Synthetic browser monitoring
Synthetic monitoring for critical user journeys.
A page can respond while its login form or basket is broken. Run a real browser through the steps that matter and assert the result you expect.
Create your monitoring accountBrowser journeys on Starter · £9/month · 1,000 runs included
- 01Open login pagePassed
- 02Fill test credentialsPassed
- 03Submit the formPassed
- 04Assert dashboard is visibleFailed
The form submitted, but the expected dashboard did not appear. Inspect the failed step and available screenshot or trace.
Illustration, not a captured customer result.
Turn a critical flow into a repeatable check.
- 01
Build the steps
Navigate, fill fields, click controls and wait for the page state you need. Use stable selectors and credentials reserved for monitoring.
- 02
Assert the outcome
Check text, element visibility or a matching URL. A click succeeding is not enough: define what successful completion looks like.
- 03
Inspect a failed run
Review step results, screenshots and Playwright traces when captured. Use that evidence to narrow down where the journey stopped.
Budget the runs before setting the schedule.
Starter includes one browser journey and 1,000 monthly runs. Browser schedules start at five minutes, but a faster schedule uses more runs. Allow for every configured location and any additional executions.
For a 30-day planning window, one hourly journey in one location is 720 scheduled runs. Every five minutes would be 8,640 runs, exceeding Starter's included allowance.
Review plans, credits and usage controls →| Interval | Runs |
|---|---|
| 60 minutes | 720 |
| 30 minutes | 1,440 |
| 15 minutes | 2,880 |
| 5 minutes | 8,640 |
Formula: days × 24 × 60 ÷ interval in minutes. This estimates scheduled executions, not a billing guarantee.
Pair browser depth with lightweight checks.
Use HTTP and API monitors for frequent endpoint checks, then browser journeys for a smaller set of important workflows. Synthetic checks measure those configured paths, not every visitor or every possible action.
Keep test data isolated. Review each flow for side effects before enabling a schedule, and test the alert and recovery path before relying on it.
Synthetic monitoring questions
Are browser journeys available on the Free plan?
No. Free covers other monitor types but has no browser journeys or browser-run allowance. Starter at £9/month includes one journey and 1,000 monthly runs. Check current plan and credit allowances before choosing a schedule.
How often can a browser journey run?
Browser schedules start at five minutes, with longer intervals available. Browser checks do not use the 30-second interval advertised for paid HTTP monitoring. Each selected location and scheduled execution affects run consumption.
What evidence can I inspect after a failure?
Browser checks support failure screenshots and Playwright traces, along with step results and request information. Artifact availability depends on the configured capture settings and where the execution failed.
Does synthetic monitoring measure real visitors?
No. It executes configured browser journeys on a schedule. It does not measure every real user's experience and is not a real-user monitoring product or a load test.
Can I monitor a checkout without making real purchases?
Use a test account and a safe test path, such as adding an item to a basket and asserting its contents. If you exercise payment submission, use a sandbox or a controlled test environment designed for it. Configure steps to avoid unintended orders or customer changes.
No credit card · 25 monitors free
Start monitoring in minutes.
The free plan includes 25 monitors, one server and a public status page. Add your first check and choose where alerts should be sent.