Chances are you probably visit a lot of web sites where the data doesn't change on a regular basis. Too often you end up going to a site that hasn't changed. WatchThatPage is a free web service that monitors your sites and sends you an email when it detects a change.

One of the most frequent questions we get asked is for ways to track web pages. Often times, people have a need to track a site but don't want to waste time if there are no changes. These sites might include pages from your competitors, bidding schedules, software updates and so on.

There are several ways to track web pages ranging from subscription services to stand alone programs. In this issue, we'll discuss a service called Watch That Page. Watch That Page is a free service offered by ATS Consulting in Norway. The service allows you to define which sites to watch and alerts you to content changes via email or through the web site.

To use the service you need to create an account, which is an easy process. You can add pages either by typing in the URL on the Pages tab, or by using a toolbar button for Internet Explorer. We opted to use the toolbar button as the capture and login process is faster and simpler. (Note: If you use the toolbar button, you will see a security alert when you drag the button. This is because the button uses JavaScript.)

The service also offers folders and channels. Folders are used to organize your pages, but they don't impact the email alert. In contrast, channels allow you to define delivery options, keywords and other addresses to receive the emails. Using channels, you could have one set of pages to be checked weekly and go to your work email. You could have another channel for different pages sent daily to your home email address.

After you've added which pages to watch, you need to define your profile. The profile is linked to your default channel and includes options such as your time zone and when you'd like to have the web pages checked. You may also elect to have only the changes emailed to you or a list of web pages. You can even halt deliveries when you go on vacation.

When the service detects a change, it will send a text email to you based on the frequency you defined in your profile. The Subject: header shows how many web pages changed. The email will show the link for the changed web page and the changed text.

We found the service to be simple but effective. The web site doesn't have a fancy interface, but is easy enough to figure out. The only "gotcha" we see is that the company states in its Privacy policy they may include advertisements in the emails. While I've yet to see any adds in the 6 months I've been using the service, it wouldn't bother me. After all, it does cost money to run the service.

• Cost: Free
• URL:www.watchthatpage.com