Canary Recorder Extension

The Canary Recorder extension lets you record a user flow directly in Chrome and turn that recording into a workflow. Use it when you want a faster way to capture real browser actions without building every step manually.

01When to use Canary Recorder

Use Canary Recorder when you want to capture a flow as you perform it in the browser. It works well for login paths, common product journeys, and other repeatable tasks that you want to convert into a reusable workflow.

Choose the extension when you want to:

• Record a flow in a Chrome-based browser instead of building steps one by one
• Match the recording to the correct property before you start
• Pick the credentials the recording should use
• Pause and resume while you move through a flow
• Hand off the result directly to workflow creation

If you already know the exact steps you want to author by hand, use workflow editing after the recording is created.

02How the recorder flow works

The recorder flow starts in the Canary Recorder Chrome extension. You sign in, connect the extension to your account, match the recording to a property, choose credentials, and then control the recording as you move through your app.

After you stop the recording, Canary opens the workflow creation flow so you can turn the captured actions into a workflow.

Sign in and connect the extension

1. Install the Canary Recorder extension in a Chrome-based browser.
2. Open the extension from your browser toolbar.
3. Click Sign in.
4. Complete sign-in with your Canary account.
5. Return to the extension and confirm that it is connected.

Use the same account you use in Canary so the extension can access the properties you can work with.

Match a recording to a property

Before you record, match the session to the property where the workflow belongs. This keeps the recording aligned with the correct environment, credentials, and downstream workflow setup.

1. Open the extension.
2. Find the property selector.
3. Choose the property that matches the app and environment you want to record against.
4. Confirm the selected property before you begin.

If your team works across multiple properties, double-check the property every time you start a new recording.

Choose credentials for recording

Use credentials to record the flow with the right account context. Select the credential set that matches the scenario you want the future workflow to cover.

1. In the extension, open the credential selector.
2. Review the available credentials for the selected property.
3. Choose the credential you want to use for the recording.
4. Start the flow and sign in or continue the scenario with that account context.

If your team manages shared test accounts, keep credential names clear so you can choose the right one quickly. For more on working with credentials, see /docs/reference/credentials.

Start, pause, and stop recording

Before you start recording, grant the extension access to the site you want to capture. Canary now supports a broader set of origins for extension-based recording and related browser tools, so connections are more reliable across more Canary pages and recording flows.

1. Open the site you want to record in a tab.
2. Click the Canary Recorder extension in your browser toolbar.
3. If Chrome prompts for access, grant access for the current site.
4. If the extension asks you to connect to Canary, complete that connection in the tab Chrome opens.
5. Return to the tab you want to record and confirm that the extension is ready.
6. Click Start recording.
7. Perform the steps you want to save.
8. Click Pause if you need to stop capture temporarily.
9. Click Resume to continue the same recording.
10. Click Stop recording when the flow is complete.

When you grant access for one site, the extension can record on that site only. If your flow moves to a different domain or environment, grant access there too before you continue recording.

If the extension opens Canary in a new tab during sign-in or connection, finish that step there and then return to your recording tab. Because Canary now supports more origins for recorder connectivity, this handoff works across a wider range of Canary-hosted pages than before.

Use pause when you need to avoid capturing irrelevant actions, setup work, or navigation that does not belong in the final workflow.

If your flow opens a new tab or switches between tabs, keep working in the tab you want to capture. The recorder now follows the active tab more reliably, so the captured video stays aligned with the tab you are actively using during multi-tab flows.

If the site is already open when you grant access, the recorder now behaves more predictably in that tab. In most cases, you can start recording without manually reloading the page first.

The recorder is more resilient during page navigation, refreshes, and tab changes during longer sessions. If your flow moves across multiple pages, opens a new tab, or returns to an earlier tab, continue the recording after the page settles and verify the captured result before you submit it.

Create a workflow from a recording

When you stop the recording, Canary hands you off to workflow creation. Review the captured flow and continue with workflow setup so the recording becomes a reusable asset for your team.

From there, you can:

• Name the workflow clearly
• Review the recorded steps
• Watch live workflow-generation progress after you submit the recording
• Regenerate the workflow later from the original recording if you want to try again
• Make any needed edits after creation
• Save the workflow for future runs

Recorded flows now include richer interaction data and step-level screenshots, which can make the generated workflow easier to review and refine in /docs/reference/workflows.

