Splunk has carved out a powerful niche for collecting system data and applying predictive analytics for the purpose of anomaly detection.
With it’s exceptional machine learning capabilities, Splunk can build on the datasets you create in order to provide your support team with powerful insights.
Yet when it comes to synthetic browser monitoring for web applications, many organizations default to Selenium-based solutions in combination with Splunk. Not realising that a much more powerful combination exists.
Pairing 2Steps with Splunk provides a far more efficient, reliable, and insightful approach. While Selenium has been a go-to tool for automated web testing, it falls short in critical areas. Here’s why 2Steps, in combination with Splunk, is the superior choice for synthetic browser monitoring.
No-Code Simplicity vs. Selenium’s Complexity.
Selenium requires significant coding expertise to build, maintain, and troubleshoot automated tests. Writing Selenium scripts for synthetic monitoring demands continuous maintenance due to frequent web UI changes. This makes it difficult for non-technical teams to implement and manage effectively.
2Steps, on the other hand, is a fully no-code solution, enabling teams to create and maintain synthetic user journeys without writing scripts. This drastically reduces engineering overhead, allowing businesses to focus on improving customer experiences rather than debugging brittle test scripts.
Robust Monitoring with 2FA and Dynamic Elements.
A major limitation of Selenium-based synthetic monitoring is its inability to seamlessly handle multi-factor authentication (2FA) and dynamic content such as single-page applications (SPAs). Many modern web applications rely on these security and performance-enhancing techniques, making Selenium a poor fit.
2Steps excels in this area, allowing seamless monitoring of secured workflows, including 2FA processes, and dynamic UI elements. Furthermore, 2Steps is not limited to web applications, meaning businesses can monitor hybrid and native apps as well, expanding the scope of their synthetic monitoring capabilities.
Real-Time Insights and Actionable Analytics with Splunk.
Selenium lacks native integrations with real-time observability tools. While it can generate logs, extracting meaningful insights from them requires extensive custom work.
By integrating 2Steps with Splunk, businesses gain real-time, structured, and actionable insights into user journeys. Splunk’s advanced analytics, combined with 2Steps’ reliable monitoring, provides instant anomaly detection, trend analysis, and issue correlation across the entire tech stack.
Higher Stability and Lower Maintenance Costs.
Selenium-based synthetic monitoring often breaks due to UI updates, requiring frequent script modifications. 2Steps, however, is designed to adapt to UI changes with minimal intervention, reducing maintenance time and costs.
Final Thoughts.
While Selenium is a useful testing tool, it is not ideal for synthetic browser monitoring. Selenium’s web-only limitation further reduces its applicability in today’s digital landscape. 2Steps + Splunk provides a scalable, low-maintenance, and insight-driven alternative that enables businesses to monitor real-world user experiences more accurately and efficiently.
