patterns. You can also apply scripts to specific pages via page tags rather than site-wide if you only want to track certain areas.
Q8: How long does it take to collect useful heatmap data?
Answer: The time needed depends on your site traffic volume. Sites with higher traffic collect actionable data showing clear behaviour patterns within days, while lower-traffic sites may need several weeks to gather enough data for confident decisions about site improvements.
Q9: Can I see individual user sessions?
Answer: Many heatmap providers offer session recording features in addition to aggregate heatmaps. Check your provider's feature list and pricing tiers to see if session recordings are included in your plan.
Q10: What happens if I remove the heatmap script?
Answer: Removing the script stops new data collection immediately. Historical data remains in your provider dashboard according to their retention policy. Remove the script from page tags and save your changes to stop tracking.
Q11: Can I use multiple heatmap providers at once?
Answer: Technically possible but not recommended as multiple tracking scripts increase performance impact. Using multiple providers also makes data analysis more complex and may violate some provider terms of service.
Q12: Where should I add the heatmap script for best results?
Answer: Follow your provider's specific instructions about script placement. Most providers recommend adding scripts in the page head section for accurate tracking, which you can do through page tags in your Admin Area.