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Page Targeting for Recordings

Our page targeting options allow you to activate specific Hotjar features on specific pages of your site. To do this, you can either use one of our six URL targeting options or use a JavaScript trigger, only available on PLUS and BUSINESS plans.

URL Targeting

To better understand how URL targeting works, it is good to also understand what components form a URL:

What components form a URL

 Components of a URL

We offer six types of URL targeting:

  • Simple Match: This is the default match type and is used to target a page on your site, ignoring any query strings and fragments as well as protocol, http vs https, and the presence or not of 'www'.
  • Exact Match: Targets a specific URL, including the protocol, which can include a query string and fragment.
  • Starts With: Target all pages that have a URL, including the protocol, which starts with the entered text;
  • Ends With: Target all pages that have a URL which ends in the entered text;
  • Contains: Target all pages which contain the entered text;
  • Regular Expression: A regular expression, regex or regexp for short, is a special text string for describing a search pattern.

Simple Match:

This is the default match type and is intended to be used to target a page on your site. The match will be correct if the URL path your visitor is on matches the URL path you specify.

Note

Query strings and fragments are ignored if entered in the field

Example:
Simple Match - http://www.x.com/pages/
 
Result Example URL
MATCH http://www.x.com/pages/
NO MATCH http://www.x.com/pages/subpage
MATCH http://www.x.com/pages/?x=1
MATCH http://www.x.com/pages/?x=1&y=1
MATCH http://www.x.com/PAGES
MATCH https://www.x.com/pages/
MATCH http://x.com/pages
MATCH https://x.com/pages/

Exact Match:

The match will be correct if the URL path, query string, and fragment your visitor accesses matches EXACTLY with the ones you specify.

Example:
Exact Match - http://www.x.com/pages/?x=1

Result Example URL 
NO MATCH http://www.x.com/pages/
NO MATCH http://www.x.com/pages/subpage
MATCH http://www.x.com/pages/?x=1
NO MATCH http://www.x.com/pages/?x=1&y=1
NO MATCH http://www.x.com/pages/?x=1#2
NO MATCH https://www.x.com/pages/?x=1 

Starts With:

The match will be correct if the URL your visitor is on starts exactly as you specify it, including the protocol.

Example:
Starts with - http://www.x.com/pages/

 Result Example URL 
MATCH http://www.x.com/pages/
MATCH http://www.x.com/pages/subpage
MATCH http://www.x.com/pages/?x=1
MATCH http://www.x.com/pages/?x=1&y=1
MATCH http://www.x.com/pages/?x=1#2
NO MATCH https://www.x.com/pages/ 

Ends With:

The match will be correct if the URL your visitor is on ends exactly as you specify it.

Example:
Ends with - pages/

Result Example URL
MATCH http://www.x.com/pages/
NO MATCH http://www.x.com/pages/subpage
NO MATCH http://www.x.com/pages/?x=1
NO MATCH http://www.x.com/pages/?x=1&y=1
NO MATCH  http://www.x.com/pages/?x=1#2

Contains:

The match will be correct if the URL your visitor is on contains the text you specified.

Example:
Contains - ?x=1

Result Example URL 
NO MATCH  http://www.x.com/pages/
NO MATCH http://www.x.com/pages/subpage
MATCH http://www.x.com/pages/?x=1
MATCH http://www.x.com/pages/?x=1&y=1
MATCH  http://www.x.com/pages/?x=1#2

Regular Expressions:

For a detailed explanation of Regular Expressions and usage examples, read our knowledge base article: Using Regular Expressions.

JavaScript Triggers

JavaScript triggers are available for users on PLUS and BUSINESS plans. Triggers allow you to activate specific Hotjar features using a very simple snippet of code. For more details and examples, please read our knowledge base article: Using JavaScript Triggers.

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