How to create advanced session filters on Hotjar

intermediate 8 min read Updated 2026-03-18

Quick Answer

Advanced session filters in Hotjar allow you to segment recordings based on specific user behaviors, device types, traffic sources, and custom events. You can create complex filter combinations using multiple criteria to identify the most valuable sessions for analysis.

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Prerequisites

Active Hotjar account with recording permissions
Website with Hotjar tracking code installed
Basic understanding of user analytics
Access to session recordings data

Step-by-Step Instructions

Access the Recordings section

Log into your Hotjar dashboard and navigate to Recordings from the left sidebar. Select the website you want to analyze from the site selector dropdown. Click on View recordings to enter the recordings interface where you'll see all captured sessions.

Make sure you have sufficient recording credits and that recordings are actively being captured on your site.

Open the filter panel

Click on the Filter button located at the top right of the recordings list. This will open the advanced filtering panel on the right side of your screen. You'll see various filter categories including Basic filters, User attributes, and Events.

The filter panel remembers your previous settings, so clear existing filters if you want to start fresh.

Set basic demographic filters

Start with basic filters to narrow down your session pool:

Select Device type (Desktop, Mobile, Tablet)
Choose Browser from the dropdown menu
Set Country/Region if targeting specific locations
Configure Session duration using the slider (minimum and maximum time ranges)

These foundational filters help eliminate irrelevant sessions before applying more specific criteria.

Mobile sessions often have different user behavior patterns, so consider filtering by device type for more targeted insights.

Apply user behavior filters

Configure behavioral filters to identify specific user actions:

Set Pages visited by entering specific URLs or URL patterns
Choose Referrer source (Direct, Search, Social, etc.)
Select Exit page to see where users left your site
Use Rage clicks and U-turns filters to find frustrated users

Use the contains, equals, or starts with operators for URL matching.

Combine rage clicks with specific pages to quickly identify problematic areas of your website.

Configure custom event filters

If you have custom events set up, add them to your filter:

Click Add event filter
Select your custom event from the dropdown
Choose the event trigger condition (triggered or not triggered)
Set event parameters if your events include additional data

Custom events allow filtering for specific business actions like form submissions, button clicks, or purchase completions.

Custom events must be properly configured in your Hotjar tracking code to appear in the filter options.

Combine multiple filter criteria

Create complex filter combinations using AND/OR logic:

Click Add filter group to create nested conditions
Use the dropdown to switch between AND and OR operators
Combine demographic, behavioral, and event filters
Preview the number of matching sessions in real-time

Example: Mobile users AND (visited checkout page OR triggered purchase event)

Start with broader criteria and gradually add more specific filters to avoid over-filtering your dataset.

Save and apply your advanced filter

Once your filter criteria are configured:

Click Apply filters to see the filtered results
Review the session count to ensure you have enough data
Click Save filter and give it a descriptive name
Add the saved filter to your Filter library for future use

Your filtered sessions will now display, sorted by most recent or relevance.

Save commonly used filter combinations to save time on recurring analysis tasks.

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

No sessions appear after applying filters

Check if your filter criteria are too restrictive. Try removing some conditions or expanding date ranges. Verify that your tracking code is properly installed and collecting data.

Custom events don't appear in filter options

Ensure custom events are properly implemented in your Hotjar tracking code using hj('event', 'eventName'). Events may take up to 24 hours to appear in the filter interface after first implementation.

Saved filters are missing or not loading

Check your user permissions and ensure you're logged into the correct Hotjar account. Saved filters are account-specific and may not be shared across different user accounts or organizations.

Filter results seem inaccurate or incomplete

Verify your date range settings and ensure you're looking at the correct site. Clear browser cache and refresh the page. Check if there are any sampling limitations on your Hotjar plan that might affect data completeness.

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