These are the habits that make every recording come out right the first time.
Always do a test run:
Turn privacy mode on, browse every screen you plan to show and confirm the data is masked the way you want. Tweak your filters or use Point & Mask if anything slips through, then start recording. Check the second page of long lists and every tab of a detail screen, not just the first view.
Make real changes with the switch off:
Form fields only look masked, and saving keeps your real values. Even so, the easiest habit is to record first, switch off, then make changes, so you can see the real data while you edit.
Nothing in your database is changed:
All masking happens on the way to your browser and in your browser. Your real customer data is always safe, and turning privacy mode off puts every screen back instantly.
Your own name is covered too:
The top admin bar greets you by name. Your name there is hidden as soon as any name filter is on, and Names (any format) is on by default. Usernames covers it as well if your display name is your login name.
Match the style to the video:
- Partial reveal for everyday tutorials: rows stay easy to follow.
- Fake data for polished sales demos: the screen looks like a real, busy site.
- Placeholder when you want viewers to see clearly that data was hidden on purpose.
- Blurred only for low-stakes recordings, because the real text is still in the page.
Brand your masks:
With the Placeholder style, type your own text into a filter's Custom mask box, such as demo@yoursite.com, and it shows up in your videos instead of the default.
Try the Bullet character:
In 🎭 Mask Style, the Mask character list offers Bullet (••••). On camera it looks softer and more finished than asterisks, and it still keeps first letters with Partial reveal.
Leave Smart Detection on:
It's what covers other plugins' screens. If one switch over-reaches on a particular screen, turn off only that switch for that recording, then turn it back on.
Fix a miss once:
If something slips through, Point & Mask it. The rule keeps working on every future recording, and on every screen that shows the item the same way.
Keep long lists paginated:
If a page's code is over 2MB, for example an unpaginated list of thousands of users, the server layer of masking skips it to protect performance. Normal paginated lists are covered. In Screen Options, 20 to 50 items per page is plenty for a video.
Tell your team:
The switch is site-wide. While it's on, everyone in wp-admin sees masked data. A quick message before and after you record saves confusion.
Leave the banner in:
The purple banner and badge show on every screen while masking runs. Rather than cropping them out, many people leave them in, because they tell viewers the data was hidden on purpose.
Switch off when you're done:
You can leave it on, but you'd lose sight of real customer data in your own admin, and so would everyone else. The intended rhythm is switch on, record, switch off.
Great for:
Video tutorials, course lessons, client walkthroughs, team trainings, sales demos, support screenshots, and any time you need to share your wp-admin without oversharing your customers.