> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.qlane.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Test a URL

> Point QLane at any reachable staging or production URL to start testing in minutes — no build, no provisioning, optional credentials and linked repo.

The fastest way to try QLane. If you already have an environment running somewhere the agent can reach — staging, a public preview, even production — you can hand QLane the URL and start testing immediately.

## When to use this mode

* You want to **try QLane in two minutes** before wiring up CI.
* You have a **shared staging environment** the team uses for QA.
* You want to **smoke-test production** on a schedule.
* Your app is **deployed somewhere QLane can't build** (a customer environment, an internal preview system).

If you want testing tied to a specific pull request and commit, prefer [Single repo](/connect/single-repo), [Docker Compose](/connect/docker-compose), or [Existing previews](/connect/existing-previews) — those check out and run your branch.

## Set it up

From the project page, open **Environments → New environment** and choose **Test a URL**.

1. **Target URL** — the URL the agent should open. Anything reachable from the public internet works.
2. **Test credentials** *(optional but recommended)* — a username and password the agent can use to sign in. Stored encrypted; never appear in transcripts or logs.
3. **Linked repo** *(optional)* — a GitHub repo QLane reads from to make tests code-aware. The agent uses it to write better test cases, reproduce bugs, and reason about diffs. Read-only.

Save. The environment is ready.

## Triggering runs

URL environments don't auto-fire on PR webhooks — there's no notion of "this PR's URL." Instead, you trigger sessions:

* **Manually** from the dashboard ("Run now").
* **From Slack, Linear, Jira, or Claude Code** — see [Triggers](/triggers).
* **On a schedule** — pick a cadence in the environment settings.

## What you don't get in this mode

URL mode gives the agent a browser, not a shell. That means:

* **No log inspection.** The agent can't read your server logs.
* **No code execution.** No `bash` tool inside your app.
* **No database queries.** State changes must happen through the UI.

If those matter, link a repo (read-only code access) or move to a sandbox-based mode.

## Common gotchas

* **The URL needs to be reachable.** Behind-VPN URLs need an allowlist for QLane's egress IPs. Contact support if you need them.
* **Don't point at production without test credentials.** The agent will navigate freely. Give it a dedicated test account, not your CEO's login.
* **Rate limits and CAPTCHAs.** Whitelist QLane's agent user-agent in any bot-protection layer, or scope it to a staging environment.