Cron job monitoring with heartbeat deadlines you can reason about
Heartbeat monitors work in the opposite direction from active network checks: your cron job or scheduled task calls a dedicated secret URL. If the next heartbeat does not arrive within the configured grace period, UptimeSure marks the monitor DOWN.
Each heartbeat monitor gets a dedicated secret token. A GET or POST to that endpoint records an UP heartbeat and advances the next deadline. The token is distinct from the public monitor ID.
At the exact configured deadline, a missing heartbeat is overdue. UptimeSure does not wait an additional normal monitor interval before detecting the missed task.
A received heartbeat immediately records UP, clears stale scheduler ownership and resolves an open incident. Missed deadlines follow the normal incident pipeline.
What UptimeSure checks
- Last heartbeat time
- Configured grace period
- Missed-heartbeat deadline
- Push/recovery state
Common use cases
- Cron jobs
- Scheduled backups
- ETL/import tasks
- Periodic workers or integration jobs
Configuration
- Heartbeat grace period
- Check interval policy
- Confirmation threshold
- Alert associations
Alerts and recovery
Link standard alert channels for missed-job DOWN and recovery notifications.
Example
Example: a nightly backup calls its UptimeSure heartbeat URL when it completes; if no call arrives inside the grace period, an incident opens.
Frequently asked questions
Should I put the heartbeat token in public code?
No. Treat it as a secret capability URL and keep it in the scheduled job configuration.
Can a late heartbeat recover the monitor?
Yes. A valid push records UP and resolves the open missed-heartbeat incident.
Does V1 run my cron job?
No. UptimeSure watches for the heartbeat; your scheduler still runs the job.
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