Docent

Tracking since Apr 22, 2026.

Changelog

• May 4, 2026
  description

  Docent records browser interactions alongside step-by-step narration and exports the result as a structured JSON file.
  
  Each recording is a sequence of steps. Each step pairs what was narrated with the exact browser actions that were performed — clicks, navigation, keyboard input, file uploads, tab switches, scrolls, and more. The result is a .docent.json file that describes what happened, in order, with full context.
  
  Most browser recording tools produce code — Playwright scripts, Selenium tests, Puppeteer flows. They assume you want to replay what was recorded, and they assume a specific framework to replay it in.
  
  Docent produces data, not code. The output makes no assumptions about what receives it or what it does with it. The dispatch payload includes a reading guide that describes the data format, so any receiving system can interpret it without prior knowledge of Docent.
  
  HOW IT WORKS
  
  1. Open the Docent side panel in Chrome
  2. Create a project and a recording — capture starts automatically
  3. Narrate the step
  4. Perform the actions in the browser
  5. Click Done this step — repeat for each step
  6. Click Export — a .docent.json file is downloaded
  7. Run the dispatch script to send the active steps to a configured endpoint
  
  WHAT GETS CAPTURED
  
  - Clicks (including custom components and web elements)
  - Keyboard input (Enter, Escape, Tab, arrow keys)
  - Text input and form changes
  - File uploads
  - Select / dropdown changes
  - Right-clicks
  - Drag and drop
  - Scroll (significant scrolls only, debounced)
  - Page navigation (back, forward, reload, link clicks, SPA navigation)
  - Tab switches, tab opens, tab closes
  - Interactions inside iframes
  
  EDITING RECORDINGS
  
  Steps can be re-recorded, reordered, and deleted at any point before export. Full version history is preserved — nothing is permanently lost.
  
  DISPATCH
  
  A Node.js dispatch script (included) extracts the active steps from an export and sends them, along with a reading guide, to a configured HTTP endpoint. Supports dry-run preview, per-recording filtering, and custom guidance documents.
  
  Requires Node.js 20+.
  
  OPEN SOURCE
  
  Docent is open source under the GNU General Public License v3.0.
  Source: https://github.com/Arsarneq/docent

  Docent — Demonstrated Behaviour Capture
  
  Record any browser workflow as structured, portable data — ready for AI agents, test automation, or documentation.
  
  Docent pairs what you do in the browser with plain-English narration for each step. The result is a .docent.json file: a complete, ordered record of the workflow that any downstream system can read and act on.
  
  How it works
  Perform the actions. Narrate the step. Repeat. Docent captures clicks, navigation, typing, scrolling, drag interactions, and more — paired with your description of what each step means.
  
  Flexible output
  Unlike recording tools that generate Playwright or Selenium scripts, Docent produces data, not code. No assumptions are made about what receives it or what it does with it. The dispatch payload includes embedded guidance so any receiving system can interpret it without prior knowledge of Docent.
  
  Built for editing
  Steps can be re-recorded, reordered, and deleted before export. Full version history is preserved for every step.
  
  Export or dispatch
  Download a .docent.json file directly, or configure an HTTP endpoint and send recordings straight from the extension — no terminal or Node.js required.
  
  Typical uses
  — Feeding demonstrated workflows to AI agents for test generation
  — Capturing domain expert knowledge as structured, reusable data
  — Documenting how a web application actually behaves

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