Cron & heartbeat monitoring
Cron monitoring that catches missed runs.
A healthy server can still miss a backup, report or scheduled task. Send a heartbeat after successful work and get an alert when the next check-in does not arrive.
Start monitoring cron jobs25 monitors free · no credit card
00:00
Success received
The last completed run checks in.
00:10
Next check-in expected
A slow run can still finish within grace.
After 00:12
Check-in is overdue
A stale-heartbeat evaluation can record the failure.
Illustration, not a measured alert timeline. Delivery includes processing and notification time.
One success signal per job.
Create a heartbeat monitor, set the expected interval and grace period, then copy its unique URL. Send a request only after the work you care about has succeeded.
For a backup, that can mean checking the output file or completing an integrity check before sending the ping. The heartbeat confirms your success signal, not the recoverability of the data.
Shell example · use your monitor's URL
./backup.sh && curl --fail --silent --show-error \
--max-time 10 "$HEARTBEAT_URL"Set HEARTBEAT_URL to the copied URL and keep it secret. The && sends a ping only when the script exits successfully.
Choose a deadline that fits the work.
- Interval
- Match the expected gap between successful check-ins. Heartbeats wait for your job; they are not website polling checks.
- Grace period
- Allow for runtime variation and planned retries. Too little grace creates noise; too much delays awareness of a missed job.
- Alert route
- Choose the people or integration that can act on a missed run. Test failure and recovery notifications with a non-production job.
- Separate coverage
- Use a server agent to watch the host and a heartbeat to watch the job. Neither substitutes for testing a backup restore.
Start with one important job.
Free includes 25 monitors shared across supported check types. Starter is £9/month with 50 monitors, two servers and three full team members. Heartbeats are included on both.
Compare plans and alert allowances →Cron monitoring questions
Can I monitor cron jobs for free?
Yes. Heartbeat monitors share the Free plan's allowance of 25 monitors. Use a separate heartbeat for each job so one successful job cannot hide another job's failure. Free also includes one server and one public status page.
Does this run or restart my scheduled job?
No. Your scheduler runs the job. 247Monitor receives check-ins and detects when they stop arriving. It does not execute the job, retry a backup or prove that a backup can be restored.
When is a heartbeat considered late?
The deadline is based on the last check-in plus the configured interval and grace period. A missed check-in is evaluated after that deadline. Processing and notification delivery add time, so the deadline is not an exact alert-delivery guarantee.
Should I ping when a job starts or completes?
For a success-only heartbeat, ping after successful completion and any validation you require. Do not send the same success ping unconditionally after an error. A job that fails should leave that heartbeat absent.
Can I monitor Windows scheduled tasks?
Yes. Any scheduler or application that can make an HTTP request after successful work can send a heartbeat, including Windows Task Scheduler, Linux cron and application background tasks.
No credit card · 25 monitors free
Start monitoring in minutes.
The free plan includes 25 monitors, one server and a public status page. Add your first check and choose where alerts should be sent.