: Individual replays can be shared via direct links or organized into collections for internal reviews. Integration Flexibility
This architecture is inherently portable because the raw snapshot files are stored in standard object storage. If you self-host, you can simply copy these files to back them up. If you use PostHog Cloud, the blob_v2 API gives you direct, temporary access to download the compressed blocks that compose the full recording.
constructor( private config: 'localstorage'; = {} ) 100; this.config.storage = this.config.storage posthog session replay portable
Portability is meaningless if the data format is a proprietary black box. PostHog builds on rrweb —an open-source library for recording and replaying web interfaces—which serializes the DOM into lightweight JSON snapshots and incremental updates [1†L49-L51]. Because it's a community-driven standard, the data isn't trapped in a proprietary vendor vault. You can export it, and even if you never use PostHog again, you won't lose your data.
This HTML page can be hosted on a local machine, embedded into an internal Retool dashboard, or packaged inside an electron desktop application. Your product data is now 100% portable. Best Practices for Portable Session Analytics : Individual replays can be shared via direct
Capture network requests, console logs, and even "touches".
It's important to note that the raw snapshot data is not a straightforward MP4 video file. It's a log of DOM mutations and events, which requires a compatible player (like the one built into PostHog) to view. However, the data itself remains accessible and portable. If you use PostHog Cloud, the blob_v2 API
private captureInitialState(): void this.addEvent('initial_state', url: window.location.href, viewport: width: window.innerWidth, height: window.innerHeight, , scroll: x: window.scrollX, y: window.scrollY, , domSnapshot: this.captureDomSnapshot(), );
This comprehensive guide explores why you should make your replays portable and provides a technical roadmap to achieve it. Why Portability Matters for Session Replays
Posthog Session Replay is a feature of the Posthog platform, a popular open-source product analytics tool. It allows developers to record user interactions with their application, including mouse movements, clicks, and scrolling. This data is then stored and can be replayed, giving developers a crystal-clear understanding of how users interact with their product.
: As an open-source tool, users can audit, contribute to, or even the platform to maintain full data ownership. Generous Free Tier