FAQ
Frequently asked questions about PageDrifter.
Jump to:
Getting Started
What is PageDrifter?
PageDrifter is a website change detection and monitoring service. It automatically tracks changes to any webpage and notifies you when something changes.
How do I create my first monitor?
After signing up, click 'Add Monitor' from your dashboard, enter the URL you want to track, configure your settings, and save. PageDrifter will immediately take a snapshot and start monitoring.
What types of websites can I monitor?
You can monitor any publicly accessible webpage. This includes product pages, news sites, government portals, competitor websites, documentation, and more.
Do I need technical knowledge to use PageDrifter?
No! PageDrifter is designed to be user-friendly. Just paste a URL and we handle the rest. Advanced users can use CSS selectors and API access for more control.
Monitoring
How often does PageDrifter check my URLs?
Check frequency depends on your plan: Free (daily), Starter (hourly), Pro (5 minutes), Business (1 minute). You can set custom schedules within your plan's limits.
What counts as a 'change'?
A change is any difference in the monitored content compared to the previous snapshot. This could be text changes, new content, removed content, or visual differences depending on your monitor type.
Can I monitor specific parts of a page?
Yes! Use CSS selectors to focus on specific elements. For example, use '#price' to only monitor a price element, ignoring changes to other parts of the page.
What if a page requires JavaScript to load?
Enable JavaScript rendering in your monitor settings (available on Pro and Business plans). This uses a real browser to render the page before capturing content.
Can I monitor pages that require login?
Currently, PageDrifter monitors publicly accessible pages. Authenticated page monitoring is on our roadmap.
Why am I getting false positives?
Dynamic content like timestamps, ads, or session-specific elements can trigger false alerts. Use CSS selectors to exclude these elements, or increase your change threshold.
Notifications
How do I receive change notifications?
By default, you receive email notifications when changes are detected. You can also enable daily digests, webhooks (Pro+), or integrate with Slack/Discord.
Can I disable notifications for specific monitors?
Yes, you can disable notifications per monitor while keeping the monitor active. This is useful when you want to check changes manually.
What's included in a notification email?
Emails include the monitor name, URL, when the change was detected, what percentage changed, and a link to view the full diff in your dashboard.
How do I stop receiving emails?
You can adjust notification settings in Settings → Notifications, or click the unsubscribe link in any email to access preferences without logging in.
Billing
What counts as a 'check'?
A check is when we visit your URL to look for changes. Standard checks use 1 from your quota. Visual monitoring uses 2, and JavaScript rendering uses 3.
What happens if I exceed my check limit?
You'll receive a warning at 80% usage. If you exceed your limit, monitors are paused until the next billing cycle or until you upgrade.
Can I upgrade or downgrade my plan?
Yes, you can change plans anytime. Upgrades take effect immediately (prorated). Downgrades take effect at the end of your billing period.
Do you offer refunds?
We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on your first payment. Contact support within 30 days for a full refund.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept credit/debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), PayPal, and SEPA Direct Debit for EU customers. All payments are processed securely by Stripe.
Credits
What are credits?
Credits are a pay-per-use option for extra monitoring capacity. When you exceed your monthly plan quota, credits are automatically used to keep your monitors running.
When are credits used?
Credits are only consumed after your monthly plan checks are exhausted. Your plan quota is always used first, then credits kick in as overflow.
Do credits expire?
No, purchased credits never expire as long as your account is active. Unused credits carry over month to month.
Can I use credits on the Free plan?
Yes! Free plan users can purchase and use credits to extend their monitoring capacity without upgrading to a paid plan.
How many credits does a check cost?
Text and HTML monitoring: 1 credit. Visual (screenshot) monitoring: 2 credits. With JavaScript rendering: 3 credits.
What happens when I run out of credits?
If both your plan quota and credits are exhausted, monitors are paused until your next billing cycle or until you purchase more credits.
Can I get a refund on credits?
Credit purchases are non-refundable. However, since credits never expire, you can use them whenever you need extra capacity.
Where can I see my credit balance?
Your credit balance is shown on your dashboard and in Settings → Credits, where you can also purchase more credits and view transaction history.
API & Integrations
Does PageDrifter have an API?
Yes! Pro and Business plans include REST API access. You can create monitors, trigger checks, and retrieve change data programmatically.
How do I get an API key?
Go to Settings → API Keys to create and manage your API keys. Keys are shown once on creation, so save them securely.
What are webhooks?
Webhooks send real-time HTTP requests to your server when changes are detected. Use them to integrate with Slack, Discord, Zapier, or your own applications.
Is there a rate limit on the API?
Yes, API requests are limited to 60 per minute per API key. Rate limit headers are included in responses.
Security & Privacy
Is my data secure?
Yes. We use HTTPS encryption, secure infrastructure, and follow industry best practices. We never share your monitoring data with third parties.
Where is my data stored?
Data is stored on servers in the European Union. We comply with GDPR and offer data export and deletion on request.
Can I export my data?
Yes, you can request a full data export from Settings → Profile → Export Data. We'll prepare a download containing all your data.
How do I delete my account?
Go to Settings → Profile → Delete Account. This permanently removes all your data. This action cannot be undone.
Troubleshooting
My monitor shows 'Error' status. What does this mean?
This means we couldn't access the URL. Common causes: the page is down, the URL is incorrect, the page blocks our requests, or there's a network issue. Check the error details in the monitor view.
Why isn't my monitor detecting changes?
Verify the URL is correct, check if the page requires JavaScript (enable JS rendering), ensure your CSS selector matches existing elements, and confirm the page content actually changed.
The diff shows everything as changed. Why?
This usually happens with highly dynamic pages. Try using CSS selectors to target stable content, or increase your change threshold to filter minor variations.
I'm not receiving notification emails.
Check your spam folder, add noreply@pagedrifter.com to contacts, verify notifications are enabled in settings, and confirm the monitor is active.
Still have questions?
Can't find what you're looking for? We're here to help.