Mabl Trainer FAQs

Interacting with elements

Can I train a browser test against SVG elements?

Yes, you can click on and assert against <svg> elements and elements within an <svg> tag in the mabl Trainer.

📘

Limitation

The mabl Trainer cannot record clicks or assertions on specific coordinates within <path> elements.

Can I train a browser test against canvas elements?

The mabl Trainer can find <canvas> elements but is not aware of the contents of the <canvas>. When playing back click steps, the mabl Trainer can only click on the center of the <canvas> element.

Can I train against a context/right-click menu?

The mabl Trainer can record right click steps in applications that have a custom context menu, also known as a custom right-click menu. For example, if your application shows its own menu on right click, the Trainer can record steps interacting with that context menu.

The Trainer cannot capture interactions with the default context menu in your browser window because it is not part of the actual webpage.

Can mabl interact with elements within a shadow DOM?

Yes, the mabl Trainer can record steps that target elements within a shadow DOM. For more information on training against shadow DOM elements, see our guide on testing in the shadow DOM.

Can the mabl Trainer interact with basic auth popups?

The mabl Trainer cannot interact with basic auth popups. When recording and replaying steps in the Trainer, you must enter basic auth credentials manually. However, mabl does support configuring basic auth credentials for local and cloud runs.

Can the mabl Trainer interact with prompts and popups?

Browser prompts, such as window.alert(), are part of the browser and not part of the webpage. Because they are not part of the webpage, mabl cannot record interactions with these popups. These prompts are automatically dismissed during Trainer replay, local runs, and cloud run. See our guide on automatic popup dismissal for more information.

Why isn't the mabl Trainer recording my clicks or interactions?

Make sure the record button is turned on. You will see a glowing red Rec if it is. Mabl supports the vast majority of interactions with webpage elements as long as the page itself is HTML.

If the element is not part of the HTML of the page, the mabl Trainer cannot interact with it. The mabl Trainer cannot interact with settings on your local browser or machine, such as Chrome DevTools or print dialogs.

If you turned on the record button and the mabl Trainer still isn't recording or playing steps, see the guide on setting up your network for mabl for more information.

Trainer functionality

How can I scroll up or down a page using the mabl Trainer?

During Trainer replay, local runs, and cloud runs, the mabl Trainer automatically scrolls to the target element as long as the element exists in the page.

📘

Limitation

The mabl Trainer does not support scrolling to elements that are not in the HTML of the webpage. This means that if your application contains any lazy loading functionality, our existing scrolling will not help.

If you are comfortable with creating and maintaining JavaScript snippets, you may try this workaround from the mabl snippet repo to implement scrolling within a lazy-loaded list.

Can the mabl Trainer copy text to the clipboard?

No, the mabl Trainer does not support copying text to the clipboard. If you want to capture a value for later use, you can create a variable instead.

Why doesn't Trainer playback stop after I click the pause button?

If you are running a test in the mabl Trainer and click the pause button, the mabl Trainer does not stop execution until after it finishes the step that is currently running.

Can the mabl Trainer upload a file that was downloaded within the Trainer in a previous test step?

No, the Trainer cannot upload a file that was downloaded in a previous test step because the Trainer cannot access the location of files downloaded within the Trainer.

Browser settings

How can I determine what browser version I am training against locally?

The mabl Trainer uses the Chrome version on your local machine. To ensure more consistent results between Trainer, local, and cloud runs, we recommend keeping your local Chrome app up to date.

Can I open a different browser in the mabl Trainer?

The mabl Trainer is only supported for use with Chrome. While it is possible to update the browser path to a different Chromium browser, such as Microsoft Edge, in the Preferences menu: Edit > Preferences, keep in mind that incorrectly configuring the browser path may break test creation and editing.

Can the mabl Trainer test webcam and microphone access?

Yes, webcam and microphone access is supported for tests running on Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. If your application includes a browser webcam or microphone APIs, the mabl Trainer supplies a default feed for testing.

Other questions

What can I do if my test is failing in the Trainer but passing in the cloud?

When a test fails in the Trainer but passes in the cloud, you can take the following steps to troubleshoot the issue:

1. Make sure the Desktop App is up to date: Ensure that you're using the latest version of the mabl Desktop App.
2. Make sure local and cloud runs use the same Chrome version: Local runs use the version of Chrome installed on your computer. To check the Chrome version on your computer, visit chrome://version in a Chrome browser window. To check the Chrome version used for cloud runs, go to the Results page in the mabl app and hover over an icon from a recent Chrome run. If your Chrome version is out of date, update it.

3. Replay the test: Replay the test in the mabl Trainer and in the cloud. If the test still consistently fails in the Trainer, identify which step it fails on and review the same step in the cloud run test output.
4. Compare screenshots and settings: Review the steps that lead up to the failing step in the test output. Compare session configuration settings in the mabl Trainer with test settings for the cloud run. If you identify any differences, investigate why they occurred.

How can I share a DOM snapshot of the current page in the mabl Trainer?

If you need to download a snapshot of your current page in the mabl Trainer to share with a team member or mabl support, leave the Trainer open on the page and go to Help > Troubleshooting > Get MHTML snapshot of the page in the mabl Desktop App.