> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.germainux.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Configure User Monitoring and Session Replay

> GermainUX User Monitoring & Session Replay can be configured globally or for individual UX Monitoring Profiles.

Components
[`RUM JS`](https://docs.germainux.com/main/germain-ux-rum-js)
[`RUM Ext`](https://docs.germainux.com/main/germain-ux-rum-extension)
[`RUM Windows`](https://docs.germainux.com/main/germainux-rum-windows)

Availability
2017.1 or later

> [card] [Configure User Monitoring & Session Replay](#configure-user-monitoring-%26-session-replay)
>
> Setup steps for monitoring

> [card] [Data Privacy & Exclusions](#data-privacy-%26-exclusions)
>
> Mask and exclude sensitive data

> [card] [Advanced Configuration](#advanced-configuration)
>
> Fine-tune monitoring settings

> [card] [Advanced Session Replay Customization](#advanced-session-replay-customization)
>
> Tailor replay capture behavior

## Configure User Monitoring & Session Replay

### Overview

GermainUX User Monitoring & Session Replay can be configured globally or for individual **UX Monitoring Profiles**.

> [!TIP]
>
> **AI summaries:** GermainUX can AI-summarize any individual session, so you know what the user did without replaying it. It can also summarize a bulk set of sessions at once (for example 1,000 or 100,000 sessions) to surface the top recurring frictions. See [AI-Generated Session Summaries](https://docs.germainux.com/main/user-monitoring-and-replay.md#ai-generated-session-summaries).

Configuration controls:

* Whether Session Replay is enabled
* Which applications and users are monitored
* When sessions end
* Maximum recording duration
* How changes in username affect sessions
* Which events and transactions appear in Session Replay

> [accordion] Show all 12
>
> * How user activity periods are identified
> * Dead, error, and rage click monitoring
> * Privacy, masking, and data exclusions
> * Bot, crawler, IP address, username, and headless-browser exclusions
> * Phrases of Interest
> * Custom Session Replay insights and timeline events

Configuration depends on the RUM component used:

* **GermainUX RUM JS**
* **GermainUX RUM Extension**
* **GermainUX RUM Windows**

For application-specific configuration, first check the applicable **GermainUX Integration guide**.

### Before You Begin

Before configuring User Monitoring & Session Replay:

**1. Deploy the appropriate RUM component**

**2. Verify that monitoring data is reaching GermainUX**

**3. Identify the applications and users to monitor**

**4. Review your organization's privacy, security, consent, and data-retention requirements**

**5. Check whether a dedicated GermainUX Integration guide exists for the monitored application**

### Use the Integration Guide When Available

Many applications and technologies have dedicated GermainUX Integration guides.

These guides can include application-specific configuration for:

* RUM JS
* RUM Extension
* RUM Windows
* User identification
* Application and page identification
* Session Replay

> [accordion] Show all 9
>
> * Privacy and masking
> * Application-specific KPIs
> * Business transactions and workflows

When an Integration guide is available, **follow its application-specific configuration instructions in addition to the general settings described on this page**.

[**View GermainUX Integrations**](https://docs.germainux.com/main/monitoring.md)

### Access UX Monitoring Profiles

Most application-specific User Monitoring settings are configured through:

**Germain Workspace -> Settings -> Analytics -> UX Monitoring Profiles**

![UX Monitoring Profiles management view](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c/images/main/user-monitoring-and-replay-configuration/image-20260824-214800.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c\&q=85\&s=be38ec3dd6e9bc2ad4a950dd439d2344)

UX Monitoring Profiles management view- GermainUX

Select the UX Monitoring Profile for the application or user population you want to configure.

Global User Monitoring and Session Replay settings are available under:

**Germain Workspace -> Settings -> System -> UX and Session Replay Settings**

Global settings apply across applicable UX Monitoring Profiles.

## Session Replay Configuration

### Enable or Disable Session Replay for a Profile

Session Replay is enabled by default for each UX Monitoring Profile.

