# Browser Synthetics Test Types

ThousandEyes Browser Synthetics includes two test types: transaction tests and page load tests.

* **Page load tests** access a single page from a target URL, and measure the time it takes each page element to load. They also measure the timing of the DOM and page load events, and other metrics.
* **Transaction tests** simulate complex user journeys such as browsing an online shopping site and making a purchase. Transaction tests provide page load metrics for multiple pages instead of a single page. You can also use the scripting feature of transaction tests to make API calls.

Both page load and transaction tests include lower-level network tests already built in. For example, you’ll see the same network views as you would for an agent-to-server test.

{% hint style="info" %}
Browser Synthetics tests use an optional ThousandEyes component called [BrowserBot](https://docs.thousandeyes.com/product-documentation/global-vantage-points/enterprise-agents/what-is-browserbot). BrowserBot runs on the ThousandEyes Cloud and Enterprise Agents and uses Chromium, an open-source software project created by Google, to emulate complex user journeys across one or more web pages.

An additional web layer test type called [API Test Type](https://docs.thousandeyes.com/product-documentation/api-test/) also uses BrowserBot, but does not use Chromium. The API test type focuses solely on API calls, without the “browser synthetics” portion.
{% endhint %}


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