Recording Tests with the HTTP Proxy

Hand-building every request is slow and error-prone for a real app. JMeter can record your browser session and generate the requests for you.

The HTTP(S) Test Script Recorder sits as a proxy between your browser and the server, capturing every request that flows through it.

Add the recorder by right-clicking the Test Plan — it lives under Non-Test Elements, not inside a Thread Group.

Set a target controller so captured requests drop into a Recording Controller in your Thread Group, keeping everything organized.

The recorder listens on a port (default 8888). Point your browser's proxy at localhost:8888 so its traffic flows through JMeter.

For HTTPS, JMeter generates a temporary root certificate. Install it in your browser so encrypted traffic can be decrypted and recorded.

Click Start, walk through your user journey in the browser, then Stop. Each action becomes an HTTP Request sampler.

Browsers fetch images, CSS, and analytics you don't want to test. Add URL exclude patterns so static assets stay out of your recording.

After recording, tidy up: rename samplers meaningfully, drop duplicates, and group related requests into Transaction Controllers.

Recordings capture hardcoded values like session IDs or usernames. Parameterize them with variables so the test works for many users, not just you.

Recording is fastest for complex flows; manual building gives precise control. Most testers record first, then refine and parameterize by hand.

Quick check on what the recorder does and how to clean its output.

Recap: the Test Script Recorder proxies browser traffic into a Recording Controller. Set the proxy port, install the root CA for HTTPS, filter static assets, then clean up and parameterize.