To change this setting:

**1. Go to Germain Workspace -> Settings -> Analytics -> UX Monitoring Profiles**

**2. Select the profile**

**3. Enable or disable Session Replay Monitoring**

**4. Click Save**

This setting affects only the selected UX Monitoring Profile.

### Disable Session Replay Globally

To stop collecting Session Replay data across all profiles:

**1. Go to Germain Workspace -> Settings -> System -> UX and Session Replay Settings**

**2. Disable Session Replay Data**

**3. Click Save**

The global setting takes precedence over individual UX Monitoring Profile settings.

### Configure Session Timeout

By default, an ongoing session times out when GermainUX receives no new event for **one hour**.

The session is then marked **Timed Out** and closed. The next event starts a new session.

To change the timeout:

1. Go to **Germain Workspace -> Settings -> System -> UX and Session Replay Settings**.
2. Locate the **Session Replay** section.
3. Update **Session Timeout**, in minutes.
4. Click **Save**.

   ![UX and Session Replay Settings](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c/images/main/user-monitoring-and-replay-configuration/image-20260824-214935.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c\&q=85\&s=db237f5fceeabf1a87818c5ae768d411)

   UX and Session Replay Settings - GermainUX

## Recording Configuration

### Configure Maximum Recording Duration

By default, GermainUX does not impose a maximum Session Replay recording duration.

For applicable RUM configurations, use:

```text theme={null}
settings.constants.maxSessionDurationMillis
```

For example, to limit a recording to one hour:

```text theme={null}
settings.constants.maxSessionDurationMillis = 3_600_000; // One hour
```

The value is specified in milliseconds.

### Start a New Session When the Username Changes

Use:

```text theme={null}
settings.constants.createNewSessionIfUsernameChanges
```

to control how GermainUX handles multiple user logins from the same monitored browser or desktop.

| Behavior | Setting |
| - | - |
| Create a separate session when the username changes | `settings.constants.createNewSessionIfUsernameChanges = true;` |
| Keep activity in the same session when the username changes | `settings.constants.createNewSessionIfUsernameChanges = false;` |

Add the appropriate setting to the applicable monitoring configuration.

Use separate sessions when a shared browser or desktop can be used by multiple authenticated users and their activity should remain distinct.

## Session Replay Player Configuration

### Configure Events & Transactions

The Session Replay player displays correlated events and transactions alongside the recording.

By default, it includes every KPI configured as a child of the **User Session Replay KPI**.

To control which KPIs appear:

1. Go to **Germain Workspace -> Settings -> Analytics -> KPIs**.
2. Select **User Session Replay**.
3. Update **Child KPIs**.
4. Click **Save**.

   ![Child KPIs settings for User Session Replay KPI](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c/images/main/user-monitoring-and-replay-configuration/image-20230327-130726.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c\&q=85\&s=429af977a4039db23cd8f8d2c188f51f)

   Events and Transactions Stream - GermainUX

This allows Session Replay to correlate the user's visual experience with relevant business, application, and technology events.

Examples can include:

* Errors
* User Feedback
* Business transactions
* Conversion events
* Application events
* Performance events
* Custom KPIs

### Configure User Activity Periods

Orange bars at the top of the Session Replay player identify periods of user activity.

![User Activity on Session Replay player](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c/images/main/user-monitoring-and-replay-configuration/image-20240904-132701.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c\&q=85\&s=5b49475fa7735ff197c6dced9c0ee893)

Each period represents a sequence of user events within the monitored application.

To configure which event types contribute to activity periods:

**1. Go to Germain Workspace -> Settings -> System -> UX and Session Replay Settings**

**2. Locate the Session Replay section**

**3. Update User Activity**

**4. Click Save**

This setting applies to all applicable UX Monitoring Profiles.

## User Interaction Monitoring

### Configure Dead, Error & Rage Click Monitoring

GermainUX can identify:

| Signal | Description |
| - | - |
| **Dead Clicks** | — interactions where the expected response does not occur. |
| **Error Clicks** | — interactions associated with an application error. |
| **Rage Clicks** | — repeated interactions that may indicate user frustration. |

These signals can help identify unresponsive controls, application failures, and UX friction.

