Product workflows2026-10-302 min read

Sample PostHog Recordings for Focused Review

Choose which sessions are eligible, then apply sampling and validate the resulting coverage. A targeted replay collection is useful for investigation, but it is not a census of the product’s entire user population.

Before you start: Have project administration access where required, a supported SDK and an agreed privacy policy. Check current recording-rule support before copying settings from an older tutorial.

Worked example: Keep a broad sample for general usability and a focused rule for a troublesome export flow. Record how those groups overlap before comparing the collected sessions.

Step-by-step guide

01

Define the review purpose

Choose whether the recording is for broad usability, a specific flow or an error investigation. State what the team expects to learn.

02

Set eligibility first

Configure supported URL, event or feature-flag conditions for the intended audience. Verify whether conditions are combined as alternatives or requirements.

03

Apply sampling deliberately

Choose the rate for the matching population and estimate expected coverage. Check the current rule model because trigger groups and legacy settings have different interactions.

04

Test known sessions

Run synthetic included and excluded journeys. Confirm the sampling and trigger behavior using several sessions rather than expecting one specific session to be selected.

05

Inspect overlap and privacy

Check how multiple rules combine and verify masking. A more permissive rule can undermine a supposedly narrow collection policy.

06

Document interpretation limits

Save the collection definition and change date. Label findings as observations from recorded sessions and validate prevalence through analytics when needed.

Common mistakes

Sample rate as whole-site coverage

A rate may apply only after conditions match. State the eligible population.

Legacy instructions reused blindly

SDK and rule models evolve. Verify the settings currently used.

Recorded sessions equal all behavior

Sampling and consent shape the subset. Explain the limitation.

Tips

Keep the rule change date with replay review notes.

Check the most permissive overlapping rule.

Use analytics to quantify a replay hypothesis.

Sources and verification

Based on product documentation checked on 2026-10-24. This is a documentation-based guide, not a hands-on benchmark. Features and availability can change.

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