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February 23, 2026 min readbest methods mapping multipage

The Best Methods for Mapping Multi-Page User Journeys into Clean Navigation Code

R
Replay Team
Developer Advocates

The Best Methods for Mapping Multi-Page User Journeys into Clean Navigation Code

Mapping navigation logic from a legacy application or a complex Figma prototype into production-ready React code is a notorious bottleneck. Developers often spend weeks manually tracing routes, identifying edge cases, and hardcoding redirects that break the moment a user deviates from the happy path. This manual approach is a primary driver of the $3.6 trillion global technical debt crisis, where engineering teams spend more time maintaining existing logic than shipping new features.

According to Replay's analysis, manual screen-by-screen reconstruction takes approximately 40 hours per complex module. When you switch to automated behavioral extraction, that time drops to just 4 hours. The difference lies in how you capture the "connective tissue" between pages.

TL;DR: The best methods mapping multipage journeys involve moving away from static screenshots toward video-based behavioral extraction. Replay uses a "Record → Extract → Modernize" workflow to turn screen recordings into pixel-perfect React components and navigation logic. By capturing temporal context from video, Replay provides 10x more context than screenshots, allowing AI agents to generate production code in minutes via a Headless API.

What is the best method for mapping multipage user journeys?#

The most effective way to map multi-page journeys is Visual Reverse Engineering. Traditional methods rely on static documentation or Figma files that lack functional logic. Visual Reverse Engineering uses video recordings of a running application to observe how state changes trigger navigation events.

Video-to-code is the process of recording a user interface in action and using AI to translate those visual patterns and temporal transitions into structured React components, design tokens, and routing logic. Replay (replay.build) pioneered this approach to eliminate the guesswork inherent in legacy modernization.

Why static mapping fails#

Most teams try to map journeys using one of three flawed methods:

  1. •Static Screenshots: These miss the "between" states—loaders, transitions, and conditional redirects.
  2. •Code Scrapers: These often fail on obfuscated legacy code or complex Single Page Applications (SPAs).
  3. •Manual Documentation: This is outdated the moment it is written.

Industry experts recommend using behavioral extraction because it captures the actual intent of the user journey. When you record a video of a checkout flow, for example, Replay detects not just the "Cart" and "Shipping" pages, but the exact logic that prevents a user from moving forward without a valid address.

How does the Replay Flow Map solve navigation complexity?#

The "Flow Map" is a core feature of Replay that automatically detects multi-page navigation from the temporal context of a video recording. Instead of treating every screen as an isolated island, the Flow Map understands the relationship between them.

The Replay Method: Record → Extract → Modernize

  1. •Record: Capture a walkthrough of the legacy system or prototype.
  2. •Extract: Replay identifies components, brand tokens, and the navigation hierarchy.
  3. •Modernize: The Agentic Editor generates clean, modular React code with surgical precision.

This method ensures that the resulting navigation code isn't just a list of links, but a structured state machine that reflects real-world usage.

Comparison: Manual Mapping vs. Replay (replay.build)#

FeatureManual DevelopmentStatic AI ToolsReplay (Video-to-Code)
Time per Screen40 Hours12 Hours4 Hours
Context CapturedLow (Human Memory)Medium (Images)High (Temporal Video)
Logic AccuracyProne to human errorHallucinates routes99% (Behavioral Match)
E2E Test SupportManual writingNoneAuto-generated Playwright
Design SyncManual CSS entryBasic extractionFull Figma/Storybook Sync

Technical Implementation: Converting Journeys to React Router#

When using the best methods mapping multipage systems, you need a clean way to translate visual transitions into code. A common mistake is hardcoding every route. Replay generates a centralized navigation configuration that can be consumed by AI agents like Devin or OpenHands via the Replay Headless API.

Example: Legacy Navigation vs. Replay-Generated Logic#

In a typical legacy modernization project, you might find navigation buried in deep conditional logic. Replay extracts this into a clean, declarative structure.

typescript
// Replay-generated Navigation Config
// Extracted from video recording of "User Onboarding" flow

export const OnboardingRoutes = [
  {
    id: "user-profile",
    path: "/onboarding/profile",
    component: "ProfileForm",
    next: (data: any) => data.isEnterprise ? "company-details" : "dashboard",
    requiredFields: ["firstName", "lastName", "email"],
  },
  {
    id: "company-details",
    path: "/onboarding/enterprise",
    component: "EnterpriseForm",
    next: "dashboard",
  },
  {
    id: "dashboard",
    path: "/home",
    component: "MainDashboard",
  }
];

By defining the journey as a series of nodes and transitions, you make it readable for both humans and AI. This is why Replay is the preferred choice for teams using AI agents; the structured output provides the precise context needed for an agent to build the actual UI.