See **Configure[Dead, Error & Rage Click](https://docs.germainux.com/main/dead-error-and-rage-click-monitoring.md)Monitoring** for detailed configuration.

## Data Privacy & Exclusions

GermainUX provides controls over the user and application data captured by User Monitoring & Session Replay.

Depending on your organization's requirements, data can be:

* Excluded
* Masked
* Anonymized
* Encrypted

Configure privacy controls before broad production deployment.

See the applicable [**Data Privacy Configuration**](https://docs.germainux.com/main/data-privacy.md) documentation for detailed masking, exclusion, and privacy settings.

### Exclude Bots & Crawlers

Bots and crawlers can be excluded from User Monitoring & Session Replay to prevent automated activity from affecting UX analytics or consuming unnecessary storage.

Default exclusions include:

* Baiduspider
* Bingbot
* DuckDuckBot
* Exabot
* Facebot and FacebookExternalHit
* Googlebot

> [accordion] Show all 10
>
> * ia\_archiver
> * Sogou
> * Slurp
> * YandexBot

Default bot and crawler exclusions can be enabled during initial RUM JS deployment using the **Bot/Crawler Agent Exclusion** option.

To update exclusions for an existing profile:

1. Go to **Germain Workspace -> Settings -> Analytics -> UX Monitoring Profiles**.
2. Select the profile.
3. Update **Excluded User Agents**.
4. Click **Save**.

   ![Configure User Monitoring and Session Replay: Exclude Bots & Crawlers](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c/images/main/user-monitoring-and-replay-configuration/image-20260912-173714.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c\&q=85\&s=105c261aef7d9da605ddb2f65b71b247)

### Include or Exclude IP Addresses

IP ranges can control which clients are eligible for User Monitoring.

| Option | Description |
| - | - |
| **Excluded IP Ranges** | Prevent selected IP addresses or ranges from being monitored. |
| **Included IP Ranges** | Restrict monitoring to selected IP addresses or ranges. |

Included ranges take precedence over excluded ranges.

Both lists are empty by default. An empty Included IP Ranges list means all IP addresses are eligible for monitoring.

To configure IP filtering:

**1. Go to Germain Workspace -> Settings -> Analytics -> UX Monitoring Profiles**

**2. Select the profile**

**3. Add or modify Excluded IP Ranges or Included IP Ranges**

**4. Click Save**

IP filtering can be useful for excluding:

* Synthetic users
* Test environments
* Internal traffic
* Administrative systems

![Configure User Monitoring and Session Replay: Include or Exclude IP Addresses](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c/images/main/user-monitoring-and-replay-configuration/image-20260912-173756.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c\&q=85\&s=60d29a876febcb6bcd9769eb0b6a14ac)

### Exclude Usernames

Specific users can be excluded from monitoring.

Typical examples include:

* Automated accounts
* Synthetic users
* Administrative accounts
* Test accounts

The monitoring component must first identify the username. If the extracted username matches an entry in **Excluded Usernames**, GermainUX stops collecting monitoring data for that user.

To configure excluded users:

1. Go to **Germain Workspace -> Settings -> Analytics -> UX Monitoring Profiles**.
2. Select the profile.
3. Update **Excluded Usernames**.
4. Click **Save**.

   ![Configure User Monitoring and Session Replay: Exclude Usernames](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c/images/main/user-monitoring-and-replay-configuration/image-20260912-173845.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c\&q=85\&s=ff79c7f00526d7094a586ce9cb869127)

### Exclude Headless Browsers

Headless browsers can be excluded to prevent automated or synthetic scenarios from being recorded as real-user activity.

To configure this setting:

1. Go to **Germain Workspace -> Left Menu → Settings -> Analytics -> UX Monitoring Profiles**.
2. Select the profile.
3. Enable or disable **Exclude Headless Browsers**.
4. Click **Save**.

