Common replay display issues

A session replay may not look exactly like the live website if the replay cannot load the same assets or if the page changed after the recording.

Common symptoms include:

• missing styles
• shifted layout
• missing images
• incorrect fonts
• blank sections
• content hidden by masking
• page appearing smaller or larger than expected
• single-page app route changes not replaying correctly

Check whether masking is hiding content

Privacy masking can intentionally hide private content. If a page looks blank or missing large sections, check whether a parent container was marked private.

Examples:

• data-analytics-private on a large wrapper
• analytics-private class on the page container
• masking rules applied too broadly

Adjust masking so private fields are hidden without hiding the entire page.

Check assets and styles

If the page appears unstyled, review the missing styles documentation. CSS, fonts, and images must be accessible when the replay is viewed.

Open browser developer tools while viewing the replay and check for failed network requests.

Check responsive layout

Replay uses the visitor's recorded viewport and device information. A session from a mobile device may look different from your desktop browser.

If the layout looks wrong, compare:

• recorded viewport width
• device type
• screen resolution
• live page responsive behavior

Use the same viewport size in browser developer tools to compare.

Check site changes after recording

If the website changed after the session was recorded, the replay may not perfectly match the current live page.

This can happen after:

• redesigns
• CSS deploys
• removed images
• changed component structure
• deleted landing pages
• updated third-party widgets

Recent recordings are usually more reliable for visual debugging than old recordings after a redesign.

Check single-page app behavior

Single-page apps can change routes without a full page load. If a replay misses route changes or appears stuck, confirm the tracker stays loaded across client-side navigation.

Also check for JavaScript errors that may prevent route or DOM changes from being recorded properly.

Check browser extensions and blockers

Your own browser extensions can affect replay viewing. If a replay looks wrong only for you, try:

• opening in a private window
• disabling extensions
• trying another browser
• clearing cache

Troubleshooting checklist

• Confirm private masking is not too broad.
• Check failed CSS, font, and image requests.
• Compare the recorded viewport with the live responsive layout.
• Review whether the site changed after recording.
• Check single-page app route changes.
• Test replay viewing in another browser.
• Create a fresh test recording after fixes.