Instant Replay

Test Designer Instant Replay

Overview

HowTest aboutDesigner RecordingInstant NetworkReplay allows you to capture network activity in the background while you are recording youror playing back UX test cases usingin Test Designer?Designer.

TestWhile Designera test case is being recorded or executed, Instant Replay iscaptures the answer.network Yes,traffic Testgenerated Designerby the browser. The captured traffic can then be reviewed, saved, compared against another recording, or exported in multiple formats for further analysis and testing.

Instant Replay can captureexport allrecorded yourtraffic as:

• HAR — Includes the recorded network activitycalls whileand the associated page content.
• CSV — Contains details such as HTTP method, port, virtual host, URI, and response status. The CSV can also be used as a uselog casein Appvance AIQ.
• JS — Generates an executable JavaScript file containing the recorded HTTP requests, such as GET and POST calls.

This functionality is gettingparticularly recordeduseful inwhen a UX test needs to be analyzed at both the browser level and the protocol/API level. The same traffic captured during a Test Designer and itexecution can be exportedused as a .zipstarting (withpoint HARfor creating or extending performance tests.

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API and contentsNetwork ofTraffic the page), CSV file that has details of the method, port, vhost, uri, status and also as an executable JS fie.

API Testing Process:

Capture

When an API request is done,generated during a Test Designer tellsrecording or playback, Test Designer instructs the browser to doperform the request,request. butInstant itReplay injectscaptures athe resulting network activity by injecting the required header information into the browser requests.

This allows Instant Replay to capture andthe provideHTTP traffic generated by the application without requiring the user to manually identify each API calls.request.

WithThe captured information can then be reviewed directly in the option,Instant Replay interface or exported for additional processing.

Excluding Requests

Instant Replay provides the following option:

Exclude requests matching the following regular expressions(expressions (comma separated):

with

The default valuesexpression ofexcludes (common static resources:

.*\.(jpeg|png|gif|bmp|svg|css|js|gif|woff2|jpg).*),

will

These filters are useful when the objective is to focus on API or application traffic rather than static resources.

The expression can be modified according to the requirements of the test. You can:

• Add additional file extensions.
• Remove extensions from the default expression.
• Modify the regular expression to exclude specific resources.
• Configure the filter outaccording all those files withto the mentionedtype extensions,of youtraffic canthat needs to be analyzed.

Note: Review the exclusion expression carefully before recording. Overly broad filters may remove ornetwork addrequests orthat makeare any changesrelevant to thesethe extensionstest.

depending

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on

Navigation

To open Instant Replay:

1. Open the requirements.Appvance AIQ

   Navigation:dashboard.

2. Navigate to

   FromRecord.

3. Select the dashboard page, Under Record, Click Test Designer Instant Replay. Replay.

FileThe Menu:Instant

Replay

interface provides

Open:access Only allows .zip files. When you saveto the recorded network traffic, file afteroperations, havingplayback somecontrols, trafficand recorded,export functionality.

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File Menu

The File menu provides options for opening, saving, comparing, and exporting Instant Replay recordings.

1. Open

File > SavingOpen will save the file with a .zip extension or whenallows you do a File > Export to HAR,open itan willexisting saveInstant withReplay arecording.

Instant Replay recordings are stored as .zip extension.files.

File

A residingpreviously insaved recording can therefore be opened from the local machine canby beselecting openedits using.zip file.

Typical use cases

• Reviewing previously captured traffic.
• Reusing a recording as a baseline.
• Comparing a previous recording with a new recording.
• Continuing work with an existing Instant Replay file.

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2. Save

File > Open.Save saves the current Instant Replay recording.

Use this option when:

• You have created a new recording.
• You have modified an existing recording.
• You

  Save: Is usedwant to save the filecurrent afterstate changesof orthe recording.

The recording is saved as a new unsaved.zip file.

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Save As: Is used when you want to do a

3. Save As

of

File an> alreadySave As allows you to save the currently opened fileInstant withReplay recording using a different file name.

This

is useful when you want to preserve the original recording while creating another version.

For example, you could maintain separate recordings for:

• QA
• UAT
• Production
• Different users
• Different application versions
• Different test scenarios

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4. Comparison Report:Report

Two

The Comparison Report feature allows two Instant replayReplay ziprecordings files canto be compared to check the differences between the Response body, Headers, Payloads.compared.

TypicallyThis usedis forparticularly useful when the same typeworkflow ofis flows,executed withunder different conditions and you need to identify changes in the generated network traffic.

For example, you can compare:

• The same workflow using different login details,credentials.
• The orsame withworkflow in different environmentsenvironments.
• Different toapplication checkversions.
• Different theconfigurations.
• Baseline and current test executions.

