How to Install Heatmaps and Session Recording Without a Developer
You do not need to write code to add behavior analytics to most websites. Learn the four no-code routes, which is site builder settings, plugins, tag managers, and theme editors, how to verify the install, and when you do need a developer.
Short answer: installing behavior analytics means getting one script tag onto every page. On most platforms you can do that yourself through a settings field, a plugin, or a tag manager. It takes about ten minutes. You need a developer only for consent wiring on a custom banner, tracking outcomes that have no confirmation page, or sites where you have no access to settings at all.
Table of Contents
- What Installing Actually Means
- Four No-Code Routes
- How to Verify It Worked
- What You Can Do Without Code Afterwards
- When You Do Need a Developer
- Key Takeaways
What Installing Actually Means
Every web install of DeepSync is the same one-line tag (how the SDK works):
<script async src="YOUR_LOADER_URL"></script>You copy it from your project's settings, where ready-to-paste snippets are provided for each supported platform (settings). The task is simply to place it in the head of every page.
Four No-Code Routes
1. A site builder's custom code setting
Most website builders have a field for adding code to all pages.
| Platform | Where |
|---|---|
| Webflow | Site settings, custom code, head (guide) |
| Wix | Settings, custom code, all pages, head (guide) |
| Squarespace | Settings, code injection, header (guide) |
| Framer | Site settings, custom code (guide) |
Many of these reserve custom code for paid plans. Check yours.
2. A plugin
On WordPress, upload and activate the DeepSync plugin and paste your project ID. It skips the admin area automatically, so your own editing is not recorded (WordPress guide).
3. A theme editor
On Shopify, open the theme code, find theme.liquid, and paste the tag before the closing head tag. It is a single paste in one file (Shopify guide).
4. A tag manager
If your site already has Google Tag Manager, add a Custom HTML tag with the snippet and trigger it on all pages (GTM guide).
A tag manager fires a little later than a direct tag, so the first moments of a page load can be missed. Use it when you cannot place the tag directly.
How to Verify It Worked
- Publish your change. Saving is not always enough.
- Open the live site in a normal browser window. Privacy modes and blockers may stop the script.
- Click and scroll on two or three pages.
- Open Sessions in DeepSync. Your visit should appear within moments.
A project shows as verified in Settings once its first real session arrives (verifying your installation).
If no session appears, check in this order:
- Consent. This is the most common cause by far. DeepSync projects default to consent-required mode and record nothing until your cookie banner sends a consent signal.
- Published? And are you on the live domain, not an editor preview?
- All pages? A tag added to one page tracks one page.
- Cache. Clear your site and CDN cache.
- Blockers. Try another browser without extensions.
- Right project. Check the dashboard is showing the project you installed.
More in I installed the snippet but see no data.
What You Can Do Without Code Afterwards
Once the tag is live, a great deal needs no further development.
- Watch [session recordings](/features/session-recordings).
- View click, scroll, and attention [heatmaps](/features/heatmaps) for any page.
- Build [funnels](/features/funnels) from page paths.
- Set a [goal](/docs/goals-conversions) on a confirmation or thank-you page URL.
- See traffic sources and campaigns, provided your links carry UTM tags.
- Review [JavaScript errors](/docs/js-errors) and share them with whoever maintains the site.
- Filter sessions by device, country, source, and frustration signals.
A useful trick for goals without code: configure your form or checkout to redirect to a dedicated thank-you page. Then the URL itself is the conversion.
When You Do Need a Developer
| Task | Why |
|---|---|
| Consent on a custom-built banner | The accept action must call the consent function |
| Tracking an outcome with no confirmation page | Needs a custom event from code |
| Identifying logged-in users | Needs a call after login |
| Masking personal data displayed on pages | Needs a class added to elements |
| A strict Content Security Policy | Needs the policy updated (CSP guide) |
| Mobile apps | Needs the SDK added to the app |
| A custom-built site with no settings access | Someone must edit the template |
Each is small. When you ask, give your developer the exact documentation link: consent modes, SDK API, PII masking. The requests are usually a few lines.
Consent plugins and platforms often remove the need for a developer too. Many let you assign a script to a category so it loads only after acceptance (consent setup).
Install first, ask for help second
Get the tag live and see sessions arriving. It is much easier to ask a developer for one specific addition than for "analytics".
Key Takeaways
- Installing means placing one tag on every page.
- Site builder settings, plugins, theme editors, and tag managers all work without code.
- Verify with a real visit, and check consent first if nothing appears.
- Use a thank-you page URL as a no-code conversion goal.
Conclusion
The barrier to seeing how visitors use your site is one paste. Do that yourself today, and bring a developer in only for the few things that need one.
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