How to override the user agent string

About Article:

This article will cover how you can achieve the following:

Simulate different browser environments by overriding the user agent string in Virtuoso's live authoring.

Problem Statement:

How to override the user agent string to test applications on on any desired os and browser during live authoring sessions.

Solution:

1. Cross-Browser Execution:

   • Virtuoso supports testing on any desired OS/Browser using cross-browser execution. For more details, refer to the cross-browser execution documentation (link).
     

2. Limitations of Live Authoring:

   • Live authoring is currently limited to the Chrome headless browser (link). To test journeys on actual devices, cross-browser execution is recommended.

3. User Agent Spoofing in Live Authoring:

   • If live authoring on any other OS/browser is essential, you can use user agent spoofing to override the default user agent. Here you can learn more about this (link).

   Steps to Override User Agent in Live Authoring in Virtuoso:

   • Step 1: Pause the journey at the initial step.
     
   • Step 2: Enable Advanced Mode.
     
   • Step 3: Navigate to the Network tab and select "More Network Conditions."
     
   • Step 4: Uncheck the "Use Default" checkbox and select the preferred user agent (e.g., Mac/Safari).
     
   • Step 5: Remove the pause and run the journey. The session will now simulate the Mac/Safari environment.

   Note: This process must be repeated manually for each live authoring session, as the settings do not persist across browser sessions.

Examples:

• Scenario: A user needs to test a journey in any OS/Browser environment but live authoring only supports Chrome headless.
• Solution: By overriding the user agent, the user can simulate any OS/Browser environment during the live authoring session.