What distinguishes a synthetic monitor from real user monitoring?

A synthetic monitor is characterized by its ability to simulate user interactions with an application. This proactive approach allows organizations to test application performance and availability by driving artificial user scenarios, regardless of actual user activity. Synthetic monitoring provides insights into how an application performs under various conditions, helping to identify potential issues before they impact real users.

This method differs fundamentally from real user monitoring (RUM), which relies on actual user interactions and captures data generated in real time by users as they engage with the application. While RUM gives insights based on genuine user experience and behavior, synthetic monitoring allows for consistent testing of performance and functionality in a controlled manner.

This focus on simulated interactions is critical for preemptively identifying performance issues and ensuring that applications are operating as expected, making it a primary differentiator.