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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

14. How do I monitor password-protected websites?

There are 2 types of authentication used on the web: HTTP-based and form-based, we support both methods.

A web site uses HTTP-based authentication if your browser pops up a dialog for you to enter the username and password. To monitor this type of website:

  1. Login to your account
  2. Go to Monitor -> Add a Test
  3. Select "Monitor a website"
  4. Fill in the username and password fields and complete other details

The second type of authentication is form-based. Websites using this method have a login prompt on the website itself, examples are web-based emails like Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail and GMail. This authentication method works by posting your credentials via the form to the website for verification. To monitor these websites:

  1. Login to your account
  2. Go to Monitor -> Add a Test
  3. Select "Monitor a website"
  4. You can use Live HTTP Headers / Firebug to get the POST data.
  5. Instructions for using Live HTTP Headers:
    • Install Live HTTP Headers to Firefox.
    • Open the form submission page in Firefox. Fill in the form, but DO NOT submit yet.
    • Go to Tools menu and open Live HTTP Headers. Clear any contents that is shown, so that we can see the form submission request.
    • Now submit the form.
    • Locate the POST request at the top of the Live HTTP Headers window.
    • Copy the POST URL and data to the website test form. The POST data may look like parameter1=value1&parameter2=value2....
  6. Add keywords that signify a successful login (eg. Login successful, or Your last login was on...) into the required keywords field
  7. Optionally, add keywords that signify a failed login (eg. Bad username or password) into the excluded keywords field
  8. Complete other details (but NOT the username and password fields)

Setting up monitoring for websites with form-based authentication can be challenging. We will be glad to assist if you are unsure how to set this up. Simply send us the URL, username and password.