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 Evidora’s Manual Mode was built for.

Manual Mode allows you to explicitly start and stop the Evidora recorder at specific points in the user journey, ensuring that only the most relevant interactions are captured and associated with an e-record.

Why Capture Only Part of a Session?

By default, Evidora 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 Evidora script.

1. Go to the Get Tracking page in the Evidora dashboard
   👉 https://dash.evidora.io/dashboard/certify
2. Open Advanced Options
3. Enable Manual Mode
4. Copy and paste the updated script onto your site

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

Manual Mode API Overview

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

Evidora.startRecorder()
Evidora.stopRecorder()

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

Evidora.startRecorder()

Starts a new recording session.

• Generates a new e-record ID
• Injects that e-record 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 e-record ID

Evidora.stopRecorder()

Stops the active recording session immediately.

• No further user interaction is captured
• The last generated e-record 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

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

Each start/stop pair creates a self-contained evidence record (e-record) ID 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.Evidora && window.Evidora.startRecorder();
}

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

document.getElementById('stop-btn').addEventListener('click', function () {
    window.Evidora && window.Evidora.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 Evidora script is available before calling the API:

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

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

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Align Session Lifecycle With Form Submissions

Each startRecorder() call:

• Generates a new e-record ID
• Injects it into all forms on the page

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

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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 evidence records.

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Multiple Starts = Multiple E-Records

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

• Create multiple e-record IDs
• Replace the active e-record for future form submissions

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

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Understand stopRecorder() Semantics

When you call stopRecorder():

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

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

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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 e-records from one session
• You want tighter control over recorded data

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Final Thoughts

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

By starting and stopping the recorder intentionally, you can:

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

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