How Does Distill.io Monitor a Webpage for Changes?
Distill.io watches the parts of a page you select and alerts you when they change. The basic flow has three steps: pick the page section to track, let Distill monitor it in the background, then receive an alert by notification, email, SMS, or app when something changes. It works as a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera, with mobile tracking apps and a cloud option for monitoring that runs without your browser open.
The three-step monitoring flow
- Select the parts of the page you want to track. You don't have to watch the whole page — you choose the specific section that matters, which cuts down on noise from ads, rotating banners, or unrelated content.
- Distill monitors the page in the background. Once a monitor is set up, it checks the page on your chosen schedule without you refreshing anything.
- Get an instant alert when something changes. Alerts arrive via notification, email, SMS, or app, depending on what you configure.
What you can customize
| Option | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Custom tracking frequency | How often Distill checks the page |
| Smart Conditions for Notifications | What kind of change actually triggers an alert |
| 24/7 cloud monitoring | Checks that run even when your browser is closed |
| Single dashboard | Managing all your monitors in one place |
| Version history | Keeping a record of every change so you can compare |
Smart Conditions matter most if you're tracking something noisy — a page where numbers, timestamps, or stock counts shift constantly. Instead of alerting on every pixel change, you set a condition so only meaningful changes reach you.
Pages and files you can monitor
Beyond ordinary web pages, Distill supports:
- Password-protected pages — monitors can log in to reach content behind a login.
- PDFs — changes inside PDF documents are tracked too.
- Private pages — pages that aren't publicly indexed.
This matters for tasks like watching a supplier's price list behind a login, or tracking a government PDF that gets quietly updated.
Free tier vs. paid plans
The free starting point includes:
- 25 local monitors
- 5 cloud monitors
- 6-hour alert frequency
- 1,000 checks/month
- 30 email alerts
Local monitors only run while your browser is active; cloud monitors run on Distill's servers 24/7. If you need faster checks, more cloud monitors, or more alerts, the paid plans cover that — check the pricing page for current limits and costs, since these change.
A practical example
Say you're watching a product page that's perpetually sold out. You select the stock-status element rather than the whole page, set a Smart Condition so only the "in stock" state triggers an alert, and choose email or push notification. Distill checks in the background and pings you the moment it flips — no manual refreshing.
Common snags to plan for
- Whole-page monitoring creates alert fatigue. Select the specific element instead.
- Local monitors stop when the browser closes. Use cloud monitors for anything time-sensitive.
- Free-tier check frequency is 6 hours. If you need faster detection, that's a paid feature.
- Dynamic pages can produce false positives. Smart Conditions are the fix.
Start with the free tier to confirm the workflow fits your use case, then upgrade only if you need faster checks or always-on cloud monitoring.