Dive into the essentials of using the Network Tab for monitoring API calls and requests, understanding headers, payloads, response types, and troubleshooting techniques. This quiz helps you sharpen your skills in network inspection for web development and debugging workflows.
When analyzing network traffic, which Network Tab column allows you to determine what triggered a specific API request, such as a button click or script execution?
Explanation: The Initiator column shows what caused the API request, helping you trace actions back to user interactions or code. Waterfall displays timing information but not causes. Status shows HTTP codes, not triggers. Preview is for reviewing returned content. Therefore, only Initiator reveals the trigger behind each request.
Suppose you want to inspect the JSON content returned by an API endpoint; which section of the Network Tab provides a formatted, human-readable view of this data?
Explanation: The Preview section formats and displays the JSON response, making it easier to read. Headers only show meta-information about the request and response. Timing reveals loading metrics, while Cookies displays cookie data. Preview is the correct choice for viewing JSON content directly.
While troubleshooting why an API call is failing, which section in the Network Tab allows you to closely inspect the specific body or payload sent with a POST request?
Explanation: The Payload section details the data sent with the request, including JSON or form data. Timing helps analyze request speed but not content. Initiator only shows what started the request, while Waterfall illustrates timing sequences. For outgoing request data, Payload is correct.
If your application loads many assets, which Network Tab filter should you use to view requests only related to XHR and Fetch API calls, ignoring images and stylesheets?
Explanation: The XHR filter captures XMLHttpRequest and Fetch API calls, making it easy to analyze API interactions. JS filters JavaScript files, Doc targets document loads like HTML, and Media focuses on audio or video files. XHR offers focused visibility on networked API data exchanges.
Analyzing a slow API response, which Network Tab section can help you break down the timing phases, including 'Stalled', 'Request sent', and 'Content Download'?
Explanation: The Timing section divides each network event into detailed phases, providing insight into where delays happen. Preview displays the parsed data, not performance. Cookies reviews stored cookies, which are unrelated to timings. Headers list metadata but don't break down request timing. Only Timing gives granular analysis of response latency.