End-to-end monitoring with nut.js

What Is End-to-End Monitoring?

End-to-end monitoring (also referred to as e2e-monitoring) tests a system from start to finish, ensuring that real user journeys function as expected. For web applications, this typically involves running automated tests in a headless browser (like Chromium or Firefox) while verifying back-end APIs.

When it comes to native application monitoring — for example, monitoring a Windows application — you must automate UI elements, system-level dependencies, and OS-specific functionality. This process can be significantly more complex than browser-based testing because you often need an actual desktop session to interact with the application’s interface.

Fundamental Differences: Web vs. Native Application Monitoring

Web Testing

Usually supports headless modes (Puppeteer, Playwright), which don’t require a physical desktop.
Easy to run in parallel or on CI/CD platforms.
Minimal risk of accidental interaction from a user because it’s “headless.”

Native Testing

Requires a real desktop session; many frameworks (e.g., Windows UI Automation, image-based recognition) can’t run “headless.”
Setting up parallel test environments or CI integration is more involved.
Sessions can break if someone locks or logs off the machine.

Locked Screen Limitation for Native Application Monitoring

A major challenge in native application monitoring is the locked screen limitation.
Many automation frameworks require an unlocked screen and active session. If the screen locks — whether by user action or a security policy — the test will fail. This interrupts end-to-end monitoring for desktop apps and makes e2e-monitoring more difficult to maintain unattended. And of course, this poses a significant security risk!

Is Headless Execution Possible for Native Apps?

There’s no direct equivalent to “headless mode” for most desktop apps. However, you can approximate it using:

Virtual Machines (VMs)
Remote Desktop Testing (via RDP sessions)
Image-Based Solutions (screen captures/analysis)

Still, these approaches demand extra configuration and maintenance. Most frameworks aren’t inherently aware of remote environments, so you end up automating the RDP client itself:

Launch an RDP client (e.g., mstsc.exe) on a local or CI machine.
Automate UI interactions to enter credentials and connection details.
Automate within the remote desktop testing window.
Log off or close the RDP client when tests finish.

While workable, this setup is fragile — updates to the RDP client or connection errors can easily break automation scripts.

How Does nut.js Simplify Remote Desktop Testing?

nut.js provides a straightforward API for end-to-end monitoring and native application monitoring. It supports:

Keyboard and Mouse Input: Simulate user interactions (mouse movement, clicks, key presses).
Clipboard Interaction: Copy and paste text from the system clipboard.
On-Screen Search: Use image-based or text-based recognition to locate UI elements.

Native Remote Support for E2E-Monitoring

nut.js was designed for remote desktop testing of native apps — whether local or on a remote machine. Its native RDP plugins let you connect directly to a remote Windows environment:

No need to automate an external RDP client.
Directly access and interact with the remote machine’s UI from your code.
Use on-screen image search and OCR to find elements on the remote screen.
Run actions on the remote machine receive results on your CI machine.

This makes end-to-end monitoring of native applications — often the hardest form of e2e-monitoring — significantly easier to set up and maintain.

Is nut.js Only Targeting Native Apps?

No, nut.js also supports web applications! Tools like Playwright are perfect for end-to-end monitoring of web applications. However, there are some edge-cases where Playwright won't cut it. For example, web apps that make use of Canvas or WebGL may not work well with Playwright. This is where nut.js shines.

With its rich set of integrations it's easy to extend Playwright's capabilities with image search or OCR. This way you can monitor web apps that use those technologies, too!

Conclusion

End-to-end monitoring is essential for revealing real-world issues in both web and native environments. While web apps benefit from true headless frameworks, native application monitoring often requires a full desktop session — raising complexity. Leveraging remote desktop testing with nut.js eliminates fragile manual RDP automation and delivers stable, unattended e2e-monitoring for native apps. Additionally, it can lift your web-based monitoring to the next level with its image search and OCR capabilities.

nut.js is the perfect tool for end-to-end monitoring and native application monitoring!