Whatfix Mirror FAQs

Whatfix Mirror is an application simulation software that creates an interactive replica of any web application. Mirror provides your learners a safe, controlled environment to practice real workflows without affecting live data.

With Mirror, you capture a sequence of screens and actions from your application using Whatfix Studio. Whatfix creates the captured screens into an interactive simulation that your learners can access through a shared link or a Learning Management System (LMS).

For more information, see What is Whatfix Mirror? and Get Started with Whatfix Mirror.

Whatfix DAP and Whatfix Mirror both support training, but they work in different environments:

• Whatfix DAP: Overlays in-context guidance, such as Flows and Smart Tips, within the live application as end users perform tasks.

• Whatfix Mirror: Provides an isolated simulation of your application where your learners can practice tasks without accessing the live application.

You can also use Whatfix DAP with Mirror to provide in-context guidance within the simulated application. For example, you can add Flows, Smart Tips, and other DAP Guidance to guide learners through a Mirror Workflow.

For more information, see What is Whatfix Mirror? and Types of DAP Guidance on Mirror.

Organizations use Whatfix Mirror for the following training and enablement needs:

• Onboarding at scale: New employees practice real workflows in a production-like simulation, without individual training environments or sandboxes.

• Proficiency validation: Assessments measure whether learners can complete critical tasks independently before they access the live application.

• Lower training costs: Training simulations replace separate training environments and reduce licensing, infrastructure, and maintenance costs.

For more information, see Whatfix Mirror Use Cases.

No. A Mirror is a standalone replica of your application screens, so learner actions in a Mirror simulation never reach the live application. Mirror captures the on-screen content of each page but does not capture or store the underlying business logic of the application.

For more information, see Whatfix Security Overview and Data Privacy and PII Handling in Mirror.

Whatfix Mirror organizes captured screens at two levels:

• Mirror Workflow: A sequence of captured Mirror Screens that represents a single task, such as creating a lead in Salesforce.

• Mirror Simulation: A collection of related Mirror Workflows grouped into one connected training experience, such as onboarding to a CRM application.

For more information, see Understand Workflows and Simulations.

Yes. Whatfix Mirror supports both linear and non-linear navigation through Playground Mode, which controls how your learners navigate between the Mirror Workflows in a Mirror Simulation. By default, Whatfix enables Playground Mode when you add Workflows to a Simulation.

Playground Mode supports two types of navigation:

• Non-linear navigation: With Playground Mode enabled, your learners can move freely between connected Workflows in any order, as they would in the live application. Enable Playground Mode when tasks overlap in the live application. For example, a support agent logging a case in Salesforce might first need to create a contact for the customer. With Playground Mode enabled, the learner can switch from the Create Case Workflow to the Create Contact Workflow and back without restarting the Simulation.

• Linear navigation: With Playground Mode disabled, your learners must complete one Workflow at a time in a fixed sequence. Disable Playground Mode when tasks must follow a set order, such as for compliance training or evaluation.

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Within a single Workflow, you can also give learners more than one path through a task. Capture multiple UI elements on the same screen, or link Mirror Screens manually. For more information, see Manually Link a Mirror Screen.

Note:

• Playground Mode is currently supported only for Cloud deployments.

• You can disable or re-enable Playground Mode only when the Simulation is in the Draft or Ready stage.

For more information, see Understand Playground Mode, Disable Playground Mode, and Re-enable Playground Mode.

Whatfix Mirror supports the following deployment options:

• Cloud Deployment: Mirror runs on Whatfix cloud infrastructure, so your organization has no servers to manage.

• On-Premise Deployment: Mirror runs entirely within your organization's infrastructure, so no Mirror data leaves your environment.

Note:

The Whatfix Mirror Dashboard, Playground Mode, and Assessments are currently unavailable for on-premise deployments.

For more information, see Mirror On-Premise Deployment.

Creating a Mirror requires the following:

• Whatfix Studio: Capture Mirror Screens using the Whatfix Studio extension on Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge (Chromium). For more information, see How to install Whatfix Studio?

• Dashboard access: Only users with the Account Manager or Content Manager role can access the Whatfix Mirror Dashboard. For more information, see Overview of the Whatfix Mirror Dashboard and Understand Teammates.

• Smart Context: Configure Smart Context on your application before you capture screens, so Whatfix can link Mirror Workflows within a Simulation. For more information, see  Check if Smart Context is configured for your application.

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

For more information, see Create a Mirror Workflow and Browser Compatibility.

No. To create a Mirror, capture the workflow in your application with the Whatfix Studio browser extension, and then publish the Mirror on the Whatfix Mirror Dashboard. On Cloud deployments, Mirror replaces separate training environments, so there is no training infrastructure to provision or maintain.

The following setup tasks involve other teams:

• Smart Context: For custom applications, contact support@whatfix.com to configure Smart Context before you capture screens.

• Learner authentication: To restrict access with Single Sign-on (SSO), an Account Manager configures it with your Identity Provider (IdP) administrator.

• Feature enablement: SCORM export and Beta features require enablement by Whatfix support or your Customer Success Manager.

For more information, see Check if Smart Context is configured for your application and Set up End-User Authentication.

