Glossary · Friction
What is a dead click?
A dead click is a click on a page element that produces no response: no navigation, no change of state, no visible feedback. It is one of the clearest friction signals to find, because the shopper shows exactly what they expected to happen and exactly where they expected it.
- Reviewed 6 October 2026
In more detail
Dead clicks are common on themed storefronts after an app is removed or a section is customised: a size guide whose script no longer loads, a filter that was styled but never wired up, a swatch that looks interactive and is not.
They are also usually cheap to fix. Most are a missing handler or a broken link rather than a design problem, which makes them a sensible first thing to work through when you want results rather than a project.
Key points
- No response to a click: no navigation, no change of state, no feedback.
- Often caused by removed apps or customised theme sections.
- Usually a cheap fix, which makes it a good place to start.
How Liftable relates
Related terms
Guides that go deeper
- Diagnosis · 6 minSession recording vs heatmaps: which to use whenA heatmap tells you where. A recording tells you why. Using them in the wrong order is how a week of investigation ends in a strong feeling and no conclusion.Read
- Diagnosis · 3 minSession replay explained: what it shows, and when to stop watchingWhat session replay shows, what it structurally cannot show, and why so many teams stop watching soon after they install it. With how to use it well.Read
Last reviewed against the product on 6 October 2026.
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