Chains overview

A chain is an ordered sequence of steps that execute one after another. Steps are based on existing probes; the output of one step can be extracted into a variable and injected into subsequent steps via {{variable}} placeholders.

This lets you build end-to-end integration test workflows that span multiple protocols — for example:

POST to a REST API to create a user
Wait for the confirmation email and fetch it via IMAP
Extract the token from the email body
Use the token in an LDAP BIND to verify directory access

Chain editor — step list on the left, step detail on the right

Creating a chain

Chains view — sidebar listing chains for the active project, chain editor on the right

The Chains view has a permanent sidebar on the left listing all chains for the active project. Click any chain to open it in the editor on the right. The sidebar updates instantly when you switch projects.

Click the + button at the top of the sidebar to create a new chain — the chain name is required before it can be saved. The chain is automatically assigned to the active project. A chain starts empty; add steps using the toolbar buttons in the editor.

You can also create chains from the project dashboard: open the project picker in the app bar, click Project Dashboard, and click New Chain in the Chains section.

Step types

Type	Description
HTTP	Send an HTTP request
SMTP	Send an SMTP command sequence
IMAP	Execute IMAP commands
LDAP	Execute LDAP operations
DNS	Send DNS queries
SpamAssassin	Submit a message for spam scoring
ITERATE	Loop over a list and execute child steps per item
CONDITION	Branch on a Groovy boolean expression — if true, execute the then branch; otherwise the else branch
PARALLEL	Execute multiple child steps simultaneously; variables are merged when all complete
CHAIN_REF	Call another chain as a sub-routine, with explicit input and output variable mapping
PRINT	Print a variable value to the execution log
ASSERT	Assert that a variable matches an expected value — fails the chain if the condition is not met

Variable flow

Variables are shared across the entire chain execution context. An extractor on step 2 can produce a variable that step 5 reads from.

CONDITION and ITERATE steps pass the shared variable context into their child steps, so extractors inside a branch can produce variables that are visible after the step completes.

PARALLEL branches each receive a snapshot of the variable context at the time the step starts. After all branches finish, their extracted variables are merged back into the shared context (last-writer-wins if two branches extract the same name).

CHAIN_REF steps have explicit variable mapping — variables do not flow automatically between a parent chain and a sub-chain. See CHAIN_REF for details.

See Extractors for a full reference of what can be extracted from each protocol.

Execution

Chain execution results — per-step status and extracted variables

Click Run to execute the chain. Results stream into the execution log as steps complete — each step shows its status (success / failure) and the key-value variables it produced.

Run history

Run history panel — list of past runs with success/failure icon and timestamps

Every chain run is automatically saved. The Run History panel below the execution log shows up to 20 past runs per chain, ordered newest first. Each entry shows:

A green check or red warning icon (overall success/failure)
The date and time the run completed
Assertion summary (e.g. 3/4 assertions passed), when assertions were used

Click any history entry to restore it — the execution log updates to show that run’s results and final variables, exactly as they were recorded. The active entry is highlighted.

Comparing runs

Run history panel showing past runs for comparison

Click Compare on any history entry while a run is already displayed to enter diff mode. The results panel switches to a side-by-side comparison table:

Column	Description
Step	Step name (or type if unnamed)
A	Result from the current run — success/failure icon and output value
B	Result from the selected history run

Rows where the outcome differs (different success state, output, or error) are highlighted. Click Exit Compare to return to the normal results view.

Exporting results

Two export formats are available in the results panel toolbar when a run is displayed:

JSON Evidence

Click JSON Evidence to download a .json file containing the full execution result — all step results, extracted variables, and assertion outcomes, plus the chain metadata and the timestamp the run was executed. This format is designed for pentest reports, evidence archives, and audit trails.

{
  "chain": { "id": "...", "name": "OAuth Login Flow" },
  "executedAt": "2026-06-07T09:14:22.000Z",
  "result": {
    "success": true,
    "stepResults": [ ... ],
    "finalVariables": { "token": "eyJ..." },
    "assertionSummary": { "total": 3, "passed": 3, "failed": 0 }
  }
}

JUnit XML

Click JUnit XML to re-run the chain and download a standard JUnit XML report. This format is understood by CI platforms (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, TeamCity) and test reporting tools. Each chain step maps to a <testcase>; failed steps produce <failure> elements with the error message.