Ask any Customer Success Manager, and they’ll tell you the same thing: understanding user behavior and digital experience analytics is everything. However, traditional analytics tools only provide quantitative data. They don’t reveal user intent or why users drop off, struggle, or abandon certain workflows.
That’s where session replay tools come in. They let us watch real user sessions, see exactly how users interact with our product, and uncover pain points that traditional analytics might miss.
We sat down with Matt O’Boyle, Director of Customer Success at Userpilot, to discuss how his customer satisfaction team uses session replay. In this conversation, Matt shares how they use session replay software to improve the customer journey, reduce churn, and enhance digital experiences.
Let’s get into it.
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What is session replay in Userpilot?
Session replay in Userpilot helps us move beyond numbers to truly understand user behavior. Traditional analytics show us what’s happening, but session replays show us why. Instead of interpreting data points, we can watch replays to see exactly where users hesitate, struggle, or drop off. It gives us the context we need to improve the customer experience and fix friction points before they turn into bigger issues.
Unlike screen recordings, session replay software doesn’t capture a full video recording of the user’s screen. Instead, it reconstructs user sessions by tracking mouse movements, clicks, scrolling patterns, and other user actions.
This is done by capturing changes in the Document Object Model (DOM), so we can see how users navigate a web page without affecting performance. It’s lightweight, accurate, and gives us a full picture of user interactions.
Security is a major focus. Userpilot’s session replay tool automatically masks sensitive data like passwords, payment details, and personal information. That means we never record or store private user data.
You can see this in action (see image below), where key fields with sensitive information are blocked from capture. This ensures we get all the insights we need while protecting user privacy and following data retention policies.
Another major advantage is searching or filtering session replays based on user attributes. My team relies on this daily. If a customer submits a support ticket, instead of asking them to explain what went wrong, we can instantly pull up their session replay recording and see exactly what happened.
Features like skipping inactivity, jumping to key interactions, and reviewing activity logs make troubleshooting faster and more effective.
For customer success managers and customer support teams, session replay changes the way we work. But not all session replay tools are the same—so what makes Userpilot’s session replay software stand out?
What makes our session replay tool different from other solutions?
I’ve used a lot of session replay tools, and the biggest challenge is that many of them exist in isolation. They either lack context for understanding user behavior or don’t provide ways to act on session replay data.
I might sound biased but that’s exactly what sets Userpilot apart. It combines session replay tools, analytics tools, and in-app engagement. This enables you to analyze how individual users interact, understand user intent, and take action— all in one place.
Compared to standalone session replay tools
Standalone session replay tools show you what happened, but you’ll need to combine it with data elsewhere to understand the context.
You see a rage click, but is it frustration? A bug? Bad UX? Without analytics data (i.e. user surveys) to connect the dots, you’re left guessing.
- More context with analytics data: Instead of manually searching for session recordings, I can create a user segment of those who drop off from a funnel. I can instantly watch their session replays to identify pain points in the customer journey.
- Unify your tech stack: Rather than juggling multiple digital analytics tools, I get session replay data, event tracking, and user behavior insights in one place with Userpilot. That means fewer integrations, fewer tools, and more streamlined workflows.
- More cost-effective: Because session replay is part of our analytics suite, you won’t need to pay for a separate session replay tool. This will save you both time and budget.
Our customers, like us, have found Userpilot more convenient and insightful than standalone session replay tools:
Compared to analytics platforms with session replay
Some analytics solutions offer session replay, but they don’t help you act on the insights. You can see how users navigate, but still need another valuable tool, to engage users and solve the issue.
- Engagement tools to take action: If session replays show rage clicks, you can segment users who experience frustration and launch a personalized in-app flow— without waiting for them to contact customer support agents.
- Proactive customer support: Instead of waiting for support tickets, I can automatically trigger proactive help based on user interactions. If a user repeatedly clicks a broken button, we can surface a tooltip or guide right inside the product. This way, users get the help they need at the moment of friction without leaving the app.
- Personalized digital experiences: The session replay tool shows what’s wrong but Userpilot lets you fix it. You can analyze session replays, trigger in-app messaging, and guide users through problems in real time.
