Creating a Task from the Dashboard

This guide walks you through creating a data collection task using the FourA Dashboard UI.

Step 1: Open the Task Creator

Navigate to the Dashboard and click New Task (or the + button in the Tasks section).

Step 2: Enter the Target URL

Paste the URL you want to collect data from. This must be a valid HTTP or HTTPS URL.

Examples:

• https://example.com/products: a product listing page
• https://api.example.com/v2/items: a JSON API endpoint
• https://shop.example.com/item/12345: a specific product page

Step 3: Choose the Task Type

Select one of three task types:

Single

Sends a fast HTTP request. Best for static HTML pages and API endpoints. Response time: typically under 2 seconds.

Browser

Runs headless Chrome to render JavaScript. Best for SPAs, lazy-loaded content, and pages that require JS execution. Response time: 2–10 seconds.

When you select Browser, additional options appear:

• Wait for selector: a CSS selector to wait for before capturing the page (e.g., .product-list)
• Timeout: how long to wait in milliseconds (default: 30000)

Proxy

Routes the request through rotating proxies. Best for sites with bot detection or geo-restricted content.

When you select Proxy, additional options appear:

• Country: two-letter country code for geo-targeting (e.g., US, DE, JP)

Step 4: Configure Options (Optional)

Expand the Advanced Options section to set:

• Custom headers: add headers like Accept, Cookie, or User-Agent
• Timeout: override the default timeout
• JavaScript rendering: enable JS for single type tasks

Step 5: Run the Task

Click Run Task. The task enters the queue and typically completes within seconds.

Step 6: View Results

Once complete, click the task to see:

• Status code: the HTTP response code from the target
• Content: the collected HTML or JSON
• Headers: response headers from the target
• Timing: breakdown of DNS, connect, TTFB, and total time

You can copy the raw content or export it.

Common Issues

Next Steps

• Dashboard Overview: Full dashboard walkthrough
• Choosing the Right Task Type: Detailed comparison
• Common Issues: Solve problems quickly