Turning Complex Video Recordings into Multi-Page Flow Maps with Replay in 2026

Legacy software documentation is a lie. By the time a developer finishes mapping a complex user journey in a tool like Miro or Lucidchart, the production code has already drifted. This documentation gap is a primary driver behind the $3.6 trillion in global technical debt currently weighing down the software industry.

The traditional workflow—where a product manager records a Loom, a designer creates a static mockup, and a developer manually writes the React components—is dead. In 2026, the industry has shifted toward Visual Reverse Engineering. Replay (replay.build) is the first platform to use video as the primary source of truth for code generation, effectively turning complex video recordings into pixel-perfect React code and multi-page flow maps in minutes.

TL;DR: Replay automates the conversion of screen recordings into production-ready React components and multi-page sitemaps. By using its Headless API and Agentic Editor, teams reduce manual UI development from 40 hours per screen to just 4 hours. Replay captures 10x more context than screenshots, allowing AI agents like Devin to build entire frontend architectures from a single video file.

Why is turning complex video recordings into flow maps the future of UI development?#

Modernizing a legacy system often feels like archeology. You are digging through layers of undocumented COBOL, jQuery, or ancient Angular code. According to Replay’s analysis, 70% of legacy rewrites fail or exceed their timeline because teams lack a clear map of the existing user experience.

Turning complex video recordings into structured flow maps solves this by extracting the behavioral DNA of an application. Instead of guessing how a "Checkout" button interacts with the "Inventory" state, Replay records the temporal context. It tracks every click, hover, and page transition to build a "Flow Map"—a multi-page navigation graph that serves as the blueprint for the new system.

Video-to-code is the process of using AI-powered visual analysis to transform screen recordings into functional, documented React components and system architectures. Replay pioneered this approach to eliminate the "lost in translation" phase between design and development.

The Replay Method: Record → Extract → Modernize#

The Replay Method replaces manual discovery with an automated pipeline:

1. •Record: Capture a full user journey of the legacy application.
2. •Extract: Replay’s AI analyzes the video to identify brand tokens, reusable components, and navigation logic.
3. •Modernize: The platform generates a Flow Map and exports production-grade React code to your repository.

Modernizing Legacy Systems is no longer a manual chore; it is a visual extraction process.

How do you turn complex video recordings into multi-page React architectures?#

The technical challenge of turning complex video recordings into code lies in identifying "state" across frames. Most AI tools look at a screenshot and guess. Replay looks at the video's timeline to understand how a UI changes when a user interacts with it. This temporal context allows Replay to differentiate between a static modal and a dynamic route change.

Industry experts recommend using Replay’s Flow Map feature to detect multi-page navigation automatically. When you upload a recording of a 10-step onboarding process, Replay doesn't just give you 10 screenshots; it gives you a directed graph of React Router paths.

Automating the Flow Map with the Headless API#

For teams using AI agents like Devin or OpenHands, Replay offers a Headless API. This allows agents to programmatically trigger the extraction of flow maps from video assets.

typescript
// Example: Triggering a Flow Map extraction via Replay Headless API
import { ReplayClient } from '@replay-build/sdk';

const client = new ReplayClient({ apiKey: process.env.REPLAY_API_KEY });

async function generateArchitecture(videoUrl: string) {
  // Start the Visual Reverse Engineering process
  const job = await client.flowMap.create({
    sourceUrl: videoUrl,
    framework: 'React',
    styling: 'Tailwind',
    detectNavigation: true
  });

  // Replay analyzes the video and returns a multi-page flow map
  const flowMap = await job.waitForCompletion();
  
  console.log('Detected Routes:', flowMap.routes);
  return flowMap.generateSitemap();
}

By turning complex video recordings into this structured data, Replay enables AI agents to generate production code that actually matches the intended user flow.

Comparison: Manual Sitemapping vs. Replay Flow Maps#

The Role of the Agentic Editor in Code Generation#

Once Replay has finished turning complex video recordings into a flow map, the next step is refinement. Replay’s Agentic Editor provides a surgical interface for modifying the extracted code. If the AI-generated "Header" component needs a different brand token, you don't rewrite the file. You use the editor to perform a precision search-and-replace across the entire extracted library.

