Start with an owned target
Choose an authorized hostname and a non-destructive path. Keep production login, real checkout, account deletion and customer-changing actions outside an exploratory test. Use test accounts and a sandbox when a workflow writes data.
Choose the smallest useful check
Use an HTTP request for status, headers, response text and redirect checks. Use your own browser runner for JavaScript, layout, selectors or screenshots. A proxy is a network connection, not a browser or an accessibility test.
Separate network and application failures
Record timeout stage, HTTP status, assertion result and request identifier. Test the same URL without the proxy where authorized to isolate origin behavior. Keep TLS verification enabled and bound retries so a failing test cannot become a load test.
Mark and budget synthetic traffic
Use a synthetic marker and exclude these runs from business analytics. Set maximum concurrency, duration, requests and bytes. The portal’s documented HTTP tests are distinct from planned browser-journey or scheduling capabilities; consult the live interface for availability.