Auto Refresh Plus provides two different detection methods for Page Monitor: Visual Detection and Source Code Detection. Choosing the correct method helps ensure that changes are detected accurately on the websites you monitor.
Available Detection Methods
Visual Detection
Visual Detection monitors the content that is visible on the webpage.
This includes:
- Text displayed on the page
- Images
- Buttons
- Layout changes
- Other visible page elements
Visual Detection is recommended for most users because it tracks changes exactly as they appear to visitors viewing the page.
Common use cases include:
- Monitoring product availability
- Tracking price changes
- Detecting new content
- Watching stock status updates
Source Code Detection
Source Code Detection monitors the underlying HTML structure of a webpage rather than what is visually displayed.
This method analyzes:
- HTML content
- Scripts
- Page source changes
- Hidden elements and code-level updates
Source Code Detection is generally intended for advanced users who need to monitor websites where changes occur in the page source before becoming visible on the page.
Which Option Should I Choose?
For most monitoring tasks, Visual Detection is the recommended option.
Use Visual Detection when:
- You want to monitor text visible on the page
- You are tracking product availability
- You are monitoring prices or content changes
- You want the simplest and most reliable setup
Use Source Code Detection when:
- You need to monitor HTML changes
- The website updates data in the source code
- Visual monitoring is not detecting the changes you need
How to Change the Detection Method
Follow these steps:
- Open the Auto Refresh Plus extension
- Go to Monitor
- Locate Find Monitor Text In
- Select either Visual Detection or Source Code Detection
- Start monitoring
The selected detection method applies to the current website.
Important Notes
- Visual Detection is recommended for most users
- Source Code Detection is designed for advanced monitoring scenarios
- Different websites may work better with different detection methods
- Detection method settings can be configured separately for each URL
Summary
Page Monitor includes two detection methods to suit different monitoring needs. Visual Detection focuses on what users see on the page and works best in most situations, while Source Code Detection examines the page's underlying HTML for deeper, more technical tracking.