# Console and browser errors

Canonical: https://fairleadhq.com/docs/recorder/console/

Updated: 2026-10-07
Publication state: published
Product version: Source verified — 52de40a

Agent summary: Inspect messages, exceptions, and their place in the recorded sequence. A clean console does not prove a passed test; console text needs manual privacy review.

## Prerequisites

- A recorded session open in the viewer

## Inputs

- Console messages and browser errors

## Outputs

- Messages linked to the observed behavior

## Limitations

- A clean console does not prove a passed test; console text needs manual privacy review

## Permissions

- Access to the session

## Privacy

- Review captured content before sharing


Inspect messages, exceptions, and their place in the recorded sequence.

Use **Console** to inspect messages and errors captured during the retained interval. Combine them with the visible result and relevant requests.

## Find relevant messages

1. Open the [session viewer](https://fairleadhq.com/docs/recorder/session-viewer/).
2. Select **Console**.
3. Narrow the entries by **Level** or **Source**.
4. Select a message to inspect its details.

Opening Console from the Overview issue summary preselects errors and warnings. Change **Level** to see other messages if entries seem missing.

Review the message text, available exception details, and stack trace. Compare absolute timestamps and elapsed times with the action you are investigating. Source filters distinguish different origins of diagnostic messages; do not assume every entry came from the application code you own.

## Trace the context

Follow an available action association to inspect nearby behavior. It is an inferred timing relationship, not proof of causation. Compare related [network traffic](https://fairleadhq.com/docs/recorder/network/) to determine whether an error accompanies a failed request or another event.

For application console entries and browser logs with stable entry identifiers, add a [source-linked note](https://fairleadhq.com/docs/recorder/notes/) with what you observed and why the message matters. Include uncertainty where the stack or context is incomplete.

## Share useful evidence

The local download includes captured console content in `console.log` when available. Review it before sharing: console messages have no automatic secret matching and may contain credentials, personal data, or application payloads. In a local session, use **Redact** on an entry, message, stack trace, or supported argument; saved choices apply to the report and `console.log`. Check the exported file after making changes.

Include the expected and actual result with the relevant timestamps. A list of errors without the triggering conditions is often insufficient to reproduce the problem.

## Interpret an empty console

Check filters first. The absence of a message may reflect the retained interval, capture availability, or the application never emitting that message. The [real sample](https://fairleadhq.com/docs/recorder/schema/#sample-reproduction-bundle) reports zero console errors and contains no console log, yet records a visible badge defect. A clean console does not prove the test passed. Use [Record test outcomes](https://fairleadhq.com/docs/recorder/test-outcomes/) to assess the actual acceptance criteria.