The problem
How it works
changedetection.io is an Apache-2.0 self-hosted page monitor. You add pages to watch, narrow each one with a visual selector or CSS, XPath, JSON or regex filters, and set a schedule. It can track product prices and stock, run browser steps through Playwright or Chrome before checking, and send alerts with a diff and screenshot to Slack, Discord, email or webhooks. Optional LLM features describe changes in plain language and apply rules written in plain English, and an MCP server and REST API expose the dashboard to agents.
Results and limitations
The README presents features rather than a reported outcome. It warns that LLM output can be inaccurate and that turning on AI sends page content to the provider you choose.
Before you try it
Monitor public pages only, keep check intervals modest and respect each site's terms and robots rules. Prices on a competitor's page can differ by region or visitor, so confirm before acting on an alert. Use Ollama or another self-hosted model through LiteLLM when page content should stay private. Self-host with Docker or pip, or use the hosted plan, which the README lists from $8.99 a month. Results depend on your setup and were not independently reproduced by Top 200 Repos.
Tools and repositories
- Tools
- changedetection.io (Docker, pip or hosted) · Optional LLM through LiteLLM · Playwright or Chrome fetcher for dynamic pages
- Prerequisites
- Docker or Python for self-hosting, or a hosted subscription; an LLM key only if you enable AI features.
Try it yourself: Turn page-change alerts into a competitor digest
Fill the fields to adapt the prompt. Empty fields stay as visible [placeholders].
Here are the change alerts from changedetection.io for the past [Period covered]: [Alert text or diffs]. Group them by competitor and by type: price change, new or removed product, messaging change, or noise such as dates and layout tweaks. For each meaningful change give the page URL, the before and after values and why it might matter for [Your product]. Drop the noise but report how many alerts were noise. Do not speculate about a competitor's intentions beyond what the pages show, and mark any value you could not read clearly as unverified.Check important changes on the live page before sharing the digest.
Sources
- dgtlmoon/changedetection.io README (opens in a new tab)
Project documentation · github.com · Undated · Source checked 11 Nov 2026, 22:05 UTC
What this source supports
- Monitors web pages and alerts on changes, with visual selector, CSS, XPath, JSON and regex filters
- Tracks prices and restocks, and runs browser steps with Playwright or Chrome
- Sends notifications through Apprise to Slack, Discord, email and webhooks
- Optional LLM change summaries and plain-English change rules through LiteLLM; content goes to the chosen provider
- MCP and REST API access; hosted plan from $8.99 a month; Apache-2.0 licence