Hotjar V2

Hotjar is primarily a qualitative analytics and feedback tool — heatmaps show where users click, session recordings show how users navigate, and NPS/survey widgets collect structured feedback. The REST API is limited compared to quantitative analytics platforms — it focuses on exporting survey responses and feedback data rather than querying behavioral analytics. For agents: the primary use case is extracting NPS responses and survey data for product management workflows, CRM sync, or sentiment analysis. Heatmap and session recording data is accessed via the Hotjar dashboard, not the API. Confidence is docs-derived.

REST API at insights.hotjar.com/api/v1. Resources: sites, surveys, responses. GET /api/v1/sites lists Hotjar sites. GET /api/v1/sites/{site_id}/feedback/polls lists surveys/polls. GET /api/v1/sites/{site_id}/feedback/polls/{survey_id}/responses retrieves survey responses (paginated). GET /api/v1/sites/{site_id}/feedback/incoming retrieves feedback responses. JavaScript SDK (browser): hj("identify", userId, {name, email, plan}) identifies users for recording correlation. hj("event", "action_name") tracks custom events (visible in heatmap/recording filters). Hotjar does not provide a server-side API for real-time event tracking — all behavioral data captured client-side by Hotjar script.

API key auth: Authorization: Bearer {api_key}. Keys from Hotjar → Settings → Personal Information → Generate API Key (v1). Site-scoped requests (site_id in path). HTTPS enforced. No OAuth2. Limited API scope: API provides read access to survey/feedback data only — no write access for creating surveys or modifying settings via API.

Standard HTTP status codes with JSON error bodies. Pagination: per_page + page parameters. Survey response availability: responses appear in API after Hotjar processes them (near real-time). API rate limiting: not extensively documented — standard API rate limits. Hotjar uptime at status.hotjar.com. Heatmap data: not accessible via API (dashboard only). Session recordings: not accessible via API (dashboard only). Data retention: plan-dependent. Free tier (35 daily session recordings): suitable for small traffic sites only.

help.hotjar.com/hc/en-us/categories/360003502834-API covers the limited REST API documentation. Getting started: create Hotjar account (free tier), install tracking code, generate API key — first survey responses accessible after collecting responses. No official SDK — simple REST for the limited API surface. Community via Hotjar support and help center. API documentation is minimal; Hotjar's primary value is in the dashboard UX, not programmatic access.