Whatfix Mirror Best Practices

Before you capture a Workflow, outline the task step by step as learners perform it in the live application. Include every screen and action in sequence so the Mirror reflects the complete user journey.

List the alternate routes, validation messages, and error states that learners must practice. Whatfix creates Mirror Links only for the elements you interact with during capture, so a path you skip remains unlinked for your learners.

Example: Before you capture a lead creation Workflow in your CRM, list both a successful save and the error for a missing required field. Learners can then practice both outcomes in the same Mirror.

For more information, see Create a Mirror Workflow and Understand Playground Mode.

Whatfix uses Smart Context to identify and link Workflows within a Simulation when Playground Mode is enabled. Confirm that Smart Context is configured for your application before you capture, so linking works from the first screen.

Whatfix generates Page Tags automatically for out-of-the-box applications, such as Salesforce or SuccessFactors. For custom applications, contact support@whatfix.com to configure Smart Context.

Example: Before you capture Workflows for a custom procurement application, run _wfx_show_sc_config(); in the browser console on the first page. If the page shows no colored boxes, contact support@whatfix.com before you start capturing.

For more information, see Check if Smart Context is configured for your application and Understand Playground Mode.

Note:

Playground Mode is supported only for Cloud deployments.

A Workflow trains one task, while a Simulation groups related Workflows into one experience. Decide how learners move between Workflows before you capture, because Playground Mode links only the elements you interact with.

Playground Mode enabled

Keep Playground Mode enabled when tasks overlap in real work and learners benefit from exploring connected Workflows in any order. Whatfix enables Playground Mode by default when you add Workflows to a Simulation.

Example: In a Salesforce Simulation, learners create a contact while logging a case, moving between both Workflows without restarting.

Playground Mode disabled

Disable Playground Mode when learners must complete tasks in a defined order, such as compliance or step-by-step training. Each Workflow then runs independently. You can disable Playground Mode only in the Draft and Ready stages.

Example: In a Salesforce Simulation, disable Playground Mode so learners create an account before they log a case against it.

For more information, see Understand Workflows and Simulations, Understand Playground Mode, and Disable Playground Mode.

Note:

• Multi-Language Support in Mirror is a Beta feature, available only for Cloud deployments. To enable this feature, contact support@whatfix.com.

• You can create localized versions only for supported languages. For more information, see Languages supported by Whatfix.

Mirror captures the language your application displays at the time of capture. Changing the application language later does not update an existing Mirror.

The language of the original capture becomes the default Language Variant. To train learners in another language, add a Language Variant, and Whatfix Studio re-captures each Mirror Screen in that language.

Example: To train learners in the US and France, capture the Workflow with the application set to English. Then set the application to French before you add a French Language Variant.

For more information, see Multi-Language Support in Mirror and Create Language Variants in Mirror.

Note:

• The Enhanced Screen Editing Experience is a Beta feature for Cloud deployments. To enable this feature, contact your Customer Success Manager.

• Edits are permanent, so you cannot restore the original text or image after you apply an edit.

• You can blur or replace only JPG or PNG images.

• Mirror does not blur background images.

Whatfix Mirror captures everything visible on the screen, including Personally Identifiable Information (PII) such as names, email addresses, or account numbers. Edit text, blur images, or replace images before you capture a Mirror Screen.

When you edit content before capture, Whatfix removes the original content before it leaves your browser. When you edit after capture, learners see the edit, but Whatfix still stores the original captured content.

Blur an image to obscure part of it. Replace an image when blurring cannot fully hide the content, such as a confidential chart. To redact a value that repeats, choose Apply to all screens in this workflow.

Example: Before you capture a customer record screen, replace the customer's email address with user@example.com and apply the edit to all screens in the Workflow. Whatfix also applies the edit to screens you add to the Workflow later.

Tip:

Use the Search icon to find a repeated value, such as a customer name, and replace it on the whole screen in one edit.

For more information, see Data Privacy and PII Handling in Mirror, Edit Text on a Mirror Screen, Blur an Image on a Mirror Screen, and Replace an Image on a Mirror Screen.

Note:

You can edit text on a Mirror Screen only when the Workflow is in the Draft stage.

Edit UI labels, placeholders, or on-screen instructions so screens match the terminology of your training. Choose whether each edit applies to one instance, the current screen, or every screen in the Workflow.

Example: If your application renamed the Accounts tab to Customers after capture, edit the tab label and apply it to all screens in the Workflow. Learners then see the current name on every screen.

For more information, see Edit Text on a Mirror Screen.

Whatfix creates a Mirror Link for each element you select during capture, and Playground Mode does not link elements you skip. Select each element learners must click, including every option on screens where a task has more than one path.

To offer more than one path from the same screen, capture each element. You can also link screens manually later, while the Workflow is in the Draft stage.

