Choose the right rendering level for your tracking tasks. Modern websites often require JavaScript execution to display content properly.
What is Browser Rendering?
Many modern websites use JavaScript to load and display content dynamically. Browser rendering simulates a real web browser, executing JavaScript and loading the fully rendered page before extracting content.
When Do You Need Rendering?
- Content loaded by JavaScript (React, Vue, Angular apps)
- Prices or data fetched via AJAX requests
- Infinite scroll or dynamically loaded elements
- Single Page Applications (SPAs)
Three Rendering Levels
No Rendering (None) Default
Fetches raw HTML without executing JavaScript. Fastest and most cost-effective option.
Best For:
- Static HTML websites
- Server-rendered content
- Content in raw HTML
Cost:
+0 tokens
Base cost only
Server-Side Rendering Recommended
Executes JavaScript on our servers and waits for content to load. Suitable for most modern websites.
Best For:
- Most modern websites
- JavaScript-loaded content
- AJAX-based data
Cost:
+30 tokens
Per check
Advanced Browser Rendering Premium
Full browser simulation with anti-bot detection bypass. For complex sites with advanced protection.
Best For:
- Sites with bot protection
- Cloudflare-protected sites
- Complex SPAs
Cost:
+50 tokens
Per check
How to Choose the Right Level
The Golden Rule
Always start with "No Rendering" and only increase the level if your tracked content doesn't appear or is incomplete.
Step 1: Try No Rendering First
Create your task with no rendering and run a test check. If content is found correctly, you're done!
Step 2: Enable Server-Side if Needed
If content is missing or shows as "Loading...", enable Server-Side Rendering.
Step 3: Use Advanced Only When Required
If Server-Side fails due to bot protection, upgrade to Advanced Rendering.
Common Scenarios
✓ Works with No Rendering
- • Traditional websites (WordPress, Shopify)
- • Content in page source
- • Server-rendered pages
- • Simple static sites
⚙️ Needs Server-Side Rendering
- • React/Vue/Angular apps
- • AJAX-loaded prices
- • JavaScript-rendered content
- • Lazy-loaded elements
🚀 Needs Advanced Rendering
- • Cloudflare-protected sites
- • reCAPTCHA challenges
- • Advanced bot detection
- • Complex fingerprinting
⚠️ May Not Work (Any Level)
- • Login-required content
- • Paywalled articles
- • Two-factor auth pages
- • Geo-restricted content
Testing Your Selection
Quick Test Method
- View page source (Ctrl+U or Cmd+U)
- Search (Ctrl+F) for the text you want to track
- If found in source → Use No Rendering
- If not in source → Use Server-Side or higher
Pro Tip: Content in Source Check
If your content appears when viewing page source, you don't need rendering! Save tokens by using "No Rendering" level.
Performance & Cost Impact
| Level | Speed | Token Cost | Success Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| No Rendering | ⚡⚡⚡ Fast | Base (10 tokens) | ~60% of sites |
| Server-Side | ⚡⚡ Medium | Base + 30 tokens | ~85% of sites |
| Advanced | ⚡ Slower | Base + 50 tokens | ~95% of sites |
Higher rendering levels increase both processing time and token costs. Only use what you need!
Quick Decision Guide
Q: Content shows "Loading..." or is empty?
A: Enable Server-Side Rendering
Q: Getting blocked by Cloudflare or bot protection?
A: Enable Advanced Rendering
Q: Content appears correctly with No Rendering?
A: Keep it! No need to upgrade
Q: Not sure which to choose?
A: Start with No Rendering, upgrade if needed
Next Steps
Now learn about screenshot settings to capture visual proof of changes alongside text content.
Configure Screenshot Settings
