Short answer: Use a free Google Apps Script that checks your websites every 5 minutes and emails you when one stops answering, and again when it is back, with how long it was down. It runs in your own Google account; nothing is sent to us. Setup takes 5 steps: Make a Sites tab; Make a Settings tab; Paste the script; Start monitoring; How alerts work.
How to set it up
- Make a Sites tab. Open a new Google Sheet and add a tab called Sites with these columns from A to E: URL, Status, Last checked, Down since, Fails. Put each web address in column A from row 2, starting with https://.
- Make a Settings tab. Add a tab called Settings and put the email address for alerts in B1. Leave it blank to get them yourself.
- Paste the script. Open Extensions, then Apps Script, paste in the code from our email, and save. Reload the sheet and an Uptime menu appears.
- Start monitoring. Choose Uptime, then Start monitoring. Each site is checked every 5 minutes and the sheet shows UP, CHECKING or DOWN with the time of the last check.
- How alerts work. A site counts as down after two failed checks in a row, so one slow answer doesn't wake you. You get one email when it goes down and one when it is back.
Want this set up for your business? Free written scope in 20 minutes
Get the script
Download it free
We'll email you the script (Code.gs). It runs in your own Google account; nothing is sent to us.
Have us install it for you
We set it up in your Google account in a short Connect session, connect it to your sheet and check that it runs.
Good to know
- A page that answers with an error code of 400 or more, or doesn't answer at all, counts as a failed check. Redirects are followed.
- Google limits how many web requests a script can make each day; a handful of sites every 5 minutes is well within a normal account's allowance.
Questions
What does this script do?
It is a free Google Apps Script that checks your websites every 5 minutes and emails you when one stops answering, and again when it is back, with how long it was down.
How do I set it up?
In 5 steps: 1. Make a Sites tab; 2. Make a Settings tab; 3. Paste the script; 4. Start monitoring; 5. How alerts work. The full steps are on this page.
Is it free, and does it send my data anywhere?
It is free: enter your email on this page and we email you the script (Code.gs). It runs in your own Google account; nothing is sent to us.
Can you install it for me?
Yes. We set it up in your Google account in a short Connect session, connect it to your sheet and check that it runs.
Want this connected to the rest of your tools? Send us a short brief.
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