Example: If learners can save a record from the toolbar or from the footer, capture both buttons. Learners who choose either path then reach the next screen instead of a dead end.

For more information, see Create a Mirror Workflow and Manually Link a Mirror Screen.

Note:

Auto Flow Creation works only for Cloud deployments and does not support branching in a Flow.

When you start mirroring, Whatfix selects the Create guidance flow for the Workflow checkbox by default. Keep it selected to create a Flow that follows your captured screens, with an AI-generated description for each step.

Whatfix keeps the auto-created Flow in sync with the Workflow. It updates the Flow when you add, delete, or recapture screens, and it moves the Flow across stages with the Workflow.

Example: Capture an expense reimbursement Workflow with the checkbox selected. Whatfix creates a matching Flow in the Draft stage of the Whatfix Guidance Dashboard for you to review.

For more information, see Auto Flow Creation and Auto Create a Flow.

Click the Pause icon when an unintended action or an unrelated dialog box appears during capture, such as a wrong menu or an advertisement. Go to the correct step, and then click the Play icon to resume.

Pausing keeps unwanted screens out of the Workflow, so you do not need to discard a long capture and start over.

Example: While you capture an onboarding Workflow, a cookie consent banner appears. Pause the capture, close the banner, and then resume from the correct step.

For more information, see Pause and Resume a Mirror Capture.

Press Shift + C to capture a screen in Mirror instead of relying only on element clicks or the Done icon in Whatfix Studio. The shortcut speeds up Workflow creation.

Example: When you capture a long approval Workflow, press Shift + C at each screen to move through the capture faster.

Preview captured Mirror Screens to confirm that interactive elements respond as expected. Check that expanded states, such as dropdown menus, show every option learners need.

Preview each Simulation to confirm that navigation between Workflows matches your Playground Mode setting. When Playground Mode is enabled, preview from your starting Workflow. When it is disabled, preview each Workflow separately.

Example: Before you publish a Simulation for new hires, preview it from the lead creation Workflow. Confirm that learners can reach the opportunity creation Workflow through its Mirror Links.

For more information, see Preview a Mirror Screen and Preview a Mirror Simulation.

Note:

Smart Edits is a Beta feature, available only for Cloud deployments. To enable this feature, contact support@whatfix.com.

Smart Edits scans captured Mirror Screens and outlines elements that might contain Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in yellow, with suggested text and image edits. Review each suggestion before you share the Workflow, and apply only the ones you need.

Smart Edits detects a defined set of PII categories, so it can miss sensitive content outside those categories. Check every screen yourself, including charts, profile pictures, or free-text fields.

Example: After you capture a support ticket Workflow, Smart Edits flags a customer phone number on three screens. Apply the suggestion, and then check the ticket notes field for an account number that Smart Edits did not flag.

For more information, see Smart Edits in Mirror and Apply Smart Edit Suggestions in Mirror.

Note:

Recapture captures only the visible page and does not include the associated UI element. You must manually link the associated UI element to the Mirror Screen. For more information, see Manually link a Mirror Screen.

Mirror does not update Workflows or Simulations when your application's UI changes. When a screen changes, recapture it to refresh its content while it keeps its place in the Workflow.

When the application adds a new step, add a new screen at that point instead. After you recapture a screen, link the element again, and then verify the linked screens before you publish or share the Workflow.

Example: After a release moves the Submit button on an approval form, recapture that screen. Then select the new Submit button and link it to the confirmation screen.

For more information, see Recapture a Mirror Screen and Add a Mirror Screen to a Mirror Workflow.

Note:

Duplicating a Simulation that includes an Assessment creates a copy without the Assessment.

To change a Workflow in the Production stage, click Edit in Draft. Whatfix creates a new Draft version for you to update, while learners continue to see the published version.

To test larger changes or build a version for another team, duplicate the Workflow or Simulation in the Draft or Ready stage.

Example: A field label changes in your application after your onboarding Workflow goes live. Click Edit in Draft, update the label, preview the Draft version, and then publish it.

For more information, see Access and Manage the Mirror Dashboard and Duplicate a Mirror Workflow or Simulation.

An auto-created Flow stays synchronized with its Mirror Workflow unless you break the sync by editing the Flow's steps using Launch live edit or by moving the Flow independently to another stage.

Once the sync breaks, changes to the Mirror Workflow and stage movements no longer apply to the Flow. To keep an auto-created Flow synchronized, make changes to the Mirror Workflow rather than editing the Flow directly.

Example: To add a step to a live training Flow, add the new screen to the Workflow instead of editing the Flow. Whatfix inserts the matching Flow step at the same position.

For more information, see Auto Flow Creation.

By default, DAP Guidance you configure on your base application URL also appears on Mirrors captured from that application. Add a Visible on condition to the visibility rules to show the guidance only on the application or only on Mirror.

