Creating a Monitor
Learn how to set up a new monitor in UptimeObserver to track the availability and performance of your websites, APIs, and services.
Overview
A monitor defines how UptimeObserver checks an endpoint, or when a heartbeat is expected. Failed results can lead to an incident; notifications require active alert rules. See the monitor lifecycle.
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Access the Dashboard
Log in to your UptimeObserver dashboard. You'll see an overview of your existing monitors and their current status.
2. Click "New Monitor"
Go to "Monitoring" then "Monitors"
Click New Monitor to open the creation form.
3. Select Monitor Type
Choose the type of monitor that matches your needs:
| Type | Best For |
|---|---|
| HTTP(S) | Websites, REST APIs, web applications |
| DNS | Domain configuration, DNS record validation |
| Port | Web servers, mail servers, custom TCP services |
| Ping | Host reachability and network latency |
| Heartbeat | Cron jobs, scheduled tasks, background processes |
4. Configure Basic Settings
Actively checked monitors use the settings below. Heartbeats instead use their own expected-ping schedule and grace period.
Monitor Friendly Name
Give your monitor a descriptive name that helps you identify it quickly (e.g., "Production API", "Main Website", "Website AAAA DNS Record").
Check Frequency
Set how often UptimeObserver should check your endpoint:
| Interval | Recommended For |
|---|---|
| 30 seconds to 1 minute | Mission-critical services requiring immediate detection |
| 5 minutes | Production websites and APIs |
| 15 minutes | Less critical services, staging environments |
| 30+ minutes | Low-priority endpoints |
Plan Availability
Minimum intervals are 5 minutes on Free, 1 minute on Indie, and 30 seconds on Pro. See plans and limits.
Timeout
The timeout defaults to 15 seconds. The dashboard allows 1–15 seconds on Free and 1–300 seconds on paid plans for HTTP, Port, and Ping checks; see monitoring controls. It is applied to individual connection/read or reachability attempts, not necessarily the total duration of a check. DNS queries use a separate, fixed timeout.
Retries
For HTTP, DNS, Port, and Ping monitors, Retries is a consecutive-failure threshold, not a count of immediate extra requests. For example, 0 means the first failed result can generate Down, while 1 or 2 both require two failed results. See the full retry table and multi-region recovery rule.
Heartbeat monitors use a separate overdue-check rule.
5. Configure Type-Specific Settings
Depending on your chosen monitor type, you'll need to configure additional settings:
- HTTP(S): URL, HTTP method, expected status code, HTTP body encoding, HTTP body, SSL monitoring
- DNS: Hostname, record type, expected value
- Port: Hostname/IP and TCP port number
- Ping: Target host/IP, check interval, timeout
- Heartbeat: Heartbeat URL, expected interval (period), grace period
See the individual monitor type guides for detailed configuration options.
6. Set Up Alerts
If the creation form offers configured email recipients, choose who should receive its Down and Up notifications. After saving, inspect the monitor's Alerts list and add any other channels using Add an alert to a monitor. Each rule subscribes to one event; configure Monitor Down and Monitor Up separately.
Alert Best Practices
Use an additional channel for critical monitors and test both. Multiple channels reduce reliance on one provider but do not guarantee delivery.
7. Save and Activate
Click Create Monitor, then open it from Monitors. Actively checked monitors begin running through the scheduler; wait for a recorded result rather than assuming saving is a completed check. A heartbeat remains Pending until its first ping is processed.
What Happens Next
Once your monitor is active:
- First result appears after the scheduler and check processing run; heartbeats need a ping
- Subsequent checks run at your configured interval
- Response times are recorded for performance tracking
- Monitor Down rules notify when the failure threshold opens an incident, except when covered by maintenance
- Monitor Up rules notify when the incident resolves outside maintenance; see recovery
Managing Your Monitor
After creation, you can:
- Edit settings — Update configuration at any time
- Pause monitoring — Temporarily disable checks during maintenance
- View history — See uptime statistics and response time trends
- Delete — Remove monitors you no longer need
Need Help?
If you need assistance setting up a monitor, reach out using the "Need Help?" button on the bottom right corner or email us at support@uptimeobserver.com.