Record and Schedule User Flows with the Chrome Extension Recorder

Testdom.io User Flow is a no-code, browser-based automation and testing platform. Built for rigorous web testing, it also supports operational workloads such as scheduled tasks, data collection, scraping, and other repeatable automations. Beyond basic record and replay, it provides the full Blockly toolkit for advanced flows: conditional logic, loops, variables, math and string processing, lists, and functions. Complementing Blockly, Testdom-specific browser-interaction blocks deliver precise control over tabs and page behavior, including navigation, clicking, typing, waiting, selecting, and other UI operations.

How Recording Works

The Chrome Extension Recorder opens a clean incognito Chrome window, attaches a debugger session, and captures your interactions as blocks in the Test Editor (Blockly workspace). You can edit steps, insert waits, add conditions/loops/variables, and remove anything unnecessary. When you are done, save the flow and it will run according to the monitoring settings you chose in the test setup.

Supported Interactions

All common user interactions are supported by the Chrome Extension Recorder (clicks, typing, selections, navigation, scrolling, etc.), including elements inside inner frames (iframes).

Step-by-Step: Create and Schedule a Recording

Step 1: Start a new recording

In the User Flow Editor, click the plus icon in the top action bar to create a new User-flow test. This opens the setup dialog.

Step 2: Fill the New User Flow Test form (includes monitoring)

In the dialog, configure everything about your test including its monitoring schedule:

• Start URL: The page where the flow begins.
• Test Name and Tags: Use a clear, searchable name and optional tags for filtering.
• Device: Choose a preset (e.g., Full Size 1920x1080 or Small 1280x720) or any of our built in Mobile Devices presets.
• Throttle Connection Speed: Network throttling profile (e.g., No throttling, slower profiles for realism).
• Override Device’s User-Agent (optional): Provide a UA string if you must emulate a specific browser signature or for custom identification.
• Location (Country): Select the country for execution. Use this to see region-specific behavior.
• Monitoring Frequency: Choose how often to run automatically (Daily, 12 hours, 6 hours, 4 hours). This is your schedule.

Two toggles control status and monitoring:

• Test Status: Enable/Disable the entire test definition. When disabled, the test cannot run.
• Monitor Status: Enable/Disable the scheduled monitoring for this test. When enabled, the test runs on the chosen frequency.

Click Create a new User Flow test (or Update Test Settings if editing an existing test) to save the configuration.

Step 3: Click Start Recording

Back in the editor, you will see initial blocks (e.g., Start Chrome and Navigate with your URL). Click the red record button in the editor header to begin recording.

Step 4: Install the Chrome Extension Recorder if prompted

If the recorder is not yet installed, a popup appears. Click Add to Chrome to go to the Chrome Web Store.

Step 5: Install from the Chrome Web Store

On the store page, click Add to Chrome and confirm. The extension requires debugger access to capture your actions for recording.

Step 6: Pin and allow incognito usage

Open Chrome’s Extensions, pin the Testdom.io Flow Recorder icon, and enable Allow in Incognito so the recorder can run in the incognito window used for tests.

Step 7: Reload the dashboard tab

Return to the dashboard tab and click I have installed the extension, reload the page (or refresh). Then click the record button again; an incognito window opens and attaches to the recorder.

Step 8: Record your actions; stop when done

Perform the journey in the incognito window. The recorder panel appears in the top-left. Navigate, click, type, select options, and submit forms. Blocks are added to the editor in real time. When finished, click Stop Recording in the incognito panel or in the editor header.

Edit and Refine in the Test Editor

Your recording appears as a stack of blocks in the Test Editor (Blockly workspace). Each block represents an action or a control structure. You can:

• Reorder steps by dragging blocks.
• Edit values (URLs, selectors, text, timeouts, tab targets).
• Insert waits for visibility/state so actions happen only when elements are ready (important for dynamic UIs).
• Add logic and loops to handle conditional flows or repeated lists.
• Use variables and string/math blocks to compute values on the fly.
• Remove steps that are not needed.

Advanced Tips

• Prefer stable CSS selectors (ids, data-attributes). Avoid volatile classes from animations/A/B tests.
• Precede interaction with a wait-for-visibility step when elements load asynchronously.
• Use variables to store values you need later (codes, IDs, computed strings).

Screenshot 9: Save your User Flow

Click the save icon (floppy disk) in the editor header. The latest version becomes active; a backup is kept for safety.

About Monitoring and Scheduling

You no longer need extra steps on a separate page to schedule runs. Monitoring Frequency and Monitor Status are set directly in the New User Flow Test dialog (and can be edited later via the same dialog). When Monitor Status is enabled, the flow will run automatically at the selected cadence (4/6/12/24 hours) using the device, throttling, and country you configured.

Advanced users can still review all monitored items in the Monitored Tests area, but for most workflows the initial dialog is sufficient.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to write code? No. All logic/loops/variables/math/string actions are provided as blocks. Testdom’s custom blocks handle browser interactions and logic, each block is having clear and friendly inputs / settings.

Why use incognito? It guarantees a clean session and avoids interference from other extensions or cookies. Be sure to allow the recorder in incognito.

Can I change device or throttling later? Yes. Open the test settings dialog from the editor and adjust Device, Pixel Ratio, Throttling, Country, and Monitoring Frequency.

Summary

With Testdom.io you can record real interactions, enrich them with logic, loops, variables, and math/string operations, and schedule the flow to run automatically from the same setup dialog. This gives you both QA coverage and powerful no-code automation for everyday web tasks.

Open the Editor: https://app.testdom.io/userflow/editor

Testdom.io's Chrome Extension: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/testdomio-flow-recorder/phnllfedihnhbadjdciackmglnnonmdp