   ![Configure User Monitoring and Session Replay: Exclude Headless Browsers](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c/images/main/user-monitoring-and-replay-configuration/image-20260912-173907.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c\&q=85\&s=57dcbbc9b666b642e997d91fcc775e8a)

## Advanced Configuration

### Phrases of Interest

**Phrases of Interest** allow GermainUX to detect specified text or regular expressions displayed in a monitored application.

When a match occurs, GermainUX creates a record under the **Phrase of Interest Appeared KPI** and identifies the event in the recorded session.

Phrases of Interest can identify events such as:

* Application errors
* Warnings
* Promotional discounts
* Out-of-stock messages
* Confirmation messages
* Business-process states
* Compliance-related language

### Add a Phrase from Session Replay

To create a Phrase of Interest directly from a recorded session:

1. Open **Session Replay**.
2. Highlight the text to monitor.
3. Right-click the selected text.
4. Select **Add text to Phrases-of-Interest**.

   ![Add text to Phrases-of-Interest](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c/images/main/user-monitoring-and-replay-configuration/image-20241011-205808.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c\&q=85\&s=6d390ea66cc9c4670160d3e41536f1d8)

   Add text to Phrases-of-Interest - GermainUX
5. Review the new entry under **Analytics -> UX Monitoring Profiles -> \[Profile]**.

The phrase is monitored in subsequent sessions associated with the profile.

### Use a Regular Expression

Regular expressions can be used when the text being monitored varies.

To configure one:

1. Go to **Analytics -> UX Monitoring Profiles -> \[Profile] -> \[Phrase of Interest]**.

   ![Verify Phrase-of-interest is added](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c/images/main/user-monitoring-and-replay-configuration/image-20241011-195326.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c\&q=85\&s=71fa09d42b53f70f168a784409e81c1e)

   Verify Phrase-of-interest is added - GermainUX
2. Enable **Regex**.

   ![Configure User Monitoring and Session Replay: Use a Regular Expression](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c/images/main/user-monitoring-and-replay-configuration/image-20241011-200401.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c\&q=85\&s=90938baf3284c5361e111d3963fa86f7)
3. Enter the regular expression.
4. Click **Save**.

For example, the following expression can detect discounts from 60% through 99%:

```text theme={null}
\([6-9][0-9]%\sOFF\)
```

### Create a Watch from a Phrase of Interest

A Watch can notify users when a Phrase of Interest appears.

From Session Replay, select **Add Watch on this Phrase-of-Interest**.

![Add a Watch for a Sentence](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c/images/main/user-monitoring-and-replay-configuration/image-20260912-174539.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c\&q=85\&s=e44bb75ac017e728732026ad007c8b40)

Add a Watch for a Sentence - GermainUX

A Watch can be configured to notify:

* The next time the phrase appears
* Every time the phrase appears
* Every time it appears until a specified date

![Configure User Monitoring and Session Replay: Create a Watch from a Phrase of Interest](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c/images/main/user-monitoring-and-replay-configuration/image-20241009-221402.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c\&q=85\&s=5e44f522632dd532a759d5223e995853)

This allows an observed user experience to become a continuously monitored condition.

## Advanced Session Replay Customization

### Add a Custom Insight or Timeline Event

Custom Insights can add organization-specific events to the Session Replay player.

For example, an eCommerce organization can add an **Add to Cart** timeline event that identifies every product-addition event during the session.

To configure a custom timeline event:

1. Go to **Germain Workspace -> Settings -> System -> System Settings -> UI Config**.
2. Navigate to: **Analysis Dashboards -> User Session Replay -> portlets -> Replay of User Session -> timelineEvents**

   ![Configure User Monitoring and Session Replay: Add a Custom Insight or Timeline Event](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c/images/main/user-monitoring-and-replay-configuration/image-20260912-175436.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c\&q=85\&s=822a51b70657f6a8a4e187687cf58f62)
3. Click **Add**.
4. Configure the timeline event.
5. Click **Create**.

