---
title: Instrument browser monitoring with Java agent API
source: https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/apm/agents/java-agent/instrumentation/instrument-browser-monitoring-java-agent-api
---
The [browser monitoring](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/browser/new-relic-browser/getting-started/introduction-new-relic-browser) capability gives you visibility into how your users are interacting with your Java application by using a JavaScript snippet (or "agent") to instrument your app's webpages. To install the browser agent via the UI, follow the procedures to [install the browser agent](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/browser/new-relic-browser/installation/install-new-relic-browser-agent). For example, you can:
- Enable an APM-monitored app.
- Enable with the copy/paste method.
- Enable by using the REST API.
You can also [manually instrument](#manual_instrumentation) your webpages by using the Java agent API, as explained in this document.
## Use Java agent API [#manual_instrumentation]
If your framework does not allow you to enable browser monitoring from our UI, with the copy/paste method, or by using our REST API, you can manually instrument monitoring for your webpages. To do this, use our [Java agent API](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/agents/java-agent/api-guides/guide-using-java-agent-api).
1. Make sure you are using the [latest Java agent version](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/release-notes/agent-release-notes/java-release-notes).
2. Disable auto-instrumentation.
**Disable auto-instrumentation on all pages**
1. Set the [`auto_instrument`](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/agents/java-agent/configuration/java-agent-configuration-config-file#bm-auto_instrument) flag under `browser_monitoring` to `false` in your `newrelic.yml`.
```yml
browser_monitoring:
auto_instrument: false
```
2. Restart your application.
3. Flush the app server's work cache.
Flushing the work cache forces the app server to recompile JSPs, which is when auto-instrumentation occurs.
**Disable auto-instrumentation only on specific pages**
Use the `disabled_auto_pages` flag under the `browser_monitoring` section. For example, to disable auto-instrumentation on `testpage_1.jsp` and `testpage_2.jsp`, use the following:
````yml
browser_monitoring:
disabled_auto_pages: /WEB-INF/jsp/testpage_1.jsp, /WEB-INF/jsp/testpage_2.jsp
```
````
3. [Access the Java agent API class](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/agents/java-agent/api-guides/guide-using-java-agent-api#api) by adding `newrelic-api.jar` to your application class path.
4. Add the `com.newrelic.api.agent.NewRelic.getBrowserTimingHeader()` method to enable time tracking. See below for procedures for specific frameworks.
> #### ⚠️ IMPORTANT
>
> As of [Java agent 8.9.0](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/release-notes/agent-release-notes/java-release-notes/java-agent-890), the [getBrowserTimingFooter() API](https://newrelic.github.io/java-agent-api/javadoc/index.html?com/newrelic/api/agent/NewRelic.html) method call is deprecated. The entire browser script is now included when calling `getBrowserTimingHeader()`.
Find the appropriate methods based on the framework you are using:
**JSP manual instrumentation**
Insert the header as close to the top of `` tag as possible but after the meta tags.
````html
EXAMPLE
;
<%= com.newrelic.api.agent.NewRelic.getBrowserTimingHeader() %>
```
````
**Raw HTML manual instrumentation**
To manually instrument using raw HTML, [include page load timing code in the HTTP response](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/agents/java-agent/custom-instrumentation/java-agent-api-example-program#include-browser).
**Thymeleaf 2.1 or higher manual instrumentation**
````html
...
...
```
````
**ColdFusion CFML page manual instrumentation**
````html
#header#
...
#footer#
```
````
**Java Server Faces (JSF) frameworks**
Manual instrumentation is not available with JSF. To insert the Browser JavaScript snippet into your app's webpages, use the [copy/paste method](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/browser/new-relic-browser/installation-configuration/add-apps-new-relic-browser#copy-paste-app).
**Play Groovy template manual instrumentation**
````groovy
${com.newrelic.api.agent.NewRelic.getBrowserTimingHeader().raw()}
...
```
````
**Play 2.2 or higher Scala template manual instrumentation**
Add the following to `build.sbt`, substituting the [latest agent version](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/release-notes/agent-release-notes/java-release-notes) for 8.x.x:
````scala
libraryDependencies += "com.newrelic.agent.java" % "newrelic-api" % "8.x.x"
```
In `main.scala.html`, add the following:
```java
@Html(com.newrelic.api.agent.NewRelic.getBrowserTimingHeader())
...
```
````
**Play 2.1 Scala template manual instrumentation**
Add the following to `Build.scala`, substituting the [lastest agent version](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/release-notes/agent-release-notes/java-release-notes) for 8.x.x:
````scala
appDependencies += "com.newrelic.agent.java" % "newrelic-api" % "8.x.x"
```
In `main.scala.html`, add the following:
```java
@Html(com.newrelic.api.agent.NewRelic.getBrowserTimingHeader())
...
```
````
**Apache Velocity Tools manual instrumentation**
If you are using Velocity Tools, define a `NewRelic` tool in `toolbox.xml`:
````xml
NewRelicapplicationcom.newrelic.api.agent.NewRelic
```
Call the `NewRelic` API in your velocity template:
```java
$NewRelic.getBrowserTimingHeader()
...
```
````
**Apache Velocity manual instrumentation**
1. To ensure that all of your browser page views are not grouped under a single `/velocity` transaction (and to avoid [metric grouping issues](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/agents/manage-apm-agents/troubleshooting/metric-grouping-issues)), disable your `enable_auto_transaction_naming` setting in your `newrelic.yml` file:
```yml
enable_auto_transaction_naming: false
```
2. Add `newrelic-api.jar` to the classpath of Tomcat, typically in `.../tomcat/bin/setenv.sh`:
```sh
CLASSPATH=$CLASSPATH:/opt/newrelic/newrelic-api.jar
```
OR
Add the reference to this jar file to the end of an existing `CLASSPATH=...` line within that file.
3. In each app, find `WEB-INF/tools.xml` and add the following tag:
```xml
```
If a `` tag already exists, put the `` within the tag.
4. In each app, edit the Velocity template that the other pages in the application use. Add this tag within the `` section before any `` and `
May 17, 2011 9:43:23 AM NewRelic FINEST: Got browser timing footer in NewRelic API:
```
````