> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://checklyhq.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Synthetic Monitoring Overview

> Comprehensive synthetic monitoring for detecting downtime and performance issues in APIs and Applications

## What is Synthetic Monitoring?

Synthetic monitoring goes beyond simple uptime checks by proactively validating your applications by simulating real user interactions and API workflows. Checkly's Synthetic Monitoring ensures your critical systems work correctly from both technical and user experience perspectives. It validates complete business processes, user experiences, and system integrations before your users encounter issues.

## Types of Synthetic Monitoring Checks

Checkly provides five powerful check types to comprehensively monitor your applications:

<Columns cols={1}>
  <Card title="Agentic Checks" href="/detect/synthetic-monitoring/agentic-checks/overview">
    Monitor critical user journeys with prompt-driven checks that can discover, verify, and self-heal.
  </Card>

  <Card title="API Checks" href="/detect/synthetic-monitoring/api-checks/overview">
    Monitor individual API endpoints with detailed request/response validation.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Multistep Checks" href="/detect/synthetic-monitoring/multistep-checks/overview">
    Test complex API workflows with sequential requests and data flow validation.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Browser Checks" href="/detect/synthetic-monitoring/browser-checks/overview">
    Simulate real user interactions with automated browser testing using Playwright.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Playwright Checks Suite" href="/detect/synthetic-monitoring/playwright-checks/overview">
    Migrate your existing Playwright projects and tests to Checkly.
  </Card>
</Columns>

## What's Next?

Ready to implement comprehensive synthetic monitoring? Choose your starting point based on your monitoring needs:

<Columns cols={3}>
  <Card title="API Checks" href="/detect/synthetic-monitoring/api-checks/overview">
    Start with backend API monitoring and validation
  </Card>

  <Card title="Agentic Checks" href="/detect/synthetic-monitoring/agentic-checks/overview">
    Prompt an agent to monitor a critical user journey
  </Card>

  <Card title="Browser Checks" href="/detect/synthetic-monitoring/browser-checks/overview">
    Monitor user experiences with automated browser testing
  </Card>

  <Card title="Multistep Checks" href="/detect/synthetic-monitoring/multistep-checks/overview">
    Test complex workflows with sequential API requests
  </Card>
</Columns>

<Note>
  Synthetic monitoring provides the most comprehensive validation of your applications when all three check types work together. Start with the most critical user workflows and expand your coverage over time.
</Note>