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How To Monitor Website Uptime For Free

Updated 2026-01-09

If you’re searching for how to monitor website uptime for free, you usually want one thing: a reliable signal when your website is unavailable—without babysitting it.

A practical solution is an uptime monitoring tool that runs checks automatically and notifies you when something breaks. For most small sites, a lightweight setup is enough to catch real outages and avoid false alarms.

What to look for

Recommendation

If you want something simple to start, UptimeRobot is a solid option for how to monitor website uptime for free. A simple uptime monitoring service with a generous free plan, instant alerts, and optional status pages.

Try UptimeRobot (free to start)

Setup in 5 minutes

  1. Create an account.
  2. Add your website URL to monitor.
  3. Choose alert methods (email first; add SMS/push later if you need it).
  4. Optional: create a status page if you want to share uptime publicly.

FAQ

What is the easiest way to handle how to monitor website uptime for free?

The simplest approach is to use an uptime monitor that checks your site automatically and alerts you when checks fail. Most people start with a free plan and add monitors as needed.

How often should uptime checks run?

Many tools check every 5 minutes on free tiers. If you run a store or mission‑critical site, faster checks can reduce downtime impact, but 5 minutes is a practical starting point.

Do I need technical skills to set this up?

Not usually. You typically paste your website URL, choose alert methods, and you’re done.

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Tip: When you first set this up, let it run for a day. Then review the alert history and adjust sensitivity if you see false positives. A little tuning early prevents noisy alerts later.

Tip: When you first set this up, let it run for a day. Then review the alert history and adjust sensitivity if you see false positives. A little tuning early prevents noisy alerts later.

Tip: When you first set this up, let it run for a day. Then review the alert history and adjust sensitivity if you see false positives. A little tuning early prevents noisy alerts later.

Tip: When you first set this up, let it run for a day. Then review the alert history and adjust sensitivity if you see false positives. A little tuning early prevents noisy alerts later.

Tip: When you first set this up, let it run for a day. Then review the alert history and adjust sensitivity if you see false positives. A little tuning early prevents noisy alerts later.