Record here (Local replay)

In this article, you will learn how to add or change steps in an existing scenario.

1. Overview

One of Autify's strengths is the ability to create scenarios by recording actions. However, in order to add a step, you must execute the actions in the scenario until you reach the page where you want to add the new step.

If you want to add a step in a later part of the scenario, it can be very time-consuming to go through all the steps to get there. This is where [Local Replay] comes in handy.
When you click on [Record here], all the actions up to the point where you want to add steps are performed automatically. This is called Local Replay or replay.

2. How to use Local Replay

2-1. The basics

For example, to add a step between steps 1 and 2 in the scenario below, click [+] between steps 1 and 2.

Next, select [Record here] to launch the recording window. The action in step 1 is performed automatically.

The following dialog appears while Local Replay is running:

If actions have been successfully replayed up to the point where you want to add new steps, the following dialog appears. Actions such as clicks and inputs are recorded in the same way as when you record a new scenario, and you can add various assertions.

For more information on what to do if an error occurs during Local Replay, see section 4 below.

2-2. How to cancel Local Replay

How to abort

If you want to abort Local Replay for any reason, you can do so by clicking [Abort and proceed manually] in the dialog.

How to record after aborting Local Replay

Immediately after aborting, the following "Aborting replay" message will appear. Please wait for the message to disappear.
You cannot record any actions while this message is visible.

Once the message disappears, manually perform all actions, such as clicks and visits to other pages, until just before the step you want to record.
When you are ready to resume recording, click the pause icon on the Autify Recorder (second button from the left). You are now ready to record new actions.
A message in Autify Recorder will tell you where the new step will be inserted (in the image below, new actions will be recorded after step 3).

When recording is turned on, you can record actions as you would when recording a new scenario. A blinking red ● indicates that recording is enabled.

2-3. How to check the status during Local Replay

The window displayed during replay shows the step currently being replayed (7 in the image below) and the number of steps to be replayed (8 in the image below).
The number of steps to be replayed includes steps in Step Groups. For example, if step 1 is a Step Group consisting of 3 steps, and you click [Record here] after step 6, the number of steps to be replayed will be 8 instead of 6, as shown below.

2-4. When you don't need to replay

If for some reason you don't need Local Replay to perform the actions automatically, such as when there are many steps before the section where you want to add new steps, select [Record here without replay] instead of [Record here] and start recording.

3. The difference between Local Replay and test execution

Local Replay is a feature that makes updating scenarios easier, and cannot be used it in place of test execution. Local Replay may behave differently than a test execution, or it may fail.

3-1. Steps that Local Replay ignores or result in an error

3-1-1. Steps that Local Replay ignores

• Assertion steps
• "Element should look the same" steps

3-1-2. Steps that result in an error

• File Upload steps
• Action steps (clicks and inputs) when the target element is not found
• JS Steps that have invalid content

3-1-3. Actions that Local Replay doesn't perform

• Element update (elements tracked during replay are not auto-maintained in the scenario)

3-2. How Local Replay and test execution behave differently

3-2-1. Timing

During Local Replay, Autify may determine that the page has finished loading earlier (or later) than during test execution. How long it waits before/after an action may also be different. Because steps are replayed quickly, the action may be performed before the page has finished loading, causing the step to fail. In this case, add a sleep step before the failed step and try again. Alternatively, you can manually perform the steps that didn't work, click [Continue Replay/Retry], and proceed to the target screen.

3-2-2. Site Compatibility

The replay process may not work due to site compatibility issues.
In this case, go to the target screen manually.

3-2-3. Time Zone

Local Replay is executed in the time zone of your device on which the replay is performed.

3-2-4. Custom Host Name

During replay, the custom host name set in the workspace is not resolved.

4. What to do when an error occurs

If an error occurs during Local Replay, the following dialog appears.

You can restart or abort Local Replay in the following ways.

4-1. Retry

Click [Retry] in the upper right corner of the dialog to replay the failed step again.

4-2. Abort

You can terminate Local Replay by clicking [Abort] in the lower left corner of the dialog. See section 2-2 on how to record after aborting Local Replay.

4-3. Continue

Click [Continue] in the lower right corner of the dialog to resume replay from where it left off. You can either ignore the failed step or manually perform the action of the failed step, and resume replay.
You can move the replay dialog. If you want to manually perform the action of the failed step, please move the dialog as necessary.

For more information about Local Replay errors, please see this article.

5. Notes

• Local Replay doesn't count toward your execution count or credits.
• If you use a random email address with the email test feature, a new email address will be issued each time.
• When recording, you may see the bar that appears at the top of the browser when Local Replay starts ("Autify Recorder" started debugging this browser). This is displayed by the Chrome browser. Please close it by clicking X before you start recording.