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How to use a live heatmap Chrome extension

Review predicted attention as you scroll a website. A practical guide to the Heatpoints extension, its captures, email gate and limitations.

By the Heatpoints team · Updated 9 September 2026

See the Chrome extension

What live means here

Heatpoints captures the visible area of the tab you choose and asks the server to calculate an attention map. The result is overlaid on that page. When you scroll or resize the window, the extension requests a fresh prediction after a short pause. It does not observe visitors or record your eyes.

This is useful for reviewing a page in its actual browser state, including a signed-in dashboard. It is not a recording of an entire browsing session. Moving the pointer over an element alone does not guarantee a new capture, and animation can change the page while a prediction is being calculated.

Install, activate and examine one screen

Start on a normal website tab. Chrome protects some internal pages, including its settings and extension store, from this kind of capture.

  1. Install Heatpoints from its Chrome Web Store listing and pin it if you want quick access.
  2. Open the page to review, click the extension and read the capture notice before starting.
  3. Wait for the overlay. Compare the strongest areas with the headline, product and main action you intended to emphasise.
  4. Scroll to the next section and pause. Wait for the updated overlay before interpreting that screen.
  5. Turn the overlay off to recheck the original design, then stop the extension when you finish.

References: Heatpoints on the Chrome Web Store

Keep captures comparable

Choose a browser width, zoom level and page state before reviewing variants. A closed accordion and an open accordion are different images. A desktop hero and a mobile hero are different compositions. A shift in the overlay can therefore be caused by the capture, not by a meaningful improvement.

For a repeatable comparison, export two screenshots at matching dimensions and open Championship. Record the change you made, such as reducing the illustration or moving the primary action. Check the region you intended to affect rather than only the overall score.

References: Compare your screenshots

Email verification, uploads and private pages

Initial scans are available before email verification. The extension then asks you to verify an email address. Usage limits and server capacity apply; live does not mean unlimited frames or a guaranteed frame rate.

Captures are sent to Heatpoints servers. A page behind a login can contain names, financial information or private messages, so check what is visible before activating capture. The browser feature does not make the upload local-only.

References: Data handling

If the overlay looks wrong

Check that the page has finished loading, pause scrolling and make sure the overlay corresponds to the current viewport. If the extension reports a quota or authentication error, complete the indicated step instead of repeatedly restarting capture. Very fast motion is a poor basis for a static attention prediction.

A warm region is a review prompt. It cannot establish what someone read, which button they clicked, or whether they understood the offer. Follow up with an actual task-based user test when those are the questions you need answered.