Browser credits are used by browser monitors (also called Full-Page Checks or FPCs) to evaluate the performance of your web pages and services and identify potential bottlenecks. These monitors test how pages load and behave in real browsers like Chrome and Edge, ensuring elements, such as images, scripts, links, and other resources display correctly.
Browser credits
Browser credits are calculated based on the number of monitors and how often they run. Each browser monitor you create and activate (in production or staging mode) consumes one credit, regardless of how complex the page is or how many resources it loads.
Calculation: 1 credit = 1 browser monitor + check interval value
Unlike uptime monitors, browser credits vary depending on the check interval you set. You can either set it every 5, 10, or 15 minutes. Depending on the interval, the pricing for one credit changes.
You are not charged each time a monitor runs. Instead, you pay a one-time fee based on the monitor and the check interval you set.
If you set a 5-minute check for one monitor, it only charges you a one-time cost for using that monitor. If you have several monitors with different check intervals, it charges you a one-time cost for the minimum interval consumed. The cost does not add up, even if the monitor runs the entire year, half a month, or any time period.
Examples
Scenario A: Monitoring a single website
Suppose you want to monitor your pricing page every 10 minutes. This page displays prices and subscription plans for users. It includes a large amount of text, images, and call-to-action buttons that direct users to the checkout page.
Because it is important to ensure that prices and links work correctly, you create one monitor for this page. The monitor runs every 10 minutes while it is active. In this scenario, the monitor consumes one credit and is charged a fixed amount for that credit. Regardless of how many days pass, the monitor continues to use one credit as long as it remains active.
Scenario B: Monitoring multiple critical pages
Suppose you need to monitor three important pages for your airline services:
- Flight search page — lets clients search for available travel destinations locally and internationally. You monitor this page every 5 minutes and enabled filmstrip to show screenshots of the page.
- Booking website page — lets clients book their chosen flight destinations. You monitor this page every 10 minutes and enabled the waterfall chart to show the flow of the page.
- Promotions page — displays marketing campaigns, highlights, or special offers that clients might be interested in. You monitor this page every 15 minutes.
In this case, you create three monitors, one for each page. Since they vary on the check interval, you pay a one-time cost for the minimum check interval set (5 minutes):
- Flight search page = 1 monitor = 1 credit = 5-minute check
- Booking website page = 1 monitor = 1 credit = 10-minute check
- Promotions page = 1 monitor = 1 credit = 15-minute check
In this scenario, the total number of credits consumed is three. You pay for the maximum frequency, not for the frequency the monitors actually run.
Scenario C: Multi-browser monitoring
Suppose you need to monitor the login page for your hospital website. Your users mainly use Chrome browsers, but some also prefer using Edge. To simulate the behavior of your website in both browsers, you need to create two monitors:
- Chrome browser monitor
- Edge browser monitor
In this scenario, the total number of credits consumed is two, each browser monitor counts as one credit.