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Flow tracker

As explained in Secure APIs

A flow tracker is state that records a user's completed workflow steps and associated interaction timing.

A flow tracker records the API steps a user completes and the time between them. It provides a practical view of whether a sensitive workflow follows a believable sequence. section 6.6

Use it to detect skipped steps without rejecting every deviation. A shopper may leave checkout, view another page, and return later; that behavior can remain valid while direct jumps and rapid automation receive scrutiny. section 6.6

Checkout flow

Track product-detail, create-cart, and calculate-price operations. Confirm that price calculation follows cart creation, carry the returned cart_id forward, and record the elapsed time between steps. section 6.6

How Secure APIs covers it

How deep it goes
Explains recorded steps, predecessor checks, timing, authentication, single-session tracking, and detailed activity logs.
Examples
Uses an e-commerce checkout involving product details, cart creation, price calculation, cart_id propagation, and acceptable browsing detours.
What it assumes
Assumes API endpoints and authentication, while defining workflow steps and their relationships through a concrete checkout example.
What you can do after
Operate/configure a tracker that records endpoint steps, checks workflow order, measures transitions, and supports malicious-behavior detection.
How it connects
Connects workflow definitions, API authentication, session tracking, OpenAPI operation IDs, logging, and bot detection.

Related concepts

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Secure APIs. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.