Guide · Open source
How to use Upptime: set up a free GitHub uptime monitor
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
Upptime is an open-source uptime monitor and status page that runs entirely on GitHub Actions, GitHub Issues and GitHub Pages. It is aimed at developers and small teams who already use GitHub and want to check whether their sites are online without paying for a separate service. This guide explains what Upptime does, how to get the project, where its configuration lives and what you can expect from it.
Upptimeupptime/upptime · ★ 17.2k · MIT Install options & downloads Quick start
- 1Clone the repository. Run git clone https://github.com/upptime/upptime to get a local copy of the project.
- 2Confirm you use GitHub. Upptime relies on GitHub Actions, Issues and Pages, so the project only fits if your setup is on GitHub.
- 3Edit the single configuration file. List the sites and services you want monitored in the one configuration file in your repository.
- 4Let scheduled checks run. GitHub Actions runs the checks on a schedule, as often as every 5 minutes, and commits response times to git.
- 5Watch for Issues. When downtime is detected, a GitHub Issue is opened automatically and closed when the service recovers.
- 6Publish the status page. View the status page served through GitHub Pages to share uptime and incident history.
What Upptime does
Upptime checks whether your websites or services are online using scheduled GitHub Actions runs, as often as every 5 minutes. It records response times and commits them to git, which gives you long-term trend data and a history you can audit.
When downtime is detected, Upptime opens a GitHub Issue, and it closes the Issue when the service recovers. A status page built with Svelte is published through GitHub Pages and shows uptime, response times and incident history.
- Scheduled checks run through GitHub Actions
- Response time data is committed to git
- Incidents are opened and closed as GitHub Issues
- The status page is hosted on GitHub Pages
- All configuration lives in a single file in your repository
Get the Upptime repository
Upptime is installed by cloning its repository. The README lists the clone command below and does not list any other prerequisites, so start there. The project is licensed under MIT and is written in Markdown.
git clone https://github.com/upptime/upptimeUnderstand what you need before you start
Upptime depends on GitHub. It uses GitHub Actions for checks, GitHub Issues for incident tracking and GitHub Pages for the status site. If you do not use GitHub, Upptime is not a fit.
The project does not require an external server or subscription, according to its README. Because checks run on a schedule, the shortest interval you can get is the one GitHub Actions supports, which is every 5 minutes. If you need more frequent checks, Upptime is not the right tool.
- You need a GitHub account and a repository to hold Upptime
- Checks run no more often than every 5 minutes
- Enterprise features such as guaranteed alert routing are not described in the README
Use the configuration file to define what you monitor
Upptime keeps its configuration in a single file in your repository. Edit that file to list the websites or services you want checked. Keeping configuration in git means every change to your monitoring is recorded in the commit history.
- Keep the configuration in the repository you control
- Review changes through normal git commits
Read the status page and history
The status page shows each monitored endpoint with its current status, response time graphs for day, week, month and year, and uptime percentages. Each entry links to a history page. The history files are stored in git, so you can see when a status changed.
The README notes that the summary table on the status page is generated automatically and should not be edited by hand, because manual changes are overwritten.
- Status: Up or Down for each endpoint
- Response time graphs over several time ranges
- Uptime percentages, including all-time, 24-hour, 7-day, 30-day and 1-year figures
- Links to per-endpoint history
Compare Upptime with similar tools
Upptime's README names Uptime Kuma, Gatus and Statping as comparable projects. Choose Upptime when you want the monitor and status page to live inside GitHub and to get a git-based audit trail. Choose one of the others if you do not use GitHub or need checks more often than GitHub Actions allows.
What people use it for
- Monitor a personal or startup website with no paid monitoring subscription
- Publish a public status page for customers through GitHub Pages
- Keep a git history of response times for trend analysis
- Track incidents as GitHub Issues alongside your project's other work
- Monitor several endpoints from one repository
Frequently asked questions
Is Upptime free?
Upptime is MIT licensed, and its README says it is free if you already use GitHub, since no external server or subscription is needed. Your use of GitHub Actions and other GitHub features is governed by GitHub's own terms.
How do I install Upptime?
The README gives one install command: git clone https://github.com/upptime/upptime. No other prerequisites are listed in the source, so follow the README for any further setup steps.
How often does Upptime check my sites?
Checks run through scheduled GitHub Actions runs, as often as every 5 minutes. If you need more frequent checks, Upptime does not support that interval.
Does Upptime work without GitHub?
No. The project depends on GitHub Actions, GitHub Issues and GitHub Pages, so it is not suitable for users who do not use GitHub.
What are the alternatives to Upptime?
The README lists Uptime Kuma, Gatus and Statping as comparable projects. Pick based on whether you want the monitor to run inside GitHub or on your own infrastructure.
Where is my monitoring data stored?
Response time data and configuration are stored in your git repository. The README notes that if you delete the repository, your data is gone.
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Our verdict
Upptime suits developers and small teams who already use GitHub and want a free monitor, a public status page and a git-based audit trail. It is a poor fit if you need checks more often than every 5 minutes, do not use GitHub, or need enterprise alert routing that the README does not describe.
Install options & downloads