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Website interaction tracking

How website session replay reconstructs a visit

Some analytics tools reconstruct visits from page content and interactions. Masking, cookies, consent and retention affect different parts of the record.

Sources checked .

Conceptual illustration

A replay can reconstruct the page and its interactions

Microsoft describes Clarity recordings as animations reconstructed from page content and visitor actions, including pointer movement, clicks and scrolling. These recordings are not video streams of a person using the site. Microsoft: Clarity replay, consent and visitor opt-out FAQ

Text masking and interaction exclusion differ

Fullstory says its Private by Default mode masks text unless administrators allow it. Masked elements can still generate interaction events; excluded elements suppress those events. Its web-image rules also differ from text masking. This describes a configurable mode, not every site's implementation. Fullstory: conditional private mode and masking versus exclusion

Clarity masking is controlled by the website project

Microsoft documents masking input fields and dropdowns in every Clarity mode. Other content follows selected rules. Only project administrators can change them; changes affect new recordings and cannot be applied retroactively. Microsoft: Clarity masking rules and their limits

Identifiers can join separate page views

Microsoft describes Clarity cookies containing a pseudonymous identifier that associates interaction data. Its first-party cookies can join multiple page views into a session recording. Microsoft: Clarity cookies and page linkage

Without cookies, observation may become fragmented

For Clarity's consent-required regions, Microsoft describes reporting where each page creates a separate session if cookie consent is absent. That is different from a promise that no page interaction is collected. Microsoft: reporting without cookie consent in covered regions

Retention can extend beyond the ordinary recording period

Microsoft states that Clarity recordings are retained for 30 days, while favorites and a randomly selected sample can remain for up to nine months. This is Clarity's stated scope, not a universal session-replay retention rule. Microsoft: Clarity recording retention and session metadata

Questions and answers

Are Clarity replays literal videos of the visitor?

Microsoft describes page-and-action reconstructions rather than video streams. Microsoft: Clarity replay, consent and visitor opt-out FAQ

Does masked text mean the interaction was excluded?

Fullstory distinguishes masking text from suppressing interaction events. Fullstory: conditional private mode and masking versus exclusion

Can new masking rules retroactively change old Clarity recordings?

Microsoft says masking changes apply to new recordings. Microsoft: Clarity masking rules and their limits

Sources and scope

Microsoft and Fullstory public documentation checked 10-24-2026. Clarity consent documentation names the EEA, UK and Switzerland; those provider requirements are not generalized to every jurisdiction. Fullstory mode and Clarity settings depend on the website operator. These examples do not establish which tool or configuration a particular website uses.

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