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Collecting HAR files for troubleshooting

Explains collecting HAR files from Chrome, Edge, and Firefox for troubleshooting intercept and certificate issues. Covers best practices, collection steps, and security.

HTTP Archive (HAR) files capture detailed records of network traffic between a browser and web services, including request and response headers, timing information, and status codes. Admins may need to collect HAR files from users when troubleshooting issues where F5 SurePath AI is not capturing GenAI traffic as expected or when users experience disruptions in their GenAI workflows. These files help the SurePath AI support team diagnose problems with traffic interception, proxy configuration, or certificate trust. Before collecting HAR files, confirm basic integration status using the SurePath AI Ready tool.

Best practices before collecting HAR files

To ensure HAR files contain clean and relevant diagnostic data, admins should instruct users to follow these practices before reproducing the issue:

  • Use Incognito or Private browsing mode: This prevents browser extensions and cached data from interfering with traffic patterns. Extensions can modify network behavior and make it difficult to isolate SurePath AI-specific issues.

  • Enable log preservation: Configuring the browser to preserve network logs ensures that traffic data is retained even if the page redirects or refreshes during the reproduction steps.

  • Clear existing network logs: Before reproducing the issue, users should clear any existing network activity from the Developer Tools panel to ensure the HAR file contains only relevant traffic.

  • Reproduce the specific issue: Users should perform only the exact steps that trigger the problem, avoiding unrelated browsing activity that adds noise to the diagnostic data.

Collecting HAR files from Google Chrome

Follow these steps to collect a HAR file from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Chrome and navigate to the page where the issue occurs

  2. Press F12 (or Ctrl+Shift+I on Windows/Linux, Cmd+Option+I on macOS) to open Developer Tools

  3. Click the Network tab at the top of the Developer Tools panel

  4. Check the Preserve log checkbox to ensure logs are retained across page redirects

  5. Optional but recommended: Check the Disable cache checkbox to ensure all requests are sent to the server rather than served from cache

  6. Ensure the record button (circular icon in the top-left of the Network tab) is red, indicating recording is active. If it is gray, click it to start recording

  7. Click the Clear button (circle with a line through it) to remove any existing network activity

  8. Reproduce the issue by performing the actions that cause the problem

  9. Once the issue is reproduced, click the Export HAR button (downward-facing arrow icon) in the toolbar

  10. Save the HAR file to a location the admin can retrieve it from to share with the SurePath AI support team

Collecting HAR files from Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge uses the same Chromium engine as Chrome, so the steps are nearly identical:

  1. Open Edge and navigate to the page where the issue occurs

  2. Press F12 (or Ctrl+Shift+I on Windows/Linux, Cmd+Option+I on macOS) to open Developer Tools

  3. Click the Network tab at the top of the Developer Tools panel

  4. Check the Preserve log checkbox to ensure logs are retained across page redirects

  5. Optional but recommended: Check the Disable cache checkbox to ensure all requests are sent to the server

  6. Ensure the record button (circular icon in the top-left of the Network tab) is red, indicating recording is active. If it is gray, click it to start recording

  7. Click the Clear button (circle with a line through it) to remove any existing network activity

  8. Reproduce the issue by performing the actions that cause the problem

  9. Once the issue is reproduced, right-click anywhere in the list of network requests and select Save all as HAR with content, or click the Export HAR button (downward-facing arrow icon) in the toolbar

  10. Save the HAR file to a location the admin can retrieve it from to share with the SurePath AI support team

Collecting HAR files from Mozilla Firefox

Firefox uses slightly different terminology in its Developer Tools:

  1. Open Firefox and navigate to the page where the issue occurs

  2. Press F12 (or Ctrl+Shift+I on Windows/Linux, Cmd+Option+I on macOS) to open Web Developer Tools

  3. Click the Network tab at the top of the Developer Tools panel

  4. Click the Settings icon (gear icon) on the right side of the Network tab toolbar

  5. In the settings menu, check Persist Logs to ensure logs are retained across page redirects

  6. Click the Trash can icon to clear any existing network activity

  7. Reproduce the issue by performing the actions that cause the problem

  8. Once the issue is reproduced, right-click anywhere within the list of network requests (in the "File" or "Method" columns)

  9. Select Save All As HAR from the context menu

  10. Save the HAR file to a location the admin can retrieve it from to share with the SurePath AI support team

When to request HAR files

HAR files are particularly useful for diagnosing the following types of SurePath AI integration issues:

  • GenAI traffic not appearing in User Activity: When users report accessing GenAI services but no activity appears in the SurePath AI admin interface, HAR files can reveal whether traffic is being routed through SurePath AI proxies or bypassing them entirely.

  • Certificate trust errors: When users see browser warnings about untrusted certificates when accessing GenAI services, HAR files can show the certificate chain being presented and help identify whether the SurePath AI root certificate is properly installed.

  • Blocked or failed requests: When GenAI services fail to load or return error responses, HAR files can show HTTP status codes, error messages, and timing information that indicate whether SurePath AI policies are blocking traffic or if network connectivity issues exist.

  • Unexpected redirects or authentication loops: When users are repeatedly prompted to authenticate or are redirected unexpectedly, HAR files can reveal the redirect chain and authentication header exchanges.

  • Performance issues or timeouts: When GenAI services load slowly or time out, HAR files can show request timing breakdowns and identify whether delays occur during DNS resolution, connection establishment, or data transfer.

Security considerations

HAR files can contain sensitive information including session cookies, authentication tokens, and personal data submitted in form fields. However, standard HAR exports from modern browsers provide sufficient diagnostic information for troubleshooting SurePath AI integration issues. Admins should instruct users to avoid entering highly sensitive information (such as passwords or confidential business data) during the reproduction steps if possible. When sharing HAR files with the SurePath AI support team, use secure file transfer methods and avoid sending HAR files through unencrypted channels such as standard email.

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