Events via FRT scenarios
Link analytics events to FRT scenarios — automatic validation without Gherkin analytics steps.
VisualQ validates analytics events the same way it validates page variables: configure the plan, link a scenario, and the engine compares captured network hits after replay.
Model at a glance
| Level | Link | Matrix | Runtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Page | VRT scenario → pageIds[] | Page variables × page | Page analytics audit |
| Event | FRT scenario → frtRef | Event variables × event | Tracking overlay after FRT scenario |
You do not need Then the analytics event "av.play" should fire steps in your Gherkin features.
Setup
1. Define the event
Analytics tab → Events: name (av.play), trigger, category.
2. Fill the matrix
Event variables tab: for each variable (e.g. av_content_id), set the expected value on av.play (not_empty, static, enum, etc.).
3. Link the FRT scenario
On the event, attach an FRT scenario (feature + exact scenario name). Multiple events can point to the same scenario.
Run validation
Analytics audit (dashboard)
Full audit or Run full quality audit: VisualQ dispatches one FRT run per feature, replays each linked scenario once, then post-audits every mapped event.
Standalone FRT
On an FRT feature page, check Verify analytics before Run. Results appear in the timeline under Analytics overlay.
Runtime behaviour
- The FRT scenario runs normally (functional steps only).
- Network capture collects TMS hits (Piano, GA4, Tealium, …) for the whole scenario.
- After the scenario, VisualQ compares each mapped event against the
eventVariablesmatrix. - Analytics status is independent of FRT pass/fail: a scenario can fail on a click while still exposing a misconfigured
av.play.
One replay → multiple events
If av.play, av.buffer.start, and av.start share the same FRT scenario:
- 1 scenario execution
- 3 results in the analytics report (one per event)
Piano 3-way check
With Piano integration (Business+), server-side comparison uses the same event variables. Piano verification is scheduled when the parent run completes (pages + FRT).
Gherkin analytics steps (optional)
System steps Then the analytics event … remain available for manual debugging in the FRT timeline. They are no longer the primary path for project audits.