Whatfix Studio captures your application as you perform a Workflow in it. Each time you select a UI element, Mirror captures the screen as a Mirror Screen and links it to the previous screen in sequence. For example, if you click New on a list page and then Save on a form, Mirror captures both screens and links them in that order.

Mirror captures the Document Object Model (DOM) of each screen along with its styles and assets, so each Mirror Screen visually and functionally recreates the live screen. When learners access the Workflow, Whatfix highlights the element they need to interact with at each screen.

By default, a Workflow follows one path, in the order you captured the screens. To give learners more than one path, capture multiple UI elements on the same screen or link Mirror Screens manually. Within a Simulation, Playground Mode also enables your learners to move between related Workflows through common elements.

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

When you capture a screen, Mirror captures the Document Object Model (DOM) of the webpage. Whatfix also stores the styles and assets needed to render the screen, such as fonts, images, and icons. Mirror does not capture or store the underlying business logic of the application.

Whatfix encrypts captured content at rest. Whatfix security policies and role-based access controls govern access to stored data.

For more information, see Whatfix Security Overview and Data Privacy and PII Handling in Mirror.

Mirror captures all content visible on the screen, which might include personal or confidential information. Use the following controls to remove sensitive information before you share a Mirror:

• Edit text: Replace or remove information such as names, email addresses, or account IDs. For more information, see Edit Text on a Mirror Screen.

• Blur images: Blur images that contain sensitive information and adjust the blur intensity based on your requirements. For more information, see Blur an Image on a Mirror Screen.

• Replace images: Replace an image entirely to remove personal or restricted content. For more information, see Replace an Image on a Mirror Screen.

• Smart Edits: Review AI-powered suggestions that flag potential PII, such as email addresses, phone numbers, and financial data. For more information, see Smart Edits in Mirror.

Note:

• When you edit text or images on a Mirror Screen, the edit changes only how the screen appears to learners. Your live application and its data remain unchanged.

• To prevent Whatfix from storing sensitive content such as Personally Identifiable Information (PII), edit the screen before you capture it. Whatfix then removes the original value in your browser and never stores it.

• Smart Edits is Beta features available only for Cloud deployments. To enable this feature, contact your Customer Success Manager.

For more information, see Data Privacy and PII Handling in Mirror.

The Whatfix Mirror Dashboard is a centralized workspace to manage, preview, publish, and share Mirror content. Only users with Account Manager or Content Manager roles can access the Mirror Dashboard.

Use the following steps to access the Whatfix Mirror Dashboard:

1. On the Whatfix Guidance Dashboard, click the Product line switcher icon.

   

2. From the dropdown, click Whatfix Mirror.

   

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To switch back to the Whatfix Guidance Dashboard or the Product Analytics Dashboard, use the Product line switcher icon on the Whatfix Mirror Dashboard.

For more information, see Access and Manage the Mirror Dashboard.

Mirror Workflows and Simulations move through three lifecycle stages on the Whatfix Mirror Dashboard:

• Draft:  Edit and rename newly captured Workflows, and organize them into Simulations before you share them for review.

• Ready: Share Workflows and Simulations with reviewers and partners before you publish them.

• Production: Share published Workflows and Simulations with learners and track their activity in Mirror Analytics.

Note:

• You can share Workflows and Simulations only from the Ready and Production stages. For more information, see Share Whatfix Mirror.

• Only Workflows in the Draft stage appear in Whatfix Studio.

For more information, see Understand Workflows and Simulations and Publish Whatfix Mirror.

Preview a Mirror to see it as your learners will. Whatfix opens the preview in a new browser tab, where you can click through each Mirror Screen and check that interactive elements respond as expected. You can preview the following:

• Mirror Workflow: Confirm that the Workflow starts on the correct landing screen, that Mirror Screens follow the same sequence as your application, and that no PII appears. You can preview a Workflow from Whatfix Studio or the Whatfix Mirror Dashboard.

• Mirror Simulation: Confirm that Workflows connect as intended and that navigation matches the Playground Mode setting. When Playground Mode is disabled, preview each Workflow in the Simulation separately.

• Assessment: Confirm that DAP Guidance does not appear and that the Task List tracks the required Workflows. You can preview an Assessment only in the Ready and Production stages.

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To get feedback before you publish, share the Workflow or Simulation with reviewers from the Ready stage. Mirror Analytics does not record activity in the Draft and Ready stages, so test sessions do not appear in your learner data.

For more information, see Preview a Mirror Workflow, Preview a Mirror Simulation, and Preview an Assessment.

Yes. In the Production stage, click Edit in Draft to create a new version of the Mirror Workflow in the Draft stage. Learners continue to see the published version while you edit the new version.

To stop learners from accessing a published Workflow or Simulation, click Unpublish to move it back to the Draft stage.

For more information, see Access and Manage the Mirror Dashboard.

No. Mirror does not update Workflows or Simulations automatically when the UI or workflow of your application changes. You must recapture the affected Mirror Screens to refresh their content while keeping their place and links in the Workflow.

