Distill.io
Distill.io is a website change monitoring tool that allows users to track changes on web pages.
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Description
Distill.io is a website change monitoring tool that enables users to track changes on web pages and receive alerts via multiple channels, including email, SMS, and push notifications. It supports various types of content such as web pages, PDFs, JSON, Word documents, XML, feeds, uptime, and sitemaps. Available as a web app, browser extension, and mobile app, Distill.io allows users to monitor websites both locally and in the cloud.
Practical Applications for Open Source Researchers
For Open Source Researchers, Distill.io can be an invaluable tool for:
Monitoring Target Websites: Keep track of updates on websites related to investigations, such as changes in content, new postings, or removals.
Tracking Social Media Profiles: Monitor public social media pages or profiles for updates without the need to log into the platform.
Alerting on Keyword Changes: Set up alerts for specific keywords or phrases appearing or disappearing from web pages, which can signal significant events.
Watching Dynamic Content: Use advanced selection tools to monitor content that changes dynamically, such as JavaScript-rendered pages.
Archiving Web Page Changes: Maintain a history of changes to a web page, which can be useful for documenting the evolution of information over time.
Monitoring Hidden Elements: Detect changes in hidden HTML elements or metadata that might not be immediately visible on the page.
Key Features Beneficial for Open Source Researchers
Visual Selector Tool:
Allows users to select specific parts of a web page to monitor.
Useful for focusing on relevant sections and ignoring irrelevant content.
Regular Expressions (Regex):
Enable advanced pattern matching to monitor specific text patterns.
Helpful for filtering and extracting specific data from complex pages.
Content Extraction:
Ability to extract and export data from monitored pages.
Supports formats like CSV or JSON for integration with other analysis tools.
Change Highlighting:
Visual representation of what has changed on the page.
Simplifies the process of identifying significant alterations.
Scheduling and Frequency:
Customizable check intervals, with paid plans offering more frequent monitoring.
Potentially useful for time-sensitive investigations where prompt alerts are crucial.
Using Distill.io
First, you can register with your own email, or use a dedicated email address or alias. You can see all running monitors on your watchlist. You can monitor websites, feeds, JSONs, PDFs, Word documents, uptime and whole sitemaps (alpha, may be buggy).
When you add a new monitor, you make the following choices:
Source: Whether to monitor the whole page or only a part of it. Select the Visual Selector if you want to monitor only certain parts (recommended).
Device: Where the service runs - Distill.io can run locally or in the cloud. This determines whether it only checks while your computer is running (local) or 24/7 (cloud). In the free plan, you can run only a limited number of trackers in one account, but more locally than in the cloud. Consequently, you can check cloud-based monitors in the web-app, while local monitors live in the browser extension.
Name: Pick a name for your Monitor that's easy to recognize for you and informative. You may want to configure several monitors for one website, so consider the purpose as well when picking a name.
Actions: The free service allows you to send yourself an email, or if you're running a local monitor, open the website, get a notification, or play a sound. Paid customers can choose a number of additional notification options. Noteworthy among those are push notifications if you're using the phone app (be mindful of possible tracking), SMS, notifications on Discord, Teams and Slack, webhooks (which allow developers to integrate it into 3rd party services)
Schedule Checks: How often do you need your source to be checked for changes?
When you add a monitor you can use the Visual Selector Tool, to select only those parts of the website that you want to be alerted about if they change. These could be release versions, GitHub issue submissions, or parts of a text that contain information about a person or entity.
After you click save, your monitor will be active.
Additional Tips for OSINT Researchers
Combine with Other Tools:
You can use Distill.io with other open source research tools to integrate data from Distill.io with databases or visualization tools.
Use Cloud Monitors for Reliability:
One option is to run monitors on Distill.io's servers, ensuring continuous monitoring even when your device is offline. For monitoring tasks where information can change quickly this can be critical because uptime is constant.
Leverage API Access:
The highest-tier plans offer API access, but lower-tier plans offer webhooks and similar automation tools like the possibility to run macros locally. That can help integrate monitoring data into custom applications.
Monitor Authentication-Protected Pages:
Distill.io supports monitoring pages that require login. This can ensure compliance with terms of service and legal considerations when monitoring such content.
Cost
Free Plan:
Up to 25 local monitors
5 cloud monitors
1,000 checks per month
30 email alerts
Limitations: Maximum check interval of 6 hours for cloud monitors
Paid Plans:
Starter Plan: Increased limits and faster check frequencies (e.g., every 10 minutes)
Pro Plan: More monitors, higher check frequency (e.g., every 5 minutes), SMS alerts
Enterprise Plan: Custom solutions with the highest limits and priority support
Pricing: Detailed pricing is available on the Distill.io pricing page
Level of difficulty
Requirements
Account Creation:
Required for synchronization across devices and accessing cloud monitoring features
Browser Extension:
Available for Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Edge
Local Monitoring: Runs checks when the browser is open
Mobile App:
Available on iOS and Android
Features: Receive push notifications and manage monitors
Desktop App:
Availability: Check the Distill.io website for the latest information
Advantage: Allows local monitoring without keeping the browser open
Limitations
Free Plan Limitations:
Limited to 25 local monitors and 5 cloud monitors
Minimum check interval of 6 hours for cloud monitors
Limited number of email alerts per month
Cloud Checks:
Limited by the subscription plan
Faster check frequencies require higher-tier plans
Local Checks:
Require the browser or desktop app to be running
Less reliable if the device is turned off or disconnected from the internet
Dynamic Content:
Monitoring JavaScript-rendered content may require advanced configuration
Some dynamic elements might not be captured without using cloud monitors
Ethical Considerations
Privacy and Legal Compliance:
Keep the website's terms of service in mind when monitoring website changes
Be aware of legal regulations regarding automated access or scraping
Responsible Use:
Avoid overloading target websites with excessive requests
Use appropriate check intervals to minimize impact
Data Validation:
Verify the accuracy of monitored changes before acting on them
Be cautious of false positives or changes that may not be relevant
Guides and articles
What is Distill? | Distill. (2023). Retrieved August 1, 2024, from https://distill.io/docs/web-monitor/what-is-distill/
Local Monitor vs. Cloud Monitor | Distill. (2023). Retrieved August 1, 2024, from https://distill.io/docs/web-monitor/cloud-local-monitors/
Distill (Director). (2023, May 26). How to Use the Visual Selector in Distill [Video recording]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MY1DjyHqy_o
Tool provider
Distill.io by Neemb LLC (Delaware), U.S.
Contact Information: Available on their Contact Us page
Advertising Trackers
Martin Sona
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