Generating a HAR file for troubleshooting

Zendesk Customer Support may occasionally need additional information about the network requests that are generated in your browser. A member of the team may ask you to record a HAR file, or a log of network requests, while that issue occurs. It's also helpful to include any browser console logs in addition to a HAR file. 

Note: A HAR file includes data such as the content of your cookies and the pages you downloaded while making the recording. Anyone with access to the HAR file can view the data submitted while recording, which may include personal data or other sensitive data. Make sure that you secure your HAR files accordingly. Cloudflare has released a HAR sanitizer that can be used to strip any sensitive information. 

Click the tabs below to read the instructions to generate a HAR file and console logs in the browser that you use.

Chrome

Firefox

Safari

Edge

To generate a HAR file in Chrome

1. Open Chrome and go to the page where the issue is occurring.
2. Look for the ⋮ button and select More Tools > Developer Tools.
3. From the panel that appears, select the Network tab. You must keep the menu open while you reproduce the issue. 
   
   Optional: If Zendesk Customer Support requests a HAR file with WebSockets, select the WS option in the Network tab. Reload your browser to start seeing the traffic over the WebSocket.
   
   
   
4. Look for a round record button in the upper left corner of the tab, and make sure it is red. If it is grey, click the button once to start recording.
5. If it isn't, check the Preserve log box.
6. Click the crossed circle button to clear any existing logs from the network tab.
7. Reproduce the issue while the network requests are recorded.
8. Click the download button, Export HAR, to download, and save the file to your computer: Save as HAR with Content.
   

   

9. Upload the HAR file to your ticket with Zendesk Customer Support for further investigation.

The instructions are the same for a MAC computer or a Windows computer. Find below a brief animation with the steps to retrieve a HAR file in Chrome.

For any issues generating this file, see this article from Google's Help Center: Capture web session traffic.

Retrieving console logs in Chrome

1. Open Main Menu for Chrome.
2. Navigate to More Tools > Developer Tools.
3. Open the Console tab and screenshot any errors that appear.

To generate a HAR file in Firefox

1. Open Firefox and go to the page where the issue is occurring.
2. Open the Network Monitor.
3. Reproduce the issue while the network requests are recorded.
4. Right-click anywhere under the File column and click Save All As HAR.
   

   

5. Save the HAR file somewhere convenient.
6. Upload the HAR file to your ticket with Zendesk Customer Support for further investigation. 

The instructions are the same for a MAC computer or a Windows computer. For any issues generating a HAR file in Firefox, see this article from Firefox Source Docs: Network Monitor.

Retrieving console logs in Firefox

1. In the Tools menu, select Web Developer.
2. Console logs will appear in a separate window.
3. Screenshot any errors that appear.

To generate a HAR file in Safari

1. Open Safari and go to the Develop menu. If you don't see theDevelop menu, follow the instructions in this article from the Safari User Guide: Use the developer tools in the Develop menu in Safari on Mac.
2. Select Show Web Inspector.
3. Click the Network tab. You must keep it open while you reproduce the issue.
4. Reproduce the issue while the network requests are recorded.
5. Click the Export icon and save the HAR file.
   
6. Upload the HAR file to your ticket with Zendesk Customer Support for further investigation.

For any issues generating a HAR file in Safari, see this article from Safari Developer website: Web Inspector.

Retrieving console logs in Safari

1. Open Preferences and navigate to the Advanced tab.
2. Select Show Developer menu in the menu bar.
3. Close Preferences.
4. In the menu bar, select Developer > Show error console.
5. Screenshot any errors that appear.

To generate a HAR file in Edge

1. Open Edge and go to the Network tool.
2. Reproduce the issue while the network requests are recorded.
3. Export captured traffic as a HAR file.
4. Upload the HAR file to your ticket with Zendesk Customer Support for further investigation.

For any issues generating a HAR file in Safari, see this article from Microsoft Edge website: Inspect network activity.

Retrieving console logs in Edge

1. Select the three dots in the upper-right corner of your browser window.
2. Click More tools > Developer Tools.
3. In the DevTools panel, click the Console tab.
4. Right-click the console and select Clear Console of any pre-existing logs.
5. Check the Preserve Log checkbox.
6. Replicate the issue that you experienced in the Edge browser.
7. Screenshot any errors that appear.

Note: The widget in the lower right-hand corner of this page doesn't support the attachment of HAR files or files that exceed 50MB. Instead, attach the file to your ticket with Zendesk Customer Support through email or through a method such as Google Drive or Dropbox.

Additional resources

If you are experiencing issues with your account, see some of the short advice and troubleshooting articles: Advice and troubleshooting. If you aren't a Zendesk customer yet, register now for a Zendesk trial.