To cover a new step in your application, capture a new Mirror Screen and add it to the Workflow. If the Workflow has an auto-created Flow, Whatfix updates the Flow to match the Workflow. For more information, see Auto Flow Creation.

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After you recapture a screen, verify the screen links before you publish or share the Workflow.

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

Yes. Whatfix enables you to create DAP Guidance on a Mirror to guide learners through simulated workflows. This includes the following DAP guidance:

• Flows

• Pop-ups

• Smart Tips

• Beacons

• Launchers

• Blockers

• Cues

• Surveys

• Task Lists

• Self Help

By default, DAP Guidance you configure for your base application also appears on Mirrors captured from that application. To restrict where it appears, set the Visible on visibility rule to App or Mirror.

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When you capture a Mirror Workflow using Auto Flow Creation, Whatfix creates a matching Flow and keeps it in sync as the Workflow changes. For more information, see Auto Flow Creation.

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

Yes. Multi-Language Support enables you to create Language Variants of a Mirror Workflow for different languages and regions. Whatfix Studio re-captures each Mirror Screen in the target language instead of translating existing content, so the Workflow structure stays the same.

Multi-Language Support applies to Workflows, Workflows within a Simulation, and Assessments. When you share a Workflow, select the required Language Variant your learners need.

Note:

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

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

Yes. Add an Assessment to a Mirror Simulation to evaluate how well learners complete tasks without any assistance. Assessments remove all DAP Guidance from the Simulation, and a Task List tracks the Workflows each learner must complete.

Set a Pass criteria to define how many Workflows learners must complete to pass. Mirror tracks attempts, passes, failures, and completion rates in Assessment Analytics.

Note:

Assessments apply only to Simulations, not to individual Workflows.

For more information, see What is Assessment Mode? and Create an Assessment.

Yes. Customisations in Mirror enable you to control when learners receive assistance and how it appears:

• Mirror Nudges: Highlight the target element in Workflows and Simulations after a set number of incorrect clicks. For more informaton, see Customize Mirror Nudges.

• Assessment Hints: Display a Hint message in Assessments after a set number of incorrect attempts, without enabling DAP Guidance. For more informaton, see Configure Hints for Assessments.

Customisation settings are account-level settings. They apply to all Mirror content in your account, including SCORM deployments and all Language Variants.

Note:

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

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

Whatfix Mirror supports the following ways to share Workflows and Simulations with learners:

• Shareable link: Copy the link of a Workflow or Simulation from the Whatfix Mirror Dashboard, and then share it by email or any messaging application. For more information, see Share Whatfix Mirror.

• LMS integration: Export Workflows and Assessments as SCORM packages, and then upload them to your LMS. For more information, see Export a Mirror Workflow as a SCORM Package and Export a Assessment as a SCORM Package.

Note:

You can only share Mirrors from the Whatfix Mirror Dashboard.

No. Whatfix Mirrors function independently of the Whatfix DAP, so learners do not need to install or embed Whatfix to interact with a Mirror.

However, a Mirror that contains DAP Guidance requires Whatfix. Publish that DAP Guidance from the Whatfix Guidance Dashboard so that learners see it on the Mirror.

For more information, see Share Whatfix Mirror and Create DAP Guidance on Mirror.

Access to a shared Mirror depends on the end-user authentication you configure:

• Single Sign-On (SSO): Learners managed in your Identity Provider (IdP) sign in with their organizational credentials. For more information, see Set up End-User Authentication and Set up Single Sign On.

• Email-Based Authentication: Learners from approved email domains verify their email address with a one-time password (OTP). For more information, see Set Up Email-Based Authentication.

• No authentication: The URL of the Mirror is publicly accessible, and anyone with the link can access it.

When you enable both Single Sign-on (SSO) and Email-Based Authentication, learners can authenticate through either method. Email-Based Authentication suits external learners, such as partners, who are not in your IdP.

Note:

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

Yes. Whatfix Mirror integrates with SCORM-compliant Learning Management Systems (LMS). Export a Mirror Workflow or an Assessment as a SCORM package, and then upload the downloaded .zip file to your LMS as a course.

Note:

• To enable SCORM export, contact support@whatfix.com.

• You can only export Mirror content that is in the Production stage.

• DAP Guidance appears in the SCORM export only when both the Mirror Workflow and its DAP Guidance are in the Production stage.

For more information, see Export a Mirror Workflow as a SCORM Package and Export an Assessment as a SCORM Package.

The Whatfix Mirror Dashboard includes built-in analytics to track learner engagement and performance:

• Workflow Analytics: Tracks engagement data for unique users, Workflow usage, completion rates, and abandoned Workflows. For more information, see Workflow Analytics.

• Assessment Analytics: Tracks how many learners attempt, pass, or fail each Assessment. For more information, see Assessment Analytics.

• Product Analytics for Mirror: Create Trend Insights and Funnel Insights from Mirror events. For more information, see Trend Insights in Mirror.

Note:

• Mirror Analytics captures data only for Mirrors you publish and share in the Production stage, and it does not record activity in the Ready stage.

• Whatfix identifies learners using browser cookies by default, or using the configured User ID when Single Sign-on (SSO) is configured. For more information, see Set up End-User Authentication and Set up Single Sign On.