What the capture file is #
The capture file is a structured document containing all the diagnostic data Loupely collected from your site during a capture session. It’s available for download from the popup after any diagnosis, and also from captures where no diagnosis was generated. You don’t need to download it to act on the triage step, but it’s there when you need it.
The file serves 3 purposes: developer handoff, AI handoff, and your own records. Each is a legitimate reason to download it.
What’s inside the capture file #
The file is structured JSON, which means it’s formatted for machines and developers to read efficiently, not for general reading. You don’t need to open it or understand its contents to use it. But knowing what’s in it helps you understand why a developer who receives it can work faster.
The capture file contains:
- Browser signals: all JavaScript errors, network requests and their responses, console output, and DOM state captured during the session.
- Server signals: PHP Errors and warnings, Hook Execution data, WooCommerce pipeline events, REST API responses, active plugin list and versions, WordPress version, PHP version, and server memory and timeout configuration.
- Correlation output: the failure classification, the specific rules that fired, and the confidence score from Loupely’s correlation engine.
- Redaction metadata: a count of credentials detected and removed by the local credential scanner, and the categories of what was found (never the values themselves).
- Capture context: the URL of the page captured, the viewport dimensions, the browser version, and the timestamp.
What’s not in the file: the AI-generated diagnosis text (that’s generated on demand and isn’t stored), any credentials or sensitive values (the scanner removes these before the file is assembled), and any data from pages other than the one you captured.
Using the capture file for developer handoff #
This is the most common use. When the triage route is developer handoff, Loupely generates a pre-written message alongside the capture file download. The message tells your developer what broke in plain terms, references the relevant signals in the file, and asks for a specific fix.
Your developer doesn’t need to ask you what the error message said. They don’t need to ask you what plugins you have installed. They don’t need you to reproduce the issue while they watch. Everything they need to locate the problem and write a fix is in the file. That’s what collapses the back-and-forth.
When sending to a developer: download the file from the popup, attach it to your message or ticket, and include the pre-written message from the triage step. If you’re sending via email, attach the JSON file directly. If you’re using a support ticket system, attach it the same way you’d attach a screenshot.
Using the capture file with an AI assistant #
The capture file is structured specifically for AI analysis. If you use Claude, ChatGPT, or another AI assistant and want a deeper explanation of what Loupely found, you can upload the capture file and ask the AI to explain the failure in more detail, suggest additional context, or help you draft a message to your developer or hosting provider.
The AI works from the actual diagnostic data in the file, not from your description of what you saw. That’s a meaningfully different starting point. Instead of the AI guessing at possible causes based on your symptoms, it’s reading the same structured evidence Loupely used to generate the diagnosis.
To use it: upload the file to your AI assistant’s file input, then ask a specific question. “What does this error mean and what caused it?” or “Draft a message to my hosting provider explaining this server configuration issue” both work well.
Using the capture file for your own records #
If you manage a WordPress site that has recurring problems, or if you’re debugging something over multiple sessions, the capture file gives you a timestamped record of what the site looked like at a specific moment. You can build a folder of captures over time and compare them. If a problem disappears and comes back, you have a before-and-after record.
The capture file doesn’t expire and doesn’t require a Loupely account to open. Any developer or support agent you share it with in the future can read it without needing access to your Loupely account.
A note on the free tier #
The capture file is available on the free tier even without a diagnosis. If you don’t have credits or a plan, you can still run a capture and download the file. You won’t see the plain-language diagnosis in the popup, but you’ll have the structured data to share with a developer or AI assistant. The file without a diagnosis is still a complete picture of what Loupely found. See What the Free Tier Includes for more on what’s available without a paid diagnosis.