If our support team has asked you for a screen recording and a HAR file, this article walks you through both. It takes about three minutes.
They answer two different questions. The recording shows us what you saw; the HAR file, a log of everything your browser sent and received at the time, shows us why it happened. Together they usually save a few rounds of back and forth.
Record your screen for the whole process, including while you save the HAR file, so we can see which part of the log matches which moment.
Start recording your screen
Use whatever tool you already have. If you don’t have one, your computer has a built-in option:
Windows: press Windows + Alt + R
Mac: press Shift + Command + 5, then choose to record the screen
Start the recording before you do anything else, and keep it running until you’ve saved the HAR file.
Record the HAR file
Open the page where the problem happens, but don’t trigger the problem yet. You want the network log running first so nothing is missed. Then follow the steps for your browser.
Chrome and Edge
Right-click anywhere on the page and choose Inspect
Click the Network tab at the top of the panel
Tick Preserve log
Reload the page, then reproduce the problem exactly as you did before
Right-click anywhere in the list of requests and choose Save all as HAR with content
Save the file somewhere you’ll find it again
On newer versions of Chrome, that last option is worded Save all as HAR (with sensitive data). That’s the one we need, the other export strips out the details we’re looking for.
Firefox
Right-click anywhere on the page and choose Inspect
Click the Network tab
Open the settings menu on the right of the toolbar and tick Persist Logs
Reload the page, then reproduce the problem exactly as you did before
Right-click anywhere in the list of requests and choose Save All As HAR
Safari
Safari hides its developer tools by default, so there’s one extra step the first time.
Open Safari > Settings > Advanced and tick Show features for web developers
Open the Develop menu and choose Show Web Inspector
Click the Network tab
Tick Preserve Log
Reload the page, then reproduce the problem exactly as you did before
Click Export in the top right of the panel and save the file
Send both files to us
Attach the recording and the HAR file to your conversation in the live chat, or email them to support@upfluence.com.
A couple of lines of context go a long way: what you were trying to do, what happened instead, and roughly what time you recorded it. That helps us find the right moment in the log.
What’s inside a HAR file
A HAR file records your browsing session, which can include your login token and anything you typed on the page while recording. Only send it to our support team, and avoid entering passwords or payment details while the recording is running.