Website monitoring involves tracking the performance, availability, uptime, and functionality of websites. Businesses use website monitoring to supervise their sites continuously, preventing unforeseen server outages that can lead to visitor loss. Today, various web services (both free and paid) help monitor websites and send notifications, enabling swift action in case of downtime. Leading monitoring tools commonly employ these website monitoring types:
  • Performance website monitoring
  • Full-page website monitoring
  • Website uptime and response time monitoring

Performance website monitoring: The monitoring agent executes a specific request, downloading the header and all webpage content (excluding images and embedded objects), simulating a returning visitor.

Full-page website monitoring: This method measures the complete loading time of an HTML page within real browsers, facilitating improvements to real user experience and satisfaction. It provides genuine insights into the user experience on your website.

Full-page website monitoring capabilities:
  • Detailed timelines for each request
  • Loading times for all images, CSS, JavaScript, RSS, Flash, and frames
  • Component-specific page load breakdowns
  • Alerts when page elements fail to load (e.g., “404 error”)

Uptime monitoring service comprises:

  • Site uptime verification via HTTP, HTTPS, PING, DNS
  • Availability and performance monitoring from various locations
  • Email tracking via SMTP, POP3, and IMAP protocols
  • VoIP monitoring using the SIP protocol
  • Public IP monitoring using TCP, UDP, and ICMP protocols
  • Webpage content verification
  • Failure notifications via SMS, email, and instant messages

Numerous free website monitoring services are readily available.

Starting with a free tool is advisable for those new to website monitoring. Many services track website status at no cost, though limitations may exist and vary between providers. Popular free monitoring tools include Mon.itor.us, HostTracker, and uptimerobot.com.

UptimeRobot website monitoring tool
Screenshot 1 – UptimeRobot website monitoring tool
Host-Tracker website monitoring tool
Screenshot 2 – Host-Tracker website monitoring tool

While free site monitoring exists, paid tools offer more comprehensive features and increased monitoring frequency. For immediate downtime alerts, paid tools (such as AlertSite, IPNetwork Monitor, and OpenTracker) are recommended.

AlertSite website monitoring tool
Screenshot 3 – AlertSite website monitoring tool

All website monitoring tools offer professional reporting (alerts and notifications) for downtime or unavailability. For sites checked regularly, owners can opt for alerts via email, SMS, or RSS.

Many tools provide reports detailing average response time, overall availability, and downtime instances. These statistics are valuable for capacity planning and verifying hosting provider SLAs.

Advantages of website monitoring:

  • Detecting website downtime and slowdowns
  • Monitoring website performance and speed
  • Verifying webpage content
  • Receiving immediate downtime alerts
  • Enhanced visibility into response performance
  • Ensuring 24/7/365 site availability
  • Providing full-page downloads with real-time alerts