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To monitor a page with Distill.io, add a monitor from its browser extension or web app, choose the full page or the specific elements that matter, verify the selection, then set where and how often it checks and add an alert action. Before choosing a schedule, decide whether checks should run locally on your device or in Distill’s cloud: local checks depend on your browser or computer being available, while cloud checks continue when it is off.
Choose local or cloud monitoring first
This choice affects availability, check intervals, accounting, and some supported content. Distill’s published comparison says local checks run in your browser or on your computer; cloud checks run on Distill’s servers. The published details can vary with plan and configuration, so check your account’s current terms before relying on a particular interval or allowance.
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| Consideration | Local | Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Where checks run | Your browser or computer | Distill’s servers |
| Device availability | The browser or app must be running; checks stop when the device is unavailable | Your own device can be off while checks continue |
| Published minimum interval | As short as 5 seconds | Distill lists a 2-minute minimum on Flexi |
| Check accounting | Listed as unlimited | Checks count toward plan allowances |
| Formats and proxies | PDF/XML and proxies are listed as unsupported locally | PDF/XML and cloud proxies are listed as supported |
Use local monitoring when you need short intervals and can keep the relevant browser or device running. Choose cloud when checks need to continue without your computer, and confirm the plan allowance and minimum interval that apply to your account. Distill’s current local/cloud comparison is at Local vs. cloud monitoring; the platform overview also describes the extension and web-app options at Getting started.
Set up a monitor in the browser extension
- Install the Distill extension in a supported browser—its setup guidance covers Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Edge—and pin or expose the Distill toolbar icon.
- Open the page you want to watch and click the Distill icon.
- Choose Monitor full page to track the whole page, or Monitor parts of page to focus on a section. For a price or other specific detail, select only the relevant content to avoid unrelated page changes triggering alerts.
- If selecting a section, click the intended area, adjust its bounds if needed, and inspect the preview. Choose Save Selection when the highlighted area matches what you want monitored.
- In the monitor options, choose the device or monitoring mode, give the monitor a recognizable name, and set the check schedule.
- Use Add action to configure one or more notifications, then save the monitor. Some actions require signing in or supplying account details, and availability depends on plan.
- Open the saved monitor in the Watchlist to check its preview and change history.
Distill’s extension setup steps are documented in its Chrome monitoring guide.
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Set up a monitor in the web app
- Open the Distill web app and select Add monitor.
- Choose Web Page and enter the page URL.
- Choose Monitor Parts of Page for a targeted watch, or use the adjacent menu’s Full Page option to monitor the page as a whole.
- When the visual selector opens, enable selection mode, hover over the content you want, and select it. You can select multiple areas. Save the selection when the preview reflects the intended content. To monitor the full page, save without selecting specific elements.
- On the options page, choose the schedule and add notification actions.
- Save the monitor, then open its preview to review the change history.
See Distill’s web-app monitoring guide for its workflow.
Make the visual selection useful
A monitor is only as useful as the content it watches. Distill’s selector converts visual selections into selectors: the web app defaults to CSS selectors, while browser extensions default to XPath selectors. It also supports manually created JavaScript selectors. You can select multiple elements, expand or contract a selection, and exclude unwanted elements. See Distill’s selector documentation.
- For a price, availability label, or status, keep the selection close to that information rather than including the entire page.
- Inspect the preview before setting frequent checks. A selection that includes a clock, rotating promotion, or unrelated recommendations may generate noise.
- For cloud full-page monitoring, Distill says ad and cookie-popup blockers are enabled by default and those contents are excluded from selection. Check the preview on the actual page to ensure that behavior matches what you intend to watch.
Set a schedule and notifications
Choose the schedule based on how quickly you need to know about a change, then weigh that against device availability or cloud plan limits. Distill lists email, SMS, push notifications, Discord, Slack, MS Teams, and webhook-integrated apps as possible notification channels. The available actions and quotas depend on your plan; do not assume every channel is available on every account. Distill’s notification overview is at Notifications, and its plan details are on the pricing page.
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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Distill’s pricing page lists Free, Starter, Professional, and Flexi plans. Displayed prices and allowances can change, so consult the live page for current plan names, prices, monitor counts, cloud intervals, checks, devices, and alert limits rather than relying on a copied price list.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Pages that need sign-in or cookies
A local monitor can use cookies already available in the browser. A cloud monitor does not automatically share the browser profile stored on your own computer, so a page that requires sign-in may behave differently in cloud checks. Distill’s documentation marks its older cloud-profile cookie workflow as deprecated in favor of Dedicated Cloud Devices. Because that workflow is transitional, consult Distill’s current Dedicated Cloud Device instructions before configuring a signed-in page; do not assume the older profile steps still apply. See Distill’s cloud profile documentation.
Troubleshooting common setup problems
- The wrong part of the page is monitored: reopen the selection preview, adjust or replace the highlighted area, and save it again. Exclude changing regions that are not relevant.
- Alerts arrive for unrelated changes: narrow the selection to the information you care about and inspect whether dynamic page content is included.
- Checks stop when your computer sleeps or the browser closes: this is expected for local monitoring. Keep the device and browser available, or use cloud monitoring if your plan and page support it.
- The cloud version shows a sign-in page instead of the expected content: the cloud check does not inherit your local browser cookies. Check Distill’s current Dedicated Cloud Device setup for authenticated pages.
- A desired notification action is missing or cannot be saved: sign in and provide any requested channel details; confirm that your plan includes the action and any needed quota.
- The schedule cannot be set as frequently as expected: check whether the monitor is local or cloud and review the current plan’s minimum interval and allowance.
Or skip the browser setup
If you need a screenshot rather than an ongoing change monitor, ScreenshotNeo can return a page screenshot or PDF from one GET request. It is a screenshot API and MCP server, not a replacement for Distill’s scheduled monitoring.
For example, save a WebP screenshot of a page with cURL:
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options. Cookie banners, popups, and chat widgets are removed before the shot; bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are never billed. Its MCP server lets AI agents use tools including take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Sign up free for ScreenshotNeo.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