Try Userpilot’s Session Replay Tool to Reduce Customer Friction
How do customer success managers benefit from watching session replays?
Customer success is about helping users see value fast. But what happens when a user keeps abandoning a setup process? I could spend hours trying to decode analytics reports, or I could combine quantitative, qualitative, and visual data to know the real issue. If users struggle with a form field, I can guide them with a tooltip instead of waiting for them to submit a support ticket.
Product usage review as a way to deliver quick value
A big part of my role as a Customer Success Manager is making sure customers get the most value from our product. Whether it’s refining their product usage strategy or using customer feedback and providing best practices, my goal is to keep them engaged. If a customer isn’t seeing value, there’s a risk they’ll disengage, and that leads to churn.
One of the most common challenges I hear is: “I don’t know what I’m doing wrong” or “Is this the best way to do this?” The usual solution? A call to reenact the issue or ask them to record their screen. But let’s be honest—none of that is ideal.
- Scheduling delays – Finding a time that works for both sides can take days.
- Disrupting their workflow – If they’re mid-task, waiting for help slows them down.
- Extra effort for the customer – If they’re too busy to record their user session, the issue may never get solved.
That’s why the right session replay tool changes everything. Instead of waiting for a call, I can instantly review their session replay.
- See exactly where user frustration arose.
- Understand their user journey and how they navigate the product.
- Remove friction with faster, more accurate support.
- Keep them engaged by solving issues before they become blockers.
With session replay, customers see value faster, and I can provide proactive help before frustration sets in. It’s a simple but powerful way to keep them engaged and strengthen the relationship.
Improve customer onboarding by understanding how users interact
Look, I’ve been there—getting a low NPS score with zero explanation is frustrating. And I understand customer sentiment is just as important as tracking and analyzing user interactions and behavior.
NPS (Net Promoter Score) data from Userpilot gives me valuable insight into how users feel about the product, but session replay helps me see why they feel that way. When I pair these two, I get the full picture— quantitative feedback combined with real user interactions.
One of the most effective ways I use session replay software is to filter user sessions based on NPS detractors— users who rated our product low on the NPS survey.
This helps me:
- Empathize with their experience: Analyzing user session recordings of detractors lets me see exactly where they struggled, whether it’s confusing navigation, technical issues, or unresponsive features.
- Personalize my outreach: Instead of sending generic responses, I can address specific pain points and provide targeted solutions based on their actual interactions.
- Act before frustration leads to churn: If I see that a detractor had multiple rage clicks or hesitated at key steps, I can trigger proactive in-app support or schedule a one-on-one session to help them succeed.
Improve customer onboarding by understanding how users interact
Ever wondered why some users breeze through onboarding while others drop off? Onboarding is a make-or-break phase for customer success.
I’ll be honest—if a new user doesn’t find value fast, they’re gone before you can say ‘onboarding friction’. That’s why session replay and path analysis are my go-to when I need to know exactly where users get stuck.
- Path analysis helps me identify where users drop off in the onboarding flow. I can see which steps they complete.
- Session replay fills in the gaps by showing me why users abandon the process. I can watch their interactions, spot friction points, and understand what’s confusing or frustrating them.
Just a few examples would be, if path analysis shows that many users exit at a certain step, I can use session replays to see if they are rage-clicking, hesitating on a form, or struggling with navigation. With these insights, I can:
- Optimize onboarding flows to remove friction and guide users more effectively.
- Trigger in-app guidance for users who struggle with key steps.
- Personalize onboarding based on behavior to increase activation rates.
By combining data and real user interactions, I can improve user onboarding experiences that drive higher adoption and retention.
Ready to see Userpilot session replay in action?
Userpilot goes beyond session replay: it helps CSMs improve engagement, reduce churn, and drive retention by combining behavioral analytics, in-app guidance, and automation to capture user interactions.
As one of our customers put it:
If you’re looking for a better way to understand user behavior and deliver proactive support, it’s time to see Userpilot in action. Book a demo today!
Try Userpilot’s Session Replay Tool to Start Improving User Engagement Today!
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