The comparison can identify differences betweenin:

• Response bodies,bodies
• Request headers,and orresponse payloads.headers
• Payloads

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Generating

Exporta :

Comparison Reports

Report

To generate thea comparison report,report:

you

1. Open firstInstant needReplay.
2. Select to load the open the instant replay file to compare against baseline data by making use of File > Open and open.
3. Open the Instant Replay .zip file that iswill savedbe used as the instantcurrent replay ofrecording.
4. Open the script.File menu.
5. Select

   Click File and choose Comparison Report from the Drop-down.

   .

An API Comparison pop-updialog wouldwill beappear.

displayed

6. Use Browse to chooseselect the baseline data to file Instant Replay (.zip file)file.
7. Configure with the Browse button.

   Maximum payload size (chars): wouldif required.

8. Click Start Comparison.

The default tomaximum 4096payload chars but thatsize is something4096 thatcharacters. The value can be changedmodified as required and allows onlyaccepts numerical entries.values.

StartAfter Comparisonthe buttoncomparison wouldis be enabled, clicking which will downloadcompleted, a .zip file containing all the reports.

It is required to extract the downloaded zip content of the files and open the generated reports will be downloaded.

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Viewing the Comparison Report

The generated comparison .zip file must be extracted before viewing the report.

After extracting the files:

1. Locate the generated .html file.
2. Open the

   BelowHTML isfile in a web browser.

3. Review the comparison results.

The report thatprovides isinformation goingabout:

to be generated, which will show the

• The comparison report file name, thename.
• The files that are used for comparison,the andcomparison.
• The theconfigured maximum data size.
• The requests included in the comparison.
• Response body differences.
• Header differences.
• Payload differences.

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Understanding the Comparison Results

The report displays the recorded requests and their associated data.

It displays all the Requests along with the size, Response Body and the differences for each of the rows whichRows can be expanded/collapsed,expanded Headersor collapsed to inspect additional information.

The comparison includes the following areas:

Requests

The request section provides information about the recorded requests and request/their corresponding data.

Response Body

The response headerbody section highlights differences whichbetween the baseline and current recording.

Headers

Header differences can be expanded/collapsesexpanded forto eachinspect ofindividual therequest rows,and response header changes.

Payload

Payload with differences for each of the rows which can be expanded/collapsed.expanded to compare request data between the two recordings.

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Difference Indicators

ThereThe comparison report uses visual indicators to make differences easier to identify.

• - — No data was found.
• Green — Data was added or is anpresent optionin the current recording but not in the baseline.
• Red — Data was removed or is missing from the current recording.

These indicators make it easier to hideidentify orchanges showwithout manually reviewing every request.

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Report Display Options

The comparison report also provides options to customize the row numbers.

Also, the option to choose a particular column that needs to beinformation displayed.

You cancan:

click

• Show eachor ofhide therow buttonsnumbers.
• Select likewhich "responsecolumns headersare diff"displayed.
• Expand or collapse individual comparison sections.
• Select specific differences, such as Response Headers Diff, for exampledetailed toinspection.

check

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the

5. differences.

Export

"-" means no data found

The green color means some data has been added

The red color means some data has been removed or not found

6. Export: The recorded traffic can be exported tointo 3three formats:

1. HAR
2. CSV
3. JS

Each format serves a different formats.purpose.

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5.1 HAR Export

The HAR export contains the recorded HTTP traffic in a format suitable for analyzing browser network activity.

a)The HAR:export downloadedis provided as a .zip file,file containscontaining:

• Record.har
• Recorded history and associated resources.

Depending on the harapplication calls "Record.har" plus alltraffic, the historyarchive containingmay .jpg's, .html's, txt's, .dat's, .jsoncontain files etcsuch as:

• .jpg
• .html
• .txt
• .dat
• .json
• Other resources captured during the recording.

b)HAR CSV:is Containsuseful detailswhen you need to preserve the network activity together with the resources associated with the recorded page.

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5.2 CSV Export

The CSV export provides a tabular representation of the method,captured port,traffic.

vhost,

The uri,CSV status.includes Thisinformation such as:

• HTTP method
• Port
• Virtual host
• URI
• HTTP status

The CSV can be useduseful for:

• Reviewing captured traffic.
• Filtering requests.
• Analyzing network activity.
• Creating logs.
• Using the captured information as a log fromin Appvance AIAIQ.
• Performing additional processing with spreadsheet or data-analysis tools.

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5.3 JS Export

The JS export generates an executable JavaScript file containing the recorded HTTP requests.

The generated script can include requests such as:

• GET
• POST
• Other HTTP requests captured during the recording.

This export can be useful when the captured API traffic needs to be reused as wellpart of an automated or protocol-level test.

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Actions Menu

c)The JS:Actions Amenu executable JS Script with allprovides the getscontrols used to record and postsmanage likenetwork traffic.

1. Start Recording

Actions > Start Recording starts capturing network traffic.

