Browser Bots

A: Browser Bots are the easiest and most realistic way to monitor complex dynamic web applications (both single page apps and traditional web apps). Since they control real browsers, you can automate user actions like navigating to a URL, clicking on an element, typing text into a field, and so on, with no need to worry about what's happening at the protocol layer. The headless browsers execute client-side JavaScript just like a normal browser, so your site won't even know the difference.

A: If you're monitoring an HTTP API (REST, SOAP, GraphQL, etc) you'll want precise control over every request, and the high level of abstraction Browser Bots offer won't be helpful. For situations like that, take a look at Protocol Bots instead.

A: A few examples of what you can do with Browser Bots are: navigate to a URL, hover or click on an element, type text into an input field, select a value from a dropdown list, or wait for a specific element to appear or disappear. When this doesn't cover it, bots can also evaluate custom JavaScript inside the browser itself. When you play your script, Browser Bots take screenshots after every action, so you can see exactly what the browser looks like every step of the way. Read all about it in Browser Scripts.

A: Using Variables & Expressions, your bots can enter a different value each time the script runs. This might be necessary if you're monitoring a registration or signup flow and need to generate a unique username or email each time. You can even set variables programmatically from a Code Block and then enter them with subsequent steps.