User Guide: Uploading a Manual Recording

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Uploading a Recording
• Email Testing
• Running the Test
• Viewing Results
• Understanding Test Statuses
• Troubleshooting Failed Tests
• Tips & Best Practices

Introduction

This guide explains how to upload a manually recorded JSON file to FormStatus and run a form monitoring test.

Manual recordings are typically created using the FormStatus Chrome Extension and can be used to verify:

• Page loading
• Form submissions
• Email delivery (optional)
• SSL certificate validity

Uploading a Recording

Step 1: Open the Upload Screen

1. Sign in to your FormStatus dashboard.
2. Click “+ New Form”.
3. Click the blue Upload Manual Recording link.
4. The Upload Manual Recording window will open.

Step 2: Upload Your JSON File

You will see a drag-and-drop upload area with a cloud icon.

Option A: Browse for a File

1. Click anywhere inside the upload area.
2. Select your recording .json file.

Option B: Drag and Drop

1. Locate the recording file on your computer.
2. Drag it into the upload area.
3. Release the file to upload.

Upload Confirmation

After a successful upload, you will see:

• The selected file name
• An Enable Email Testing option

At this point, your recording is ready to be tested.

Email Testing (Optional)

Email testing verifies that your form successfully sends notification emails after submission.

Requirements

To use this feature, the FormStatus WordPress Plugin must be installed and activated on your website.

Enable Email Testing

1. Turn on the Enable Email Testing toggle.
2. FormStatus will automatically check whether the plugin is installed.

Plugin Detected

If the plugin is found, you will see a green confirmation message:
FormStatus plugin detected – Email testing enabled
No further action is required.

Plugin Not Detected

If the plugin cannot be found, you will see a warning message:
FormStatus plugin not detected

To enable email testing:

1. Install the FormStatus WordPress Plugin.
2. Activate the plugin.
3. Return to the upload screen.
4. Try enabling email testing again.

Skip Email Testing

If email validation is not required:

• Leave the toggle disabled.

The test will still verify:

• Page loading
• Form submission
• SSL validity

Running the Test

Once your recording has been uploaded:

1. Click Run Test.

The button will change to:
Running...

Test Started

After the test begins:

1. A confirmation message appears:Manual recording test started!
2. You are automatically redirected to the test results page.

Viewing Results

The Check Details page displays the outcome of the test.
You can monitor progress in real time and review completed results.

What Gets Checked

Depending on your configuration, FormStatus performs the following checks.

Page Load
Verifies that the form page loads successfully.

Form Submission
Confirms that the form can be submitted without errors.

Email Receive
Checks whether the expected email notification is received.
This check only appears when Email Testing is enabled.

SSL Check
Validates that the website's SSL certificate is active and functioning correctly.

Screen Recording

Each test includes a screen recording of the automated replay process.

You can watch the recording to:

• Verify user actions
• Review test execution
• Identify failures or unexpected behavior

Understanding Test Statuses

The following status indicators may appear during or after a test.

Status Descriptions

Passed
The check completed successfully and no issues were detected.

Pending
The check is currently in progress.
Refresh the page or check back shortly for updates.

Failed
An error prevented the check from completing successfully.
Review the error details provided on the page.

Warning
The check completed but detected a potential issue that may require attention.

Disabled
The check was intentionally skipped or not applicable for this test.

Troubleshooting Failed Tests

If a test fails:

1. Review the error message displayed on the Check Details page.
2. Watch the screen recording to identify where the failure occurred.
3. Verify that the form is functioning correctly on the live website.
4. Upload a new recording and run the test again if necessary.

View Test History

To review previous executions:

1. Click Back to Logs.
2. Browse the list of historical test runs.
3. Open any test to view detailed results and recordings.

Tips & Best Practices

Every Upload Creates a New Test
Each uploaded recording generates a separate test run.

Historical Results Are Saved
All test executions remain available from the Logs page for future reference.

Recording Retention Period
Screen recordings are automatically retained based on the test result:

Updated on: 20/07/2026