After recording starts, Instant Replay captures the oneHTTP below
traffic generated by the application while you record or execute a test in Test Designer.

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2. Re/Start Playback

Actions Menu:

Re/Start Recording:Playback willclears startthe historical traffic and starts a fresh recording HAR traffic for the appplayback operation.

This is useful when you want to ensure that willthe betraffic displayed belongs only to the current playback.

Use this option when you want to:

• Remove previously recorded usingtraffic.
• Start with a clean history.
• Execute a Test Designer script.
• Capture the traffic generated by that execution.

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3. Stop

Actions > Stop stops the current network traffic recording.

After recording is stopped, no additional traffic is captured until a new recording is started.

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4. Clear History

Actions > Clear History removes the traffic currently displayed in the Instant Replay recording area.

This allows you to start a new recording without previously captured traffic remaining in the current view.

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5. Show Calls

Actions > Show Calls refreshes the displayed network traffic.

Use this option while a recording is in progress to update the Instant Replay interface with newly captured requests.

It is useful when traffic is being generated in another window, such as the Test Designer IDE.

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Status

Re/StartThe Playback:current willrecording clearstate is displayed in the historicalupper-right data which is already present and make a fresh recordingarea of the requirementInstant forReplay playback.interface.

The

status changes according to the current operation.

Standard

Stop:The willinitial stopstate of Instant Replay.

No active network recording HARis trafficin calls.progress.

Record

ClearDisplayed History:after willStart simplyRecording clearis yourselected.

recording

Instant areaReplay andis itactively willcapturing be ready to record new HARnetwork traffic.

Standard

after

Show calls: This is more like a refresh button, that keeps updating the new traffic that got recorded.

Status:

You will see Status on the top right corner of the page, Initially Status will be Standard.

Stop

When youStop clickis Start Recording fromselected, the Actionstatus menu bar Status will changereturns to Record,Standard, andindicating Again, Status will be Standard when you click Stop fromthat the Actionrecording menuhas bar.ended.

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How to use

Using Test Designer Instant Replay

Recording a New Test Case

Follow these steps:steps to capture network traffic while recording a new UX test case.

Step

1

Go— toStart Instant Replay

Open Test Designer Instant Replay and clickselect:

Actions > Start Recording

from

Instant Replay begins capturing network traffic.

Step 2 — Record the drop-down.UX

Test

Go backReturn to the Test Designer IDE.

and

Select:

begin Recording by clicking

Record > chooseBrowser

a

Choose the required browser and perform yourthe actions that make up the UX actions.test case.

As

the browser interacts with the application, Instant Replay captures the generated network traffic.

Step 3 — Display the Captured Traffic

Come backReturn to Instant ReplayReplay.

Select:

Actions > Show Calls

The captured network calls will be displayed.

You can repeat Show Calls while recording to refresh the displayed traffic and clickview Shownewly callscaptured fromrequests.

Step 4 — Complete the ActionRecording

Menu, you will notice all

When the trafficUX thatrecording is getting captured.complete:

1. Return to Instant Replay.
2. Select Actions > Stop.

3. Once done with allReview the recording,captured you can go ahead and savetraffic.

4. Save the filerecording as a .zip file or anyexport otherit 2to formatsHAR, mentionedCSV, above.or JS as required.

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Capturing Traffic During Test Playback

Instant Replay is not limited to recording new test cases.

It

can also capture network traffic generated when an existing Test Designer script is played back.

NotTo justcapture recording,playback traffic:

1. Open an existing Test Designer script.
2. Open Test Designer Instant Replay.
3. Select Actions > Start Recording.
4. Return to the Test Designer IDE.
5. Execute or play back the existing script.
6. Return to Instant Replay.
7. Select Actions > Show Calls.
8. Review the network traffic generated during playback.
9. Select Stop when playback is complete.
10. Save or export the captured traffic as required.

This allows you to analyze the actual network activity generated by an existing UX test without manually identifying each API call.

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Recording and Playback Workflow

The typical workflow is:

Test Designer Instant Replay
        also|
        records| theStart historyRecording
        calls when we playback scripts from Test Designer.
                                                

Go back tov Test Designer IDE,IDE open| any| existingRecord script,or comePlayback v Browser | | HTTP / HTTPS traffic v Instant Replay | +------------------+ | | v v Review Export | +-------------+-------------+ | | | v v v HAR CSV JS

This workflow makes it possible to Instantassociate Replay,a clickbrowser-level 'StartUX Recording'test and playbackwith the scriptnetwork/API fromactivity generated by that test.

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Using Captured Traffic for Performance Testing

One of the primary benefits of Instant Replay is the ability to use captured network traffic as a starting point for protocol-level performance testing.

A Test Designer IDE,script andoperates you can click 'Show calls' fromat the Actionbrowser/UX menu,level, you will notice allwhile the trafficexported that it got created.

