Simon Hearne
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WebPerf video talk

WebPageTest Live: Third Parties and Request Map with Simon Hearne

Third parties have always been a challenge. Having resources loading on your site, beyond your control isn't something users sign up for. In 2015, Simon Hearne created a tool called REQUEST MAP to track just that: requests. This great visualization tool allowed you to see where the request as emerging from, and what was taking place afterwards. In today's episode of WebPageTest LIVE!, Simon Hearne joins us to walk us through this workflow using Request Map -- a supported WebPageTest integration, and how you can use it to see what exact resources are loading, possibly unbeknownst to users.
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Most WebPageTest walkthroughs stop at the waterfall. This session was about what you do next.

About the talk

A live WebPageTest session working through real publisher sites, using Request Map to see which third parties are pulling in which other third parties, and where that chain starts costing real time.

Alongside the audits it collects the practical mechanics that rarely make it into tutorials: getting past cookie consent banners without breaking your measurement, and a handful of bookmarklets that make WebPageTest's own interface easier to read.

What's covered

  • Live audits. Global Publishers, Harper's Bazaar and OK Magazine, with Request Map used to trace third-party chains back to whoever invited them.
  • Getting past cookie banners, two ways. Click the button with execAndWait, which simulates a first-time visit and can be merged using combineSteps or split with setEventName; or set the consent cookie directly with setCookie, which emulates a repeat visitor and is the better choice for testing holistic performance.
  • Why the cookie method needs maintenance. Consent cookies are time-limited, must be set on the exact page origin including protocol and without a trailing slash, and often need a combination of cookies before the banner clears.
  • Five bookmarklets. Widening filmstrips, widening the run column, reversing comparison order, jumping from SpeedCurve to the underlying WebPageTest result, and opening the Request Map beta from any test.
  • A workflow tip. Leave the Object tab open to skip quickly between images.

Recorded as a WebPageTest Live stream. Note that the WebPageTest and Request Map result links in the accompanying speaker notes have since expired.