Cron job and scheduled task monitoring
A backup that stops running sends no error message. A heartbeat monitor turns that silence into an alert.
Check details
- Monitor type
- Heartbeat (cron)
- Target
- Your job calls a unique URL
- Late after
- Your interval plus a grace period
- Checked from
- Helsinki, Finland (EU)
How it works
- Each heartbeat monitor gives you a unique URL.
- Your job calls it, with curl, PowerShell or any HTTP client, after it finishes successfully.
- If no call arrives within the expected interval plus the grace period you choose, you are alerted.
- The next successful call closes the incident and sends a recovery alert.
What FastPing checks
- Missed runs
The job did not start: a stopped cron daemon, a disabled timer, a server that is switched off.
- Failed runs
Call the URL only on success, and a failing job alerts you like a missing one.
- Late runs
A job that runs far longer than usual exceeds the grace period and alerts you.
Set it up
Create a Heartbeat monitor and set the interval to the job's schedule. Copy the heartbeat URL from the monitor page. Add a call to that URL at the end of the job, after the command that must succeed.
Frequently asked questions
If your question is not here, write to us. We reply by email, usually within one business day.
Contact supportWhat does the job need to send?
Only a request to the URL with GET, POST or HEAD. No body and no API key.
How much delay is tolerated?
You set a grace period of up to 24 hours on top of the interval. A nightly job with a one-hour grace period alerts you if it has not reported one hour after its usual time.
Does it work with Windows and GitHub Actions?
Yes. Anything that can make an HTTP request works. The setup guide has examples for Linux cron, systemd timers, Windows Task Scheduler and GitHub Actions.
Can I monitor weekly jobs?
The longest interval is 24 hours plus a grace period of up to 24 hours, so heartbeats suit jobs that run at least every two days.
Related monitoring
- API monitoringCustom requests with headers and bodies, JSON value assertions and response-time warnings.
- Website monitoringStatus codes, redirects, certificates and response time, checked as often as every 30 seconds.
- Mail server monitoringSMTP, IMAP and POP3 servers: greeting, STARTTLS or TLS and certificates, without logging in.
Start with the free plan
3 monitors, checks every 5 minutes and 1 status page. No payment details needed.
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