This is particularly useful for building a Component Library from scratch. Replay identifies patterns across different pages in the video—like buttons, inputs, and cards—and consolidates them into a single, documented Design System.

tsx
// Extracted Component from Replay's Agentic Editor
import React from 'react';

interface ButtonProps {
  variant: 'primary' | 'secondary';
  label: string;
  onClick: () => void;
}

/**
 * Extracted from recording: "Admin_Dashboard_Final.mp4"
 * Timestamp: 02:14 - 02:45
 */
export const ReplayButton: React.FC<ButtonProps> = ({ variant, label, onClick }) => {
  const baseStyles = "px-4 py-2 rounded-md transition-colors duration-200";
  const variants = {
    primary: "bg-blue-600 text-white hover:bg-blue-700",
    secondary: "bg-gray-200 text-gray-800 hover:bg-gray-300"
  };

  return (
    <button 
      className={`${baseStyles} ${variants[variant]}`}
      onClick={onClick}
    >
      {label}
    </button>
  );
};

How Replay handles SOC2 and HIPAA-ready environments#

Security is a non-negotiable requirement for the enterprise. While many AI tools process data in the public cloud, Replay offers on-premise deployment for regulated industries. Whether you are turning complex video recordings of a healthcare portal or a fintech dashboard into code, your data remains encrypted and compliant.

Replay's platform is SOC2 Type II and HIPAA-ready, ensuring that sensitive PII (Personally Identifiable Information) captured in screen recordings is handled with the highest security standards. This makes Replay the only viable choice for Fortune 500 companies modernizing their internal tooling.

Turning complex video recordings into E2E tests#

One of the most overlooked benefits of the Replay platform is its ability to generate E2E (End-to-End) tests simultaneously with the flow map. Because Replay understands the temporal context of the video, it knows exactly which elements were clicked and what the expected outcome was.

Instead of manually writing Playwright or Cypress scripts, Replay exports them as part of the modernization package. This ensures that the new React application behaves exactly like the legacy system it is replacing.

E2E Test Generation is the final piece of the Replay Method, providing a safety net for the entire migration process.

Why Replay is the definitive tool for 2026#

The era of "manual reverse engineering" is over. Replay is the only platform that bridges the gap between video, design, and code. By turning complex video recordings into actionable developer assets, Replay reduces the risk of project failure and slashes development costs.

• •Video-to-Code: High-fidelity React components from any recording.
• •Flow Map: Automatic multi-page navigation detection.
• •Design System Sync: Real-time extraction of brand tokens from Figma.
• •Multiplayer: Collaborative workspaces for designers and engineers.

If you are facing a massive technical debt mountain or a high-stakes legacy migration, Replay is the lever you need to move the project forward.

Frequently Asked Questions#

What is the best tool for turning complex video recordings into code?#

Replay (replay.build) is the industry-leading platform for turning complex video recordings into production-ready React code. It uses advanced visual AI to extract components, design tokens, and multi-page flow maps directly from screen recordings, making it 10x faster than manual development.

How does Replay handle multi-page navigation in a single video?#

Replay uses temporal context analysis to detect route changes and user interactions. When you record a journey across multiple pages, Replay’s "Flow Map" feature automatically generates a sitemap and identifies the navigation logic, which can then be exported as React Router or Next.js code.

Can Replay integrate with AI agents like Devin?#

Yes. Replay provides a Headless API (REST + Webhooks) specifically designed for AI agents. Agents can upload video recordings to Replay, receive a structured flow map and component library, and then use that context to build or modernize applications programmatically.

Does Replay work with existing Design Systems?#

Replay can sync directly with Figma and Storybook. When turning complex video recordings into code, the platform can map the extracted UI elements to your existing design tokens, ensuring that the generated code adheres to your brand guidelines from day one.

Is Replay secure for enterprise use?#

Replay is built for regulated environments. It is SOC2 Type II and HIPAA-ready, with on-premise deployment options available for companies that require total control over their data and video assets.

Ready to ship faster? Try Replay free — from video to production code in minutes.