Configure guidance once on the base application URL instead of maintaining separate versions for Mirror. One version keeps guidance consistent between the live application and training.

Example: Set a compliance reminder to App so experienced users see it only in the live application. Set detailed step guidance for new hires to Mirror so it appears only during training.

For more information, see Configure Where DAP Guidance Appears and Create DAP Guidance on Mirror.

DAP Guidance and Workflows have no stage dependency while you build and preview them. To show guidance to learners on a Workflow in the Production stage, publish the guidance to Production as well.

Auto-created Flows update their source URL as the Workflow moves across stages. For any other Flow that uses a Mirror URL as its source URL, use the Mirror URL from the same stage as the Flow.

Example: Your Flow is in the Ready stage, but its source URL points to the Production Mirror URL, so the preview fails to load. Replace the source URL with the Ready stage Mirror URL.

For more information, see Push Whatfix Content and Widgets to Production and Stage mismatch error.

Add a Task List to your Mirror to give learners a set of tasks to complete, such as the Workflows in an onboarding program. Learners track their own progress, and each task can launch a Flow that guides them.

Set the Task List visibility rules on your base application URL so the Task List appears on the matching Mirror Screens. Publish the Task List and the Mirror Workflow to Production before you share them.

Example: Create a first-week onboarding Task List with three tasks: create a lead, convert it to an opportunity, and log a call. Attach a Flow to each task so learners get guidance when they need it.

For more information, see Create a Task List on Mirror and Task List in Mirror.

Share Workflows and Simulations from the Ready stage for internal review. Share them from the Production stage when they are ready for learners.

Mirror records analytics only for content shared from the Production stage. Each stage has its own URL, and you share every link from the Whatfix Mirror Dashboard because Whatfix Studio does not share Mirrors.

Example: Send the Ready stage link with your teams for internal review to validate a new Mirror simulation. After you publish it, send the Production stage link to learners so their completions appear in Mirror Analytics.

For more information, see Publish Whatfix Mirror and Share Whatfix Mirror.

Note:

• Only an Account Manager can enable end-user authentication, which requires Single Sign-on (SSO) for the Whatfix Dashboard.

• Email-Based Authentication is a Beta feature for Cloud deployments. To enable this feature, contact your Customer Success Manager.

When no authentication is configured, anyone with a Mirror link can open the Mirror. Configure authentication before you move Workflows to the Ready stage, where shareable links first become available.

Use Single Sign-on (SSO) for learners managed in your Identity Provider (IdP). Use Email-Based Authentication for external learners, such as partners or contractors. You can enable both methods on the same account.

Example: To share a product training Simulation with a reseller, approve the reseller's email domain. Learners from that domain then sign in with a one-time password instead of an SSO account.

For more information, see Set up End-User Authentication, Set Up Email-Based Authentication, and Manage Approved Domains.

Note:

Customisations in Mirror is a Beta feature, available only for Cloud deployments. To enable this feature, contact support@whatfix.com.

A Mirror Nudge highlights the target element after learners click the wrong place. Set the number of incorrect attempts before the Nudge appears, so learners attempt each step independently first.

Choose a Nudge color that contrasts with your captured screens. Use the Hollow style on dense screens and the Glass Panel style on sparse screens. Nudge settings apply to every Workflow and Simulation in your account.

Example: Set Number of attempts to 2 for your onboarding Workflows. Learners who click the wrong element once try again before the Nudge highlights the correct element.

Tip:

For Assessments, configure Hints to help learners who get stuck without enabling DAP Guidance.

For more information, see Customize the Learner Experience in Mirror and Customize Mirror Nudges.

Note:

Mirror records analytics only for Workflows you publish and share from the Production stage.

Use Workflow Analytics on the Whatfix Mirror Dashboard to track Unique users, completion rates, or abandoned Workflows.

Whatfix generates a Funnel Insight for each Workflow you create. Review the Biggest Drop and Slowest Step metrics to find where learners struggle. Then refine those screens or add guidance at that step.

Example: A Funnel Insight for a lead creation Workflow shows the biggest drop after the Add Details screen. Add a Smart Tip to the required fields on that screen, and then compare the drop-off the following month.

For more information, see Workflow Analytics, Create a Funnel Insight for Mirror, and Understand Funnel Insights.

Note:

You can create an Assessment only for a Simulation in the Draft or Ready stage.

Add an Assessment to a Simulation to check whether learners complete tasks without help. Assessments hide Guidance content, such as Smart Tips or Flows. Mirror tracks each learner's attempts, results, and completion rate.

Set a Pass criteria that matches your certification or compliance requirement. Preview the Assessment before you share it.

Example: At the end of onboarding, add an Assessment to the training Simulation. Require learners to complete four of five Workflows to pass.

For more information, see What is Assessment Mode? and Best Practices for Assessments.