   ![Configure User Monitoring and Session Replay: Add a Custom Insight or Timeline Event, image 2](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c/images/main/user-monitoring-and-replay-configuration/image-20241016-022401.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c\&q=85\&s=e63595d038988b7d55b1828bff376610)

#### Configuration Reference

| Field | Example | Purpose |
| - | - | - |
| `Name` | `Add to Cart` | Name of the custom configuration. |
| `targetFramework` | `shopify` | Target framework, such as Salesforce, Shopify, or Generic. |
| `kpiName` | `Shopify Product Added to Cart` | KPI containing the events to display. |
| `kpiFilter` | `name == 'Product Added'` | Filter selecting the relevant KPI events. |
| `eventModel` | JSON configuration | Controls how the event appears on the Session Replay timeline. |

#### eventModel Example

```json theme={null}
{
  "label": "Add to Cart",
  "tooltip": "Product added",
  "color": "black",
  "height": 10,
  "icon": "fa-solid fa-cart-shopping",
  "zIndex": 1,
  "timelinePosition": "above"
}
```

After the configuration is saved, the custom insight becomes available across applicable recorded sessions and the configured marker appears on the timeline whenever a matching event occurs.

## Validate the Configuration

After changing User Monitoring or Session Replay configuration:

1. Start a controlled test session.
2. Perform representative user actions.
3. Confirm that the session reaches GermainUX.
4. Open the Session Replay.
5. Verify that expected user activity is captured.
6. Verify the Events & Transactions stream.
7. Confirm configured activity periods.
8. Verify applicable Dead, Error, and Rage Click detection.
9. Verify Phrases of Interest when configured.
10. Confirm custom timeline events when configured.
11. Verify that excluded users, IP addresses, bots, and headless browsers are handled correctly.
12. Confirm that privacy, masking, and exclusion rules are applied as expected.

    ![Configure User Monitoring and Session Replay: Validate the Configuration](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c/images/main/user-monitoring-and-replay-configuration/image-20241205-211716.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=aRWpCtnP62NYAs5c\&q=85\&s=7ea67a57d47742b2a3641925876e8733)

## Security & Privacy

User Monitoring & Session Replay can capture detailed information about user interactions with monitored applications.

Before production deployment:

| Action | Recommendation |
| - | - |
| Capture only information required | Capture only information required for the intended use case. |
| Configure masking and exclusions | Configure masking and exclusions for sensitive information. |
| Exclude sensitive areas | Exclude sensitive application areas where required. |
| Restrict access | Restrict Session Replay access to authorized users. |
| Review users & IP ranges | Review included and excluded users and IP ranges. |
| Data retention | Apply appropriate data-retention policies. |
| Review compliance | Review applicable privacy, consent, security, and compliance requirements. |
| Validate privacy | Validate privacy settings using controlled test sessions. |

## Additional Resources

* [Configure](https://docs.germainux.com/main/configure-session-replay-player.md) Session Replay Player
* [KPIs](https://docs.germainux.com/main/user-monitoring-and-replay-kpis.md) related to User Monitoring and Session Replay
* [API](https://docs.germainux.com/main/user-monitoring-and-replay-apis.md) of User Monitoring and Session Replay
* Session Replay [Player](https://docs.germainux.com/main/session-replay-player.md)
* Troubleshoot User Monitoring and Session Replay
* [AI](https://docs.germainux.com/main/ai-driven-insights.md) Insights & Recommendations
* More [Analytics](https://docs.germainux.com/main/analytics.md) Features
* More [Automation](https://docs.germainux.com/main/automation.md) Features
* [Dashboard](https://docs.germainux.com/main/dashboard-and-report.md) & [Reports](https://docs.germainux.com/main/reporting-automatic.md)
* [Management](https://docs.germainux.com/main/management.md) Features.

## Get Help

> [card] [Contact GermainUX Support](https://docs.germainux.com/main/support.md)
>
> The GermainUX team helps you get up and running faster, empower your team, turn data into actionable insights, and optimize performance to deliver measurable business outcomes.

> [card] Can't find what you need?
>
> Search all GermainUX docs with **Ctrl + K**, or use the feedback buttons at the bottom of this page to tell us what is missing.

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