Tester Version 4.1: Charts in Reports, Clearer Modals, and More
Following the recent release of version 4.0, we’ve prepared another batch of enhancements for our web speed monitoring tool.
Alongside a host of small tweaks and bug fixes, we bring you several new features for users.
Charts Now Included in Watchdog Reports (PLUS Tests)
The Watchdog is our most popular feature among clients and ourselves alike, as it saves significant time in our speed consultation.
The Watchdog sends smart notifications about significant changes in web speed to your email, Slack, or Teams. We've now added a chart snippet to these notifications, providing a visual context to help you easily determine whether it's a major issue or just a minor hiccup.
Watchdog
You can try out the Watchdog feature as part of our nearly ready PLUS tests, but the most eager among you can request access right now.
Adjusted Behavior After Changing URLs in Settings (All Plans)
During speed monitoring, you might need to add or swap a URL of a page being tested.
This isn't unusual, but it greatly impacts the charts you see in the tester, especially the Watchdog chart which calculates values based on the URLs visible in Settings.
We've now addressed URL changes differently:
- We'll notify you that this will affect the charts.
- We'll add a note about the URL change to the charts.
- We'll discard the existing calculated Watchdog limits and establish a new baseline after 14 days.
This ensures you won't receive alerts about speed improvements or declines caused simply by a change in settings.
Clearer Modals with Results and Transition to Pages (PLUS Tests)
You might have noticed that clicking on a chart opens a modal window with measurement results for a specific day. This is extremely useful for understanding where the numbers come from.
Now, it's even more useful. We've simplified the modal window and now display only the measurement values that actually appear in the chart.
Easily transition from Watchdog to the same chart in the Pages report.
We've also added a link in the Watchdog report modals to the specific chart in the Pages report. This will come in handy when you need to understand which pages most affected a particular metric.
This concludes the selection of the top three changes, but there's much more. For instance:
- We've changed the testing times for free tests, providing more stable results.
- Updated the FAQ, explaining some basic principles of the tester's operation.
- The domain distribution chart now includes a tooltip explaining switching.
- Improved access to the application for non-logged-in users, such as from email reports.
- Fixed a bug preventing the saving of older tests in Settings.
- Corrected the display of zones on the vertical axis in Watchdog charts.
- Simplified the interface for less color and more contrast (especially headings and icons).
- Fine-tuned the appearance of Opportunities.
After releasing version 4.1, we're continuing our work. We welcome your feedback on using the tool and, of course, feel free to report any issues in chat or at info@pagespeed.cz.