# Getting started: install the recorder

**Category:** [Session Replay](https://help.totalctrl.app/hc/totalctrl/totalctrl-help-center/en-US/categories/session-replay)
**Updated:** 2026-10-04

## What Session Replay does

Session Replay records real visitor sessions on your website and lets you replay them frame-by-frame with full DOM fidelity — no screenshots. On top of the recordings, an AI layer helps you find and understand problems across *many* sessions, not one at a time.
## Install

- Open **Session Replay → Settings & SDK**.
- Copy the one-line snippet (it contains your site key) and paste it into the `<head>` of your site, on every page you want to record.
- That's it — sessions start appearing under **Sessions** within a minute of real traffic.

The snippet loads asynchronously and never blocks your page. To tie sessions to a known user, call `window.__SR.identify({ id: 'u-123', email: 'user@example.com' })` after login.
## Privacy by default

Password and card inputs are masked automatically. Add `data-sr-mask` to any element to block it from recording, and visitors can opt out via `window.__SR.optOut()`.

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## Related Articles

- [Install the recording SDK](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/install-the-sdk)
- [Restrict recording to your sites with Allowed origins](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/session-replay-allowed-origins)
- [Find and replay a session](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/replay-a-session)
- [Frustration signals: rage clicks, dead clicks, errors & struggle score](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/session-replay-signals)
- [Analytics, heatmaps, and funnels](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/analytics-heatmaps-funnels)

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