Manual Monitors

This is a special type of monitor. StatusCloud will not run any sort of regular check, but the status is instead updated manually. You can do this directly from the console, or use an automation method.

For a reference guide to monitoring settings, see this page.

Uses

A common use for manual monitors is as a line item on status pages. For example, if you want your page to show the status of a non-monitored component, you could use this monitor and update it from the console.

This type is also used to interface with other monitoring systems, including custom or internal tools. The status can be updated using the automation techniques described below.

If configured appropriately, this can then be used to trigger alerts as with any other monitor type, and display appropriate content on a status page. Therefore, manual monitors can be used to incorporate the features of StatusCloud into an existing monitoring setup.

Console

The easiest way to update the status is from the StatusCloud console.

Here, simply navigate to the dashboard page for the monitor you wish to update, and click the relevant status button.

If that status is configured to open an incident for that status, you will be asked to confirm your choice. This is to prevent accidentally sending alerts.

Any user with edit access to the monitor can update the status this way.

Automation

The status of a manual monitor can be updated at any time using either an HTTP endpoint or by sending an email to a unique address.

Each manual monitor is assigned a unique token, which is a series of URL-safe characters. Specifically, it is a string that may include letters, numbers, underscores, and hyphens.

A summary of the following information is given on the monitor dashboard, along with the specific token value for that monitor.

We will update the status of the monitor, potentially opening an incident and sending alerts, if we receive an HTTP request or email that includes the token and the new status.

The required format of each method is given below, as well as a table of accepted values for each status (for example, Online also accepts the value UP).

The token value is always case-sensitive, but the status value ignores capitalization.

HTTP endpoint

The easiest automation method is to send an HTTP request to a specific URL, which is listed on the dashboard and follows the format (where <TOKEN> is replaced with the appropriate value for the relevant monitor and STATUS is an acceptable status value):

https://api.statuscloud.com/manual/<TOKEN>/<STATUS>

For example, if your token was ABC123 and you wanted to set the status to Online, you could send a request to:

https://api.statuscloud.com/manual/ABC123/up

This endpoint accepts any GET, POST, or HEAD request, and does not require any authentication, body, or headers (other than those already required to deliver the request, such as the Host header).

You must use the HTTPS protocol (as given in the URL).

If successful, the endpoint returns 204 No Content. Otherwise, an appropriate error status is given (usually 404 Not Found, indicating an incorrect token value).

There are a number of ways to incorporate this HTTP request into your existing system.

Most programming languages include relevant methods as part of their standard library, or these are available as packages. Alternatively, send a curl request. For example:

$ curl https://api.statuscloud.com/manual/ABC123/up

Email address

We also accept status updates via an email, for compatability with some legacy systems.

You should send an email to the unique address for your monitor, which is listed on the dashboard and follows the format (where <TOKEN> is replaced with the appropriate value for the relevant monitor):

<TOKEN>@manual.statuscloud.com

For example, if your token was ABC123, you should send an email to:

ABC123@manual.statuscloud.com

When used this way, we will look for a status value in the subject line. If there is no subject, we will look for it in the first word of the body. If there is no body either, or if we find an invalid value, we will ignore the email.

As an alternative, you can include the status value in the email address itself. To do so, send an email to an address in the following format (where <TOKEN> is replaced with the appropriate value for the relevant monitor and STATUS is an acceptable status value):

<TOKEN>+<STATUS>@manual.statuscloud.com

Using the same example, if you wanted to set the status to Online, you could email:

ABC123+up@manual.statuscloud.com

You do not need to include any status or body text in this configuration, and any provided will be ignored.

In no circumstance will we send an email reply, or otherwise acknowledge receipt. We highly recommend tested your integration thoroughly before use.

Status values

To be compatible with as many existing tools as possible, there are a range of sensible alternatives that each status will accept.

For all values, capitalization is ignored and hyphens can be used in place of underscores.

Pausing

If you want to disable automation - for example, if your token had been leaked and the endpoint was being abused - you can pause the monitor.

The HTTP requests and email will still appear to work, but they will not cause the status to actually change.

Pausing the monitor does not prevent the status from being updated via the dashboard, it only limits automation.

Resuming the monitor immediately enables these methods again.