When to use each tool

When a website stops working, the cause is usually in one of a few places: the domain name doesn't resolve, the secure connection fails, the server doesn't answer, or the application returns an error. Each tool looks at one of these layers.

For a deeper walkthrough, read How to Check If a Website Is Online or Down. To run these checks continuously instead of by hand, see our guide to uptime monitoring.

All tools run from our server and refuse to contact private or internal network addresses. To prevent abuse, the number of checks per visitor is limited.

Want these checks to run automatically?

Monitor up to 5 websites every 5 minutes for free and get an email when something breaks.