How to Use Distill.io to Track Product Restocks and Price Changes
Set up Distill.io to watch a product’s price or stock status, choose local or cloud checks, and get useful alerts when the page changes.
To track a product with Distill.io, create a monitor for the product’s own page, select the price or availability area, choose whether checks run locally or in the cloud, set an interval and conditions, and add an alert action. A price monitor should watch the price itself; a restock monitor should watch a stock message or purchase control that changes when availability changes.
Distill monitors webpage content and alerts when monitored content changes. Its workflow reads and compares a page, records changes, evaluates any conditions you set, and triggers configured actions. A restock alert therefore depends on the retailer exposing a detectable page change; no monitor can guarantee an alert for every store or product.
1. Open the product’s page
Open the exact product page, preferably on the retailer’s site. Distill defines a monitor as one webpage with a unique URL. A search results page may contain several products, prices, and stock messages, making it harder to select the right content and filter changes.
Before setting up the monitor, check that the page loads normally and that the price or availability message is visible. Note whether the store requires a location, size, color, or other variant selection: availability may differ by variant, and a monitor of the default page state may not represent the item you intend to buy.
2. Select the price or stock area
In the Distill browser extension, open the monitor menu and choose to monitor the full page or part of the page. For a price alert, select only the price value when possible. For a restock alert, select the stock message or purchase control if it is visible and stable enough to monitor. Confirm the selection in the preview, then save the monitor.
A narrow selection reduces unrelated changes, such as recommendations, reviews, or rotating promotions. Retailer layouts vary, and a stock indicator may be rendered in a way that is not accessible or detectable to the monitor. If the selection preview does not include the value or message you care about, try another page state or selection; do not assume a restock phrase alone guarantees an alert.
3. Choose local or cloud monitoring
| Choice | Where checks run | Device availability | Useful when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local | Your browser or computer | The relevant browser or computer must be running for checks to continue. | You can leave the device available and want checks to run there. |
| Cloud | Distill’s servers | Your computer can be off. | You need checks to continue while away from your device. |
Distill’s documentation lists a 5-second minimum interval for browser add-ons and a 2-minute minimum for the web app’s Flexi plan. These are documented plan-specific minima, not guarantees for every account or monitor. Confirm the interval and limits available in your current plan before depending on a particular schedule. Some websites may block cloud requests; cloud monitoring does not guarantee access to every site.
4. Set the checking schedule
Choose an interval appropriate for how quickly the item tends to sell out and for the limits of your monitor type and subscription. Faster checks can identify a change sooner, but they may consume more of the monitoring capacity available to your account. The shortest documented interval is not necessarily available to every monitor.
For local monitoring, account for the time your browser or computer will be closed. For cloud monitoring, account for the plan’s schedule and possible site access restrictions. Distill’s phone apps display updates and push notifications; they do not run the monitors on the phone itself.
5. Add useful conditions
Price-drop condition
Set a condition that compares the changed price with your target. Distill’s documented example is to alert when an $80 item falls below $70. Keep the selected content focused on the price: if it includes other numbers, such as a rating or review count, numeric conditions may evaluate those values independently and cause unexpected alerts.
Restock condition
For availability, configure a condition around a newly appearing availability phrase or a change in the selected stock area, then attach an alert action. A keyword that was already present does not by itself signal a new change. The monitor needs to detect a relevant change in the page content and the configured conditions must pass.
Stores may express availability in different ways, such as changing button text, adding a stock message, or replacing a disabled purchase control. Choose the part of the page that actually changes on that retailer’s page. If the store updates availability only after selecting a variant or entering a location, configure the page in that state before creating the monitor where possible.
6. Choose an alert action
Distill’s documented alert methods include email, SMS, push notifications, Discord, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and webhook-based integrations. Availability of particular actions can depend on the subscription plan. Choose an action you will notice quickly for limited restocks, and verify it is enabled for your account.
After saving, review the monitor’s change history. If it detects too many unrelated changes, narrow the selected area or refine the conditions. If the page changes but no alert arrives, check whether the monitored selection captured the change, whether the condition passed, and whether the chosen action is available and configured.
Local versus cloud: choosing the right monitor
Use a local monitor when checks running on your own browser or computer suit your schedule. It depends on that device being available. Use a cloud monitor when checks need to continue with your computer off. The cloud option depends on the plan and on the retailer allowing Distill’s requests. Distill notes that some websites can block cloud requests; proxy features and plan access may apply, but a proxy is not a guaranteed fix.
The documented interval figures—5 seconds for browser add-ons and 2 minutes for the web app’s Flexi plan—are minimums associated with those specific platform and plan descriptions. Check the current account settings and plan details before planning around an interval.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No restock alert | The page did not expose a change in the selected content, or the condition did not pass. | Check change history; select the actual stock message or purchase control; verify the condition against the page’s changed text. |
| Alert fires immediately or repeatedly | The selection includes unrelated changing content, or a keyword/number condition matches more than intended. | Narrow the selection to the price or stock area and refine the condition. Avoid including ratings, review counts, and other numbers in a price selection. |
| Price alert triggers for the wrong number | The monitored area includes multiple numbers, and a numeric condition evaluates them independently. | Select only the price value, then review the condition and change history. |
| Local checks stop | The browser or computer is no longer running or available. | Keep the device available or use a cloud monitor if your plan supports the required checks. |
| Cloud monitor cannot read the page | The site may block cloud requests or require a page state not present in the request. | Confirm the page works in a browser, check monitor history and plan options, and consider local monitoring. Proxy features may apply on some plans but do not guarantee access. |
| Expected interval is unavailable | Minimum intervals vary by monitor type and subscription. | Check the current account’s plan limits and select an available interval. |
| Push notification does not arrive | The selected action or device notification settings may not be enabled. | Check the monitor’s configured action, account plan availability, and the phone or browser’s notification settings. |
Reliability, performance, and cost considerations
- Reliability: Alerts depend on a page change Distill can read, the monitor running on schedule, any conditions passing, and the alert action working. Retailer page behavior and access can vary.
- Performance: A focused selection avoids processing irrelevant page changes for your alert logic. Choose an interval that fits your needs and the limits of your monitor and plan; do not assume a published minimum applies to every setup.
- Cost: Local and cloud monitoring have different operating constraints, and checking intervals and actions vary by subscription. Review Distill’s current plan details for your account before choosing cloud frequency or alert methods; no fixed price is assumed here.
- Restock timing: A page monitor notices changes after a check observes them. It is not a reservation or purchase mechanism, and a brief restock can sell out before you act.
Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server. A screenshot can help you inspect or archive a product page, but it does not replace Distill’s scheduled change monitoring or guarantee a restock alert. One GET request returns an image or PDF; the example below saves a screenshot of the product page.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options. Cookie banners, popups, and chat widgets are removed before the shot; bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are never billed; an MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card, and paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Sign up for free.
FAQ
Can Distill guarantee that I will catch a restock?
No. It can alert when a detectable monitored change occurs and your conditions and action are configured correctly. Page behavior, check timing, and access can affect whether you receive an alert.
Can I monitor more than one product?
Create a separate monitor for each product page you want to track. Each monitor represents one webpage with a unique URL.
Will Distill keep checking from my phone?
Distill’s phone apps display updates and push notifications, but the apps do not run the monitors on the phone itself. Choose local or cloud monitoring based on where checks should run.
Why does a keyword already on the page not alert me?
Distill alerts on changes to monitored content. A term that remains present without a new monitored change does not itself trigger an alert.
