Events via FRT scenarios
Link analytics events to FRT scenarios — automatic validation without Gherkin tracking 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 tracking 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
Tracking 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
Tracking 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 tracking before Run. Results appear in the timeline under Tracking 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.
Misaligned step link (warning)
If an event is captured during the scenario but not on the FRT step linked in the plan, the audit reports warning (not fail): the event fired, but the plan's frtRef.stepIndex points to the wrong step. The report suggests the detected step and offers a one-click plan fix.
Events that never appear in the scenario buffer remain fail (event not detected).
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 tracking 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 tracking 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.