Synthetic monitoring overview
Scripted browser and API checks from cloud and private agents.
syntheticuptimeoverview
What synthetic monitoring is
Synthetic monitoring continuously runs scripted checks against your applications — a real headless browser for web journeys, and direct HTTP calls for APIs — so you catch problems before users do. Tests run on a schedule from cloud agents in multiple regions and from private (on-prem) agents you host inside your own network.
When to use which test type
| Goal | Use | Typical frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Is the API up and fast? | API test | 30s–1m |
| Can a user complete checkout? | Web (browser) test | 5–15m |
| Does the whole journey + backend + DB hold together? | Workbook (synthetic nodes) | 5–15m |
Anatomy of a test
- Target — URL/endpoint and (for browser) a sequence of steps.
- Assertions — what must be true (status, latency, text present, JSON value).
- Agents / regions — where it runs from.
- Schedule — how often.
- Alerting — what happens on failure.
Read the dedicated guides for Web tests, API tests, and Agents.