---
title: "Session Recording Privacy"
description: "Overview"
canonical_url: "https://help.brainfi.sh/articles/session-recording-privacy-R8yCL4Ks37"
md_url: "https://help.brainfi.sh/articles/session-recording-privacy-R8yCL4Ks37.md"
---
# Session Recording Privacy
## Overview
This document describes how Brainfish handles sensitive data during session recording. Our privacy-first approach ensures that personally identifiable information (PII) and sensitive data are automatically redacted before any data leaves the user's browser.
---
## Key Privacy Principles
1. **Client-Side Processing**: All redaction happens in the user's browser before transmission
2. **Automatic Protection**: Sensitive data is redacted by default without requiring configuration
3. **Granular Control**: Multiple methods to customize what gets recorded
4. **Opt-Out First**: Recording can be disabled entirely or for specific environments
---
## Session Recording Privacy
### What Gets Masked
Our session recording system automatically protects sensitive user input through the following mechanisms:
#### 1. Input Masking
All user inputs are masked by default (`maskAllInputs: true`), which means:
* **Text input fields**: Content is replaced with asterisks (`***`)
* **Password fields**: Always masked, regardless of other settings
* **Textareas**: Content is masked to protect sensitive information
* **Select dropdowns**: Selected values are masked
#### 2. DOM Element Exclusion
Specific elements can be completely excluded from recording using CSS classes:
| CSS Class | Purpose | Effect |
|----|----|----|
| `bf-nocapture` | Complete exclusion | Element and its contents are completely removed from recordings and screenshots |
| `bf-ignore-input` | Ignore input changes | Input events are not captured, but the element remains visible |
| `bf-mask` | Text masking | Text content is replaced with placeholder characters |
**Example Usage:**
```html
Credit Card: 4532-1234-5678-9010
John Doe
```
### Recording Console Logs
Console error messages are captured to aid in debugging, but with limitations:
* **Only errors** are recorded (not info, warn, or debug messages)
* No length limitations on captured logs
* Does not capture network requests or responses
---
## Redaction Examples
### Example Session Recording
Example web page that the agent will be recording:
[sample-page.mp4 832x758](https://help.brainfi.sh/api/attachments.redirect?id=1b433eda-632f-48b1-b98a-db89c7d3a51a)
The recorded version after converted to video format:
* Input fields are automatically masked
* Other sensitive elements require DOM Element Exclusion
[session-recording.webm 1280x671](https://help.brainfi.sh/api/attachments.redirect?id=d7599340-4e28-4ad3-a8ea-8a6edebb54a8)
---
## Environment and Domain Controls
### Recording Blocklist
You can prevent recording on specific URL paths using path patterns.
The blocklist uses **URL pathname matching** (not domain matching). Patterns are matched against `window.location.pathname` using the `path-to-regexp` library, which supports:
* Exact paths: `/admin/settings`
* Wildcards: `/admin/*path`
* Named parameters: `/user/:id`
* Optional parameters: `/products/:id?`
When the current page's path matches any pattern in the blocklist, no recording or screenshots are captured.
To add paths to the blocklist:
1. Navigate to the **Agents** screen.
2. Select your agent.
3. Under Ambient Settings, add the URL path using the patterns above.
### Localhost Recording
By default, recording is **disabled on localhost** environments.
---
## How to Opt Out or Customize Recording
### Complete Opt-Out
**Option 1: Path Blocklist**
Add URL path patterns using the blocklist configuration (see *Environment and Domain Controls > Recording Blocklist*).
**Option 2: Disable Screen Recording**
1. Navigate to the **Agents** screen.
2. Select your agent.
3. Under Ambient Settings, toggle off the **Enable observe and learn** setting.
### Selective Opt-Out
#### Exclude Specific Page Sections
Add the `bf-nocapture` class to any element you want to completely exclude:
```html
Sensitive Information
This content will not appear in recordings or screenshots
```
#### Mask Specific Text
Use the `bf-mask` class to replace text with asterisks:
```html
Confidential Data
```
#### Ignore Specific Inputs
Prevent input changes from being recorded while keeping the field visible:
```html
```
---
## Data Retention and Storage
### What Gets Transmitted
Only the following data is sent from the user's browser:
1. **Redacted session recordings**: DOM mutations with all inputs masked
2. **Metadata**: Page URLs, titles, timestamps, and user interaction events (clicks, scrolls)
3. **Console errors**: Error messages only (no sensitive console logs)
### What Never Gets Transmitted
* Original unmasked input values
* Password field contents
* Elements marked with `bf-nocapture`
* Recordings from pages matching blocklist paths
* Network request/response data
---
## Technical Implementation Details
### Session Recording
Built on [rrweb (record and replay the web)](https://www.rrweb.io/), an open-source session recording library with built-in privacy features:
* Records DOM mutations, not pixel data
* Respects privacy CSS classes
* Configurable masking strategies
* Sampling controls to reduce data volume
---
## Compliance Considerations
This system is designed with privacy regulations in mind:
* **Minimal data collection**: Only captures what's necessary for support and debugging
* **Client-side processing**: PII redaction happens in the browser before any transmission
* **User control**: Multiple opt-out mechanisms at different granularities
* **Transparency**: This document provides full disclosure of data handling mechanisms
---