How can I monitor sites for changes on a custom schedule?

The most valuable type of data is usually data that gets outdated fast. That is why Browse AI comes with advanced website monitoring tools and a change notification system built-in.

Every robot you have on your account can monitor any number of similar pages on the target website using Monitors. You will just need to create a monitor for every page either manually or programmatically using the API.

For every monitoring check, the robot has to open the site in a browser and perform a task to re-extract the data. Because of that, every check can take credit, and you want to optimize the frequency and interval of your monitors to save on costs. That is why every monitor comes with advanced scheduling options that you can use to, for example, have the monitor run only during a certain timeframe on business days or whenever you need updated data.

Here is how you can configure custom schedules for monitors:

Step 1: Navigate to the "Monitor" tab on your Robot dashboard

On your Robot dashboard, you'll find a "Monitor" tab. Click on it to access the monitoring feature.

Step 2: Click on "Create New Monitor"

Once you're in the "Monitor" tab, you'll see the option to create a new monitor. Click on it to proceed.

Step 3: Configure the Monitor Settings

When you click on "Create New Monitor," you'll see a form. Here, you can configure the following options:

- "Runs once every": This option allows you to specify how often you want the robot to check for changes.

- "On": This option allows you to specify which days of the week the robot should check the data for changes.

- "At around": This option allows you to specify the time you want the robot to check for changes. You can set it to run at any specific time or choose the "Anytime" option if the time doesn't matter.

- "Origin URL" and other input parameters: These options allow you to set up a monitor on another page on the target website that has a similar layout.

For example, you can create a robot on one product page on an e-commerce site to monitor the product's details and pricing and then create hundreds of monitors with the same robot to monitor different products on the same site.

- "Monitor name": This option allows you to give a name to the monitor. It's helpful to set a unique name for each monitor you create so it's easy to identify them later.

- "Notify me by email if there is a change in a captured text": This option allows you to receive email notifications when the monitor detects changes in the captured data.

After you've configured the settings according to your requirements, click on "Save" to create the monitor.

Step 4: Monitor your data

All done! Once you've set up the monitor, you can see your monitors by visiting the "Monitor" tab on your Robot dashboard. You'll see a list of all your active monitors with their names and statuses. If you encounter any issues, you can always reach out to our support team for help.

Congratulations! You have successfully set up a monitor for your robot. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to contact our support team. We're always happy to help.