What happens after you submit a recording

After you submit the recording, Canary starts building the workflow draft and shows live status updates in the app. Use these updates to track progress instead of wondering whether generation is still running.

While generation runs, you can monitor what stage Canary is in, then open the draft workflow when processing finishes. If generation takes longer than expected, keep the page open and wait for the status to finish updating before retrying.

Managing recordings and generated workflows

Use the extension and the workflow settings together to keep track of recent recording-based workflow creation.

The extension now includes a recent activity view so you can quickly check the status of workflows created from your latest recordings and reopen them without searching through the app.

If a generated workflow does not look right, regenerate it from the original recording instead of recording the whole flow again. Open the workflow created from the recording, go to its recording-related settings, and start regeneration from there.

Use regeneration when the original recording is still valid but you want Canary to produce a better draft. After regeneration finishes, review the updated workflow and make any manual edits you need.

03Requirements and limitations

Keep these requirements and limitations in mind when you use Canary Recorder:

Requirement or limitation	Details
Browser support	Use a Chrome-based browser with the Canary Recorder extension installed.
Account access	Sign in with a Canary account that can access the target property.
Property selection	Match each recording to the correct property before you start.
Credential availability	Only credentials available to the selected property can be used during recording.
Recording scope	Record only the actions you want to turn into a workflow. Pause when you need to exclude extra activity.
Workflow handoff	A recording is intended to continue into workflow creation after you stop recording.

04Best practices

• Choose the correct property before every recording, especially if you work in multiple environments.
• Use credentials that match the exact user state you want the workflow to validate.
• Keep recordings focused on one clear flow instead of combining multiple scenarios in one session.
• Pause recording during setup steps that should not become part of the workflow.
• If your flow opens a new tab, switch promptly to the tab you want to capture and complete the relevant action there before moving again.
• Grant site access on each site or environment your flow uses before you continue recording in a new tab.
• After a multi-tab flow, review the captured video and steps to confirm the recording followed the expected tab sequence.
• Name the resulting workflow based on the user outcome, not just the page sequence.
• Review the created workflow after recording and clean up any unnecessary steps.

05Troubleshooting

Issue	What to do
Workflow generation seems stuck after submission	Stay on the workflow creation page and watch the live status updates. Wait for the current stage to finish before resubmitting.
Generated workflow needs another pass	Regenerate the workflow from the original recording instead of creating a new recording. Then review the new draft in /docs/reference/workflows.
You cannot find a recently created workflow	Open the extension and check Recent activity to find the latest recording-based workflows and their status.
The recorder does not appear on a site	Open the Canary Recorder extension and grant access for that specific site in Chrome. Then try again in the same tab.
You granted site access but recording still does not start	Wait a moment and try Start recording again. Recorder behavior in already-open tabs is more predictable now, so you usually do not need to reload. If the site still does not respond, reload the tab once and retry.
The extension cannot connect back to Canary during sign-in or setup	Complete the sign-in or connection flow in the Canary tab the extension opens, then return to the extension. Recorder connectivity now works across a broader set of Canary origins, so make sure you finish the flow on the page that opened instead of starting over in another tab.
A Canary page opens during extension setup, but the extension still looks disconnected	Refresh the extension popover or close and reopen it after you finish sign-in. If needed, repeat the connection flow from the opened Canary page and then return to the tab you want to record.
A long recording includes navigation, refreshes, or tab changes	Continue the flow after the page settles, then review the captured result before submitting. The recorder is designed to resume more smoothly across these transitions.
The captured video shows the wrong tab or misses part of a multi-tab flow	Repeat the flow and keep the tab you want to record active while you perform the action. If the flow moves to another site, grant access there before continuing, then review the captured video again after submission.
The workflow includes extra setup actions	Use Pause and Resume more aggressively during recording, then remove any remaining unwanted steps after creation.
Your flow moves to another site and recording stops	Grant the extension access to the new site, then continue the recording flow there.

06Related

• /docs/reference/workflows
• /docs/reference/credentials
• /docs/reference/ad-hoc-tests