Run a test manually

Use Run Now to run a test on demand instead of waiting for a scheduled test run. This adds the run results to the test metrics for monitoring.

In Splunk Synthetics, test runs are either ephemeral or persisted:

  • Ephemeral runs are those whose results are not stored or used for monitoring; their results don't affect run metrics. Try Now runs are ephemeral.

  • Persisted runs are those whose results are stored and used for monitoring. All synthetics tests that you schedule are persisted. In addition, Run Now runs are persisted.

Here is some guidance on when to use each type of run.

Type of run

Use cases

Try Now

  • Check that the steps you added to a new or existing test are correct.

  • Validate your test configuration.

Scheduled

  • Review run results.

  • Run a test on a schedule.

Run Now
  • Run a test on demand.
  • Verify that a fix you made (either to the test or to the application) resolves a failed test run.

The Run Now feature allows you to run synthetic tests on demand. Unlike Try Now, on-demand test runs count towards a subscription, show up in the Test Overview as test runs, and produce metrics data. They are marked as Manual on the user interface. In API responses, they return a trigger_type of manual, as opposed to scheduled runs which return a trigger_type of scheduled.

The Run Now feature is available to all users who can create and modify tests.

How to use Run Now

Trigger an on-demand test run in any of these ways:

  • On the Test Overview page, select the vertical dots to the left of a test, and then select Run test now.
  • On a test details or edit page, select Run test now.
  • Call API endpoint POST /tests/{testId}/run_now.
When you trigger an on-demand test, the Test Overview page shows a banner indicating that the run is executing. When that run finishes, a banner displays that allows you to go directly to the run result.
Use case scenarios

Use Run Now to run a test on demand instead of waiting for a scheduled test run.

Limitations

  • You can run a maximum of 100 Run Now runs per test per 10 minutes. If you exceed this limit either through the user interface or API, the test returns a 429 error (Too Many Requests) with a message to Retry later.

  • If you initiate a Run Now run when a test is under an active downtime configuration:

    • The UI notifies you that there's an active downtime configuration and gives you the option to bypass it by selecting Run result anyway or by selecting X. You can do the same on the API by using force: true on the POST request body.

    • If the active downtime configuration is set to either Augment data or Pause tests, the on-demand run will have dimension under_maintenance:true added to its metrics.