# When to Use a Transaction Test

Transaction tests measure web user experience using synthetic browser interactions. This type of test can uncover problems that aren’t always apparent from the front page. For example, if your app relies on returning customer data from somewhere else after the user logs in, you’ll need a transaction test to evaluate this part of the user experience.

Some examples of transaction tests include:

* Office 365: Log in, browse to a shared documents folder, and download a file.
* Shopping on Amazon: Load the main page, search for a specific product by name, add it to a shopping cart, check out, and complete the purchase using a dummy credit card.
* YouTube: Load a video URL and play the first 5 seconds to see if the video loads and streams correctly.

Transaction tests also show data for other layers of operation, such as BGP and network path visualizations. See [Getting Started With Tests](https://docs.thousandeyes.com/product-documentation/getting-started/getting-started-with-tests) for more information.

{% hint style="info" %}
If you need to run a test that solely consists of API calls, and don’t need to emulate a user journey in a browser, use the [API Test Type](https://docs.thousandeyes.com/product-documentation/api-test/).
{% endhint %}


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