# Add a monitor

> Set up a check to watch a website, API, certificate, DNS record or anything else, and get told when something's wrong.

Source: https://infranest.io/docs/add-a-monitor
Last updated: 2026-10-26

---

This guide is for anyone who wants InfraNest to watch a website, API, certificate, DNS record, or other service and let them know when something goes wrong.

## Overview

- Monitors are automated checks that run on a schedule and alert you when something's down, slow, or misconfigured.
- You can monitor many different things — websites, APIs, certificates, DNS records, servers, and more.
- Each monitor can be fine-tuned with its own thresholds, regions, and alert settings.

## Add a monitor

1. Go to **Monitors** and select **Add monitor**.
2. Choose the type of check you want (for example HTTP / website monitoring, Keyword monitoring, SSL, DNS monitoring, Ping monitor, Port monitoring, API monitor, or Heartbeat / Cron monitor) and enter the **URL to monitor** or other target for that type.

<!-- screenshot: add-a-monitor -->

<!-- docs-screenshots:start:add-a-monitor -->

![Add a monitor](/media/a371e8c0-7e41-4b42-badc-26f6a0a27321)

<!-- docs-screenshots:end:add-a-monitor -->

3. Set the **Check interval** (how often it runs) and fill in any settings specific to that type, such as a **Keyword to find in response** or an **Expected value (optional)**.
4. Fine-tune the monitor if you want:
   - **Slow response time alert** — mark the check as degraded when it's up but slower than your **Slow response threshold (ms)**.
   - **Failed checks before alerting** — how many checks in a row must fail before you get an alert. Higher values ignore brief blips.
   - **Probe regions** and your preferred IP version (**Prefer IPv4 (recommended)**, **Prefer IPv6**, **IPv4 only**, or **IPv6 only**).
   - **Alerting** — choose where alerts for this monitor are sent, under **Choose destinations**.
5. Select **Test connection** to confirm your settings work, then select **Save**.

> [!TIP]
> The **Create monitor** form suggests a **Monitor name** based on the URL as you type it. You can change it any time — once you edit it, it stops following the URL automatically.

## Manage a check

1. Open the monitor from **Monitors** to see **Latest checks**, **Latest incidents**, and **How this monitor runs**.
2. Use **Edit monitor** to change its settings, or **Switch monitoring off** / **Switch monitoring on** (shown as **Turn off** / **Turn on**) to pause or resume checks.
3. Select **Silence alerts** and choose **Silence for** a set duration if you expect downtime and don't want to be alerted.
4. Use **Add parent** or **Add child** under **Dependencies** to link this monitor to another, so related alerts can be grouped sensibly.
5. Select **Delete monitor** if you no longer need the check.

## Troubleshooting

- If a monitor shows a connection error such as **Couldn't reach the target** or **Connection refused**, double-check the target address and port, then select **Test connection** again.
- If you're not getting alerted, check **Alerting** and **Choose destinations** to make sure a destination is attached.
- If checks are failing only briefly, raise **Failed checks before alerting** so single blips don't trigger an alert.