Use this article to troubleshoot common Session Replay issues. It explains the likely cause of each issue and the settings or steps to check.
Replays not appearing
Why don't I see any replays yet?
Replays are usually available within 30 minutes after a session occurs, though processing times can vary. If you’ve just installed your tag or enabled Session Replay, verify your tag is active in project settings and check back shortly.
Have I reached my monthly replay limit?
Free and Growth plans include a monthly allocation for analytics sessions and Session Replay capture. The allocation depends on your plan and tier. To check your usage, open the Session usage widget in the left-hand menu. If you reach your allocation, Session Replay capture stops until the monthly allocation resets or you increase your plan. Learn more about Sessions, replays and plan limits.
Could URL targeting be limiting which sessions are collected?
If URL targeting rules are configured, Contentsquare collects Session Replay data only for pageviews whose URLs match those rules. As a result, a session may contain only some replayable pageviews, or may not appear in Session Replay if none of its pageviews matched the rules.
To review your settings:
- Go to your profile icon > Project and users > Replays tab
- Review your URL targeting rules
Could ad blockers or privacy settings be blocking collection?
If users have ad blockers, private browsing mode, or strict cookie settings enabled, the Contentsquare tag can't capture their session. This is expected behavior, you'll only see replays from users who allow tracking.
Replays not loading or displaying correctly
Why do I see repeated “aaa aaa” in my replay?
Your replays are working correctly. What you're seeing is the result of data masking, a built-in safety feature that prevents the Contentsquare tag from collecting personal data.
If you see text such as “aaa aaa” or longer sequences of “A” characters in your replay, Contentsquare is applying Page Masking, a privacy feature that replaces visible text before it leaves the visitor’s browser. This is expected behavior and does not indicate that the replay is broken.
Admins can review the masking configuration under Profile icon > Projects & Users > Data Masking and selectively display approved, non-sensitive content when needed. Form inputs and other sensitive data remain masked. Learn more in How to set up and manage Data masking.
Why does it say "Pageview not playable?"
Sometimes when you open a replay, you'll see a grey block instead of the actual session. This is called an "unplayable replay."
What's happening: Contentsquare has basic info about the page (like the URL), but doesn't have the actual replay data for that specific page. This means that particular page can't be watched but the rest of the session might still be viewable.
This is normal behavior, it happens when certain conditions prevent Contentsquare from capturing that page.
Common causes include:
- Slow or interrupted connection: The pageview was not sent to Contentsquare successfully.
- Too many network requests: Contentsquare tag requests were queued or delayed.
- Device went offline: The device went offline, shut down, or the browser closed before the replay data was uploaded.
- Intentional non-collection: URL sampling, an exceeded replay allocation, page-level personal-data blocking, or a blocked IP address prevented collection for that pageview.
- Settings issues: Contentsquare domains were not adequately allowlisted, Web Workers were disabled, or an XHR API override caused upload requests to fail.
- Tag limitations: Collection may be limited by pages larger than 8 MB, complex Shadow DOM structures, iFrames*, or artificial pageviews.
*iFrame tracking is available on Pro and Enterprise plans, when it has been enabled on your project. If you’re on an eligible plan and still see an unplayable replay, contact your Customer Success Manager (CSM) to confirm that iFrame support is activated and the implementation meets the requirements.
Replay data and retention
How long can I access Session replays for?
Session replay access depends on your plan:
| Plan | Session replay access |
| Free | 1 month |
| Growth | 2 months |
| Pro | 2 months, extendable up to 24 months |
| Enterprise | 3 months, extendable up to 24 months |
After the access period ends, replay data is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered, including replays saved as favorites.
Why has a replay I saved as a favorite disappeared?
Saving a replay as a favorite doesn't extend its retention period. Replays are deleted after your plan's retention period ends, even if they're in a collection.