How to Use FormClue to Capture Only a Portion of a Web Session

In many real-world applications, recording an entire user session isn’t always desirable — or necessary. Single-page applications (SPAs), multi-step flows, co-registration pages, and multi-form layouts often require precise control over what gets recorded and when.

This is exactly what FormClue’s Manual Mode was built for.

Manual Mode allows you to explicitly start and stop the FormClue recorder at specific points in the user journey, ensuring that only the most relevant interactions are captured and associated with a certificate.

Why Capture Only Part of a Session?

By default, FormClue automatically begins recording when the page loads. While this works well for simple pages with a single form, it may not be ideal in more complex scenarios:

Pages with multiple forms
SPAs where different views represent different workflows
Co-registration or multi-section lead flows
Applications where you only want to capture consent-critical interactions
Situations where minimizing recorded data is important

Manual Mode gives you programmatic control over the recorder lifecycle so you can capture exactly what matters — and nothing more.

Enabling Manual Mode

Manual Mode is enabled when you generate your FormClue script.

Go to the Certify page in the FormClue dashboard
👉 https://dash.formclue.io/dashboard/certify
Open Advanced Options
Enable Manual Mode
Copy and paste the updated script onto your site

Once Manual Mode is enabled, the FormClue recorder will not start automatically. Instead, you control it using the public API.

Manual Mode API Overview

When Manual Mode is active, FormClue exposes two global functions on the FormClue object:

FormClue.startRecorder()
FormClue.stopRecorder()

These methods are available via window.FormClue in browser environments.

`FormClue.startRecorder()`

Starts a new recording session.

Generates a new certificate ID
Injects that certificate ID as a hidden field into all forms on the page
Associates any subsequent form submissions with the active recording session

⚠️ Important:

startRecorder() can be called multiple times, BUT it will only work when the session isn’t already being recorded. I.e. you can record snippets of the session at various intervals.
Each call generates a new certificate ID

`FormClue.stopRecorder()`

Stops the active recording session immediately.

No further user interaction is captured
The last generated certificate ID remains attached to forms until another startRecorder() call replaces it

Recommended Usage Pattern: Targeted Section Recording

This is the recommended approach for SPAs, multi-form pages, and complex flows.

Scenario

You want to record only a specific section of a page — for example:

A consent step
A final form submission
A high-risk interaction point

Pattern

Keep the FormClue script on the page (Manual Mode enabled)
Call startRecorder() when the target section becomes active
Call stopRecorder() when the section is complete
Optionally repeat later to capture another discrete segment

Each start/stop pair creates a self-contained certificate tied to that portion of the session and attaches it to all the forms on the page via a hidden field.

Code Examples

Start and Stop Recording Around an Application Section

function onSectionEnter() {
    // Begin recording for this section
    window.FormClue && window.FormClue.startRecorder();
}

function onSectionExit() {
    // Stop recording when the section is finished
    window.FormClue && window.FormClue.stopRecorder();
}

This works well for:

SPA route changes
Modal open/close events
Multi-step wizards

Start and Stop Recording via User Action

document.getElementById('start-btn').addEventListener('click', function () {
    window.FormClue && window.FormClue.startRecorder();
});

document.getElementById('stop-btn').addEventListener('click', function () {
    window.FormClue && window.FormClue.stopRecorder();
});

This pattern is useful when recording should only occur after:

Explicit user intent
A checkbox or consent confirmation
A gated interaction

Best Practices & Important Notes

Ensure the Script Is Loaded

Always confirm the FormClue script is available before calling the API:

if (window.FormClue) {
    window.FormClue.startRecorder();
}

For dynamically injected scripts, use an onload handler or runtime check.

Align Certificate Lifecycle With Form Submissions

Each startRecorder() call:

Generates a new certificate ID
Injects it into all forms on the page

Plan your integration so the active recorder aligns with the form submission you care about.

Prefer Short, Targeted Recording Windows

Avoid recording long or unnecessary segments:

Reduces noise in session data
Minimizes captured interactions
Improves signal quality for audits and reviews

Targeted recording produces cleaner, more defensible certificates.

Multiple Starts = Multiple Certificates

Calling startRecorder() multiple times during a single page visit will:

Create multiple certificate IDs
Replace the active certificate for future form submissions

This is expected behavior — but should be planned for intentionally.

Understand `stopRecorder()` Semantics

When you call stopRecorder():

Recording stops immediately
The most recent certificate ID remains attached to forms
A new startRecorder() call is required to generate a new certificate

If your workflow requires different behavior, validate this flow in your environment.

When Manual Mode Makes the Most Sense

Manual Mode is ideal when:

You run SPAs or dynamic frontends
You have multiple forms on a single page
You only want to capture consent-critical interactions
You need multiple certificates from one session
You want tighter control over recorded data

Final Thoughts

FormClue’s Manual Mode gives you fine-grained control over session capture without sacrificing certificate integrity or ease of integration.

By starting and stopping the recorder intentionally, you can:

Capture only what matters
Reduce noise and unnecessary data
Align certificates precisely with user intent
Maintain clean, defensible compliance records

For modern applications and complex lead flows, Manual Mode is the recommended way to integrate FormClue.