Synthetic monitoring
Synthetic monitoring simulates user actions — like a login or checkout flow — to test multi-step journeys.
Synthetic monitoring scripts a browser or API sequence and runs it on a schedule to verify that a multi-step flow works end to end — logging in, searching, adding to cart, checking out — rather than just confirming a single request succeeds. Because the traffic is generated by the monitor rather than real users, it can catch a broken journey before any customer hits it.
Why it matters: a service can pass every single-endpoint check while a critical path is broken — the homepage loads but checkout fails at step three. Synthetic monitoring exercises those real workflows continuously, so you find the regression proactively instead of waiting for support tickets. It is especially valuable for revenue-critical flows that span several requests.
Synthetic vs uptime monitoring: uptime monitoring asks 'is this endpoint responding correctly?' with frequent, lightweight checks, making it ideal for fast detection and high-resolution availability data. Synthetic monitoring asks 'does this whole user journey still work?' by scripting a sequence of steps; it is heavier and run less often, but it validates behavior no single check can see. The two are complementary — uptime for breadth and speed, synthetic for depth on key flows.
A common misconception is that synthetic monitoring replaces uptime monitoring. It does not. Scripted journeys are more expensive to build and maintain and run at lower frequency, so they can't match the detection resolution of frequent endpoint checks. Most teams use uptime monitoring as the always-on backbone and add synthetic checks on a handful of business-critical paths. PingInsight focuses on granular uptime monitoring rather than scripted synthetic transactions.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between synthetic and uptime monitoring?
- Uptime monitoring frequently checks whether individual endpoints respond correctly. Synthetic monitoring scripts a multi-step user journey to confirm the whole flow works. Uptime gives speed and breadth; synthetic gives depth on critical paths.
- When should I use synthetic monitoring?
- Use it for business-critical, multi-step flows — sign-up, login, checkout — where a single broken step costs money even though every endpoint appears healthy in isolation.
- Does synthetic monitoring replace uptime monitoring?
- No. Scripted checks are heavier and run less frequently, so they can't match the detection speed of frequent endpoint checks. Most teams run uptime monitoring as the backbone and add synthetic checks on key journeys.
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