Data Protection Issues

Does Microsoft Clarity Mask Sensitive Text on the Client Side?

Emma Brown Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to confirm whether Microsoft Clarity masks sensitive user information locally in the browser before sending the analytics data to its servers.

Does Microsoft Clarity Mask Sensitive Text on the Client Side?

Product: Microsoft Clarity
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Ensuring website compliance and protecting sensitive user data during session recording and analytics tracking.
Observed behavior: Validating that sensitive text is completely obscured on the client side and never reaches Microsoft's tracking servers.

Before you start

Ensure you have administrative access to your Microsoft Clarity project dashboard and access to your website's source code if you need to implement custom masking attributes.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify and Configure Clarity's Client-Side Masking

Microsoft Clarity masks sensitive data directly within the user's browser by default. You can adjust and verify these masking levels in your project settings to ensure compliance.

Clarity performs sensitive-data masking on the client side before any data is sent to Microsoft. This means that sensitive text is replaced with asterisks (*) before it ever leaves the user's device, ensuring that confidential information is never transmitted over the network or stored on Microsoft servers.

Access Masking Settings

Log in to your Microsoft Clarity dashboard, select your website project, and navigate to the 'Settings' tab at the top of the screen.

Select Masking Mode

Click on 'Masking' in the left-hand menu. Here you will see the three available masking modes: Strict, Balanced, and Relaxed.

Choose the Optimal Level

For maximum privacy, select 'Strict' (masks all text). If you need to read general text but want to protect input fields and numbers, select 'Balanced'.

Apply Custom HTML Attributes (Optional)

To force masking on specific elements that are not caught by default, add the attribute data-clarity-mask="true" to the respective HTML tags in your website's source code.

Verify and Configure Clarity's Client-Side Masking

Verification Complete: Once configured, you can test your session recordings to visually confirm that the targeted text elements are successfully masked as asterisks.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the default masking mode in Microsoft Clarity?

By default, Microsoft Clarity applies 'Strict' masking. This mode replaces all text on your website with asterisks (*) before any data leaves the user's browser.

Can I unmask specific elements while using Strict masking?

Yes. You can unmask non-sensitive elements by adding the data-clarity-unmask="true" attribute directly to the HTML tag of the element you want to remain visible.

Does Microsoft Clarity mask numbers automatically?

Yes, if you are using 'Balanced' mode, Clarity automatically masks all numbers, email addresses, and input fields while leaving standard paragraph text readable.

Where exactly does the data masking process occur?

The masking process occurs entirely on the client side, meaning it happens locally within the user's web browser. Unmasked sensitive text is never sent to or stored on Microsoft's servers.

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