Using the Lesson Step Heatmap Viewer

The Heatmap Viewer shows exactly where Learners tap on a step screen, and this article shows Content Developers, Program Administrators, and Learning Leaders how to open it, read it, filter it, and act on what it shows.

What is the Heatmap Viewer?

It turns the percentage you see in the Lessons Dashboard into a visual picture, so you can see not just that Learners made mistakes, but where and why.

How do you open it?

From the Lessons Dashboard, select any colored step cell in the grid. The Heatmap Viewer opens in a new tab and shows the screen replica for that step.

What will you see?

The Lesson name and step name appear at the top, with the screen replica in the center showing the actual screen a Learner saw. On the left, the Step Description panel shows the instruction the Learner was given—reading it alongside the screen helps you judge whether the instruction was clear enough.

What does the green outline mean?

A green outline surrounds the correct control—the button, icon, or element the Learner was supposed to tap. Taps inside the outline are correct; taps outside it are incorrect and counted in the error data.

What do the dots mean?

Dots show where Learners actually tapped; each represents one or more recorded taps. Dots inside the green outline are correct taps; dots outside show where Learners tapped instead. A cluster in the wrong area is a clue—Learners may be tapping a similar-looking element or misreading the instruction.

How do you filter by timespan?

The Timespan dropdown at the top left controls the time period the dots reflect: 30 Days, 60 Days, 90 Days, Year to Date, All Time, and Custom (which activates Start Date and End Date). Use it to compare dot patterns before and after a content update.

How do you filter by mode?

The Practice and Knowledge Check toggles in the bottom-right corner control which modes are included in the dot data. Both are on by default; turn either off to focus on one.

How do you use this data?

Start by reading the Step Description, then look at where the dots fall relative to the green outline. If most dots are inside, Learners are finding the correct control. If they cluster in the wrong area, consider whether the instruction is clear, whether another element is drawing attention, or whether the correct control is easy to find—then update the content, the instruction, or the screen design as needed.

How do you close the Heatmap Viewer?

Select Close at the bottom left of the page to return to the previous view.

What if it doesn’t work as expected?

Contact your Local Administrator first. If your Local Administrator cannot resolve the issue, submit a case through the Skyllful support portal.

[LINK TO: Reading the Step-by-Step Grid] — Find the step cells that open the Heatmap Viewer.
[LINK TO: Lessons Dashboard Overview] — What the dashboard is and how its colors work.
[LINK TO: Lesson Versions Dashboard] — Compare a step across published versions of a Lesson.

_{Last Reviewed: August 7, 2026 | Skyllful Knowledge Base | Administrators}