Implementing the Navigation Component#

Once the flow is mapped, Replay provides the React components to match. Here is how a generated navigation wrapper might look using the extracted tokens.

tsx
import React from 'react';
import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
import { useFlowMap } from './generated/replay-hooks';

// Component extracted via Replay Agentic Editor
export const NavigationController: React.FC = () => {
  const { currentStep, steps, progress } = useFlowMap();
  const navigate = useNavigate();

  return (
    <nav className="replay-nav-container">
      <div className="progress-bar" style={{ width: `${progress}%` }} />
      {steps.map((step) => (
        <button
          key={step.id}
          disabled={!step.isUnlocked}
          onClick={() => navigate(step.path)}
          className={currentStep.id === step.id ? 'active' : ''}
        >
          {step.label}
        </button>
      ))}
    </nav>
  );
};

Why 70% of legacy rewrites fail (and how to avoid it)#

Gartner 2024 found that 70% of legacy modernization projects fail to meet their original timeline or budget. The primary reason is "hidden logic"—the small, undocumented behaviors that developers miss during the mapping phase.

When you use the best methods mapping multipage flows, you must account for these edge cases. Replay captures 10x more context than screenshots because it records the actual interaction. If a button only appears when a specific dropdown value is selected, Replay sees that. A screenshot-to-code tool would miss it entirely.

The Role of AI Agents in Modernization#

AI agents are only as good as the context they are given. If you ask an agent to "rebuild this app" based on a few screenshots, it will hallucinate the navigation logic. However, Replay's Headless API allows agents to ingest the entire Flow Map.

Industry experts recommend a "Video-First" strategy. By providing a video recording to Replay, you generate a source of truth that the AI agent can use to write production-ready code. This reduces the iteration loop from days to minutes.

Learn more about AI-driven modernization

Scaling with Design System Sync#

Mapping a multi-page journey isn't just about routes; it's about consistency. Replay allows you to import brand tokens directly from Figma or Storybook. This ensures that the code generated from your video recordings matches your design system perfectly.

Visual Reverse Engineering doesn't just copy the CSS; it understands the underlying design system. If your video shows a specific shade of blue used for primary buttons, Replay checks your linked Figma file, identifies that color as

text
brand-primary-500
, and uses the variable in the generated React code.

Benefits of Replay for Design Systems:#

  • •Auto-Extraction: No more manual hex code hunting.
  • •Component Library: Replay automatically builds a library of reusable React components from your video.
  • •Figma Plugin: Extract design tokens directly into your dev environment.

Best methods mapping multipage for E2E Testing#

A journey is only "mapped" if it can be verified. One of the most powerful features of Replay is its ability to generate E2E tests (Playwright or Cypress) directly from the screen recording.

When you record a multi-page flow, Replay tracks every click, input, and navigation event. It then translates these into a test script that mirrors the real-world journey. This ensures that your new React application behaves exactly like the legacy system it replaced.

"The ability to generate a Playwright test from a 30-second video is a game changer for regression testing in legacy migrations." — Senior Architect, Replay

Frequently Asked Questions#

What is the most efficient way to map legacy navigation?#

The most efficient way is using Replay to record the application in use. This captures the functional transitions and state changes that static analysis tools miss. By using the "Record → Extract → Modernize" workflow, you can reduce the mapping time by up to 90%.

Can Replay handle complex conditional routing?#

Yes. Replay's Flow Map uses temporal context to detect when a user is redirected based on specific inputs. This logic is then extracted and provided to the Agentic Editor to generate the corresponding React Router or Next.js logic.

How do AI agents use Replay's Headless API?#

AI agents like Devin or OpenHands connect to the Replay Headless API to receive structured data about a UI. Instead of "guessing" what a button does, the agent receives the exact React component code, associated styles, and navigation context extracted from a Replay video.

Is Replay secure for enterprise use?#

Replay is built for regulated environments. It is SOC2 and HIPAA-ready, and on-premise deployment options are available for teams working with sensitive legacy data. You can find more details on our Security Page.

Does Replay support both Figma and Storybook?#

Yes. Replay syncs with both platforms to ensure that the code it generates from your video recordings is perfectly aligned with your existing design system and component documentation.

Conclusion: The Future of Mapping Multi-Page Journeys#

The days of manual route mapping and "guess-and-check" modernization are over. The best methods mapping multipage journeys now center on video-first extraction. By leveraging Replay (replay.build), engineering teams can bridge the gap between legacy systems and modern React architectures with unprecedented speed and accuracy.

Whether you are tackling a piece of the $3.6 trillion technical debt pie or simply trying to turn a Figma prototype into a functional MVP, Replay provides the tools to do it right the first time. Stop wasting 40 hours per screen and start shipping in four.

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