TheseAPI traffic logs can be used to generate moretraffic at the protocol level.

This makes it possible to analyze or reproduce the same application workflow at different levels.

For example:

UX Test
   |
   | Test Designer
   v
Browser-level execution
   |
   | Instant Replay
   v
Captured network traffic
   when|
   running+----> asHAR
   |
   +----> CSV
   |
   +----> JS
             |
             v
      Protocol/API testing
             |
             v
      Performance testing

The captured traffic can therefore complement the original Test Designer script.

For example, a performance test (runningmay atuse:

the

• The protocol level) using along with the actualoriginal Test Designer script (runningto atvalidate the browserbrowser-level level).user experience.
• Captured API traffic to generate higher volumes of protocol-level traffic.

This approach can help separate UX validation from backend/API scalability testing while maintaining a relationship between the two test levels.

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Recommended Use Cases

Test Designer Instant Replay can be useful in several scenarios.

API Discovery

Capture the network calls generated by an application while recording a UX workflow.

This can help identify:

• API endpoints.
• HTTP

methods.Request sequences.Response

Troubleshooting

Capture network activity generated by a failing UX test and inspect the requests and responses associated with the failure.

Environment Comparison

Record the same workflow in different environments and use Comparison Report to identify differences in:

• Responses.
• Headers.
• Payloads.
• API behavior.

Version Comparison

Capture the same workflow before and after an application change and compare the resulting network traffic.

Performance Test Preparation

Use captured API traffic as a starting point for protocol-level performance testing.

Regression Analysis

Compare a baseline recording with a new execution to identify unexpected changes in application traffic.

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Example: Comparing Two Environments

Suppose a login and checkout workflow is executed in QA and UAT.

The workflow is:

Login
  |
  v
Search Product
  |
  v
Add Product to Cart
  |
  v
Checkout
  |
  v
Logout

The workflow can be recorded in QA and then repeated in UAT.

The resulting Instant Replay files can be compared to identify differences in:

• API responses.
• Request payloads.
• Response payloads.
• Headers.
• HTTP status codes.

This can help determine whether an environment behaves differently even when the UX workflow appears to be identical.

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Example: Comparing Different User Accounts

Instant Replay can also be used to compare the network behavior of the same workflow with different credentials.

For example:

Baseline
User A
   |
   v
Test Designer workflow
   |
   v
Instant Replay A


Comparison
User B
   |
   v
Same Test Designer workflow
   |
   v
Instant Replay B

The two recordings can then be compared to determine whether the application returns different:

• Response bodies.
• Headers.
• Payloads.
• Requests.

This can be particularly useful when investigating role-based behavior or differences between user accounts.

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Best Practices

Start with a Clean Recording

Before capturing a new workflow, use Clear History or Re/Start Playback when appropriate.

This helps prevent unrelated traffic from previous recordings from being included in the results.

Configure Request Exclusions Carefully

Use the request exclusion regular expression to remove unnecessary static resources, but make sure that required API traffic is not accidentally excluded.

Save Baselines

When performing comparisons, preserve the original recording as a baseline.

Use Save As to create separate recordings rather than overwriting the baseline.

Use Consistent Workflows

For meaningful comparisons, use the same Test Designer workflow whenever possible.

Changes in user actions can generate legitimate differences in network traffic and make the comparison more difficult to interpret.

Compare Equivalent Environments

When comparing environments, keep the following conditions as consistent as possible:

• Test workflow.
• User permissions.
• Test data.
• Browser.
• Application version.
• Configuration.

This makes differences in the captured traffic easier to attribute to the environment itself.

Review API Traffic Before Performance Testing

Captured traffic should be reviewed before being used for performance testing.

Verify:

• URLs.
• HTTP methods.
• Headers.
• Payloads.
• Authentication information.
• Dynamic values.
• Correlation requirements.

Sensitive or environment-specific information should be handled according to the organization's security requirements.

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Summary

Test Designer Instant Replay provides a way to capture and analyze the network activity generated during Test Designer recording and playback.

The captured traffic can be:

• Recorded and reviewed in real time.
• Saved as an Instant Replay .zip file.
• Compared against another recording.
• Exported as HAR.
• Exported as CSV.
• Exported as executable JS.
• Used as input or reference for protocol-level testing and performance testing.

The key workflow is:

Record the UX → Capture the network traffic → Review the API calls → Compare or export the traffic → Reuse the captured traffic for additional testing.

This makes Instant Replay a useful bridge between browser-level UX automation and API/protocol-level testing, allowing teams to understand not only what the user does in the application, but also the network activity generated behind those actions.

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Last updated: August 28,12, 20232026

If you have anyFor feedback onor questions about this topic, pleasedocumentation, contact usthe atappropriate documentation@appvance.aiAppvance documentation or support team.