> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.freakhosting.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to Get Email Alerts When Your Server Goes Down

> Get a server down alert by email: run Uptime Kuma on a second server to check ping, ports or your website, then use the VPS Panel graphs to see what happened.

To get an email when your server goes down, monitor it from **another machine**: a server that is down can't send its own alert. Install [Uptime Kuma](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/how-to-set-up-uptime-kuma.md) on a second server, add an **Email (SMTP)** notification, and create a monitor for your server (HTTP(s) for a website, TCP Port for SSH `22` or RDP `3389`, or Ping). Then check the [VPS Panel graphs](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/vps-panel/how-to-monitor-vps-resource-usage.md) to see what happened.

| Difficulty | Time | Works on | Needs |
| - | - | - | - |
| Beginner | 20 minutes | Monitored server: any Linux or Windows Server. Monitor: any Linux server with Docker | A second server or other always-on machine; an SMTP account for sending email |

## Before you start

* **Use a separate machine for monitoring.** Ideally a small server in a different location or with a different provider, so one outage doesn't take out both.
* **Have SMTP details ready**: server, port, username and password from your email provider or a transactional email service. Uptime Kuma sends mail through it.
* **Decide what "down" means.** A website can fail while the server still answers ping. Monitor the thing your users rely on.

## Which kind of check should I use?

| Check type | Tests | Use for |
| - | - | - |
| **HTTP(s)** | A web page answers with a success code | Websites, panels, APIs |
| **HTTP(s) - Keyword** | The page answers and contains a word | Catching error pages that still return 200 |
| **TCP Port** | A port accepts connections | SSH (`22`), RDP (`3389`), game servers, databases kept private to the monitor's IP |
| **Ping** | The server replies to ICMP echo | Basic "is it on the network" |
| **Push** | Your server calls a URL on a schedule; silence means down | Cron jobs, backups, servers behind a firewall |

> [!NOTE]
>
> Windows Defender Firewall's inbound Echo Request rules must be enabled before Windows Server answers ping. Either monitor RDP with a **TCP Port** check on `3389` (or your custom RDP port), or [allow ICMP on Windows](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/how-to-enable-icmp-on-windows.md) first.

## How to set up email alerts with Uptime Kuma

**1. Install Uptime Kuma on your monitoring server**

Follow [set up Uptime Kuma](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/how-to-set-up-uptime-kuma.md). It runs in Docker and takes about 15 minutes, including HTTPS.

**2. Add the email notification**

Open **Settings > Notifications**, click **Setup Notification** and pick **Email (SMTP)**. Enter your SMTP host, port, security setting, username and password, the **From** address and your own address (for example `you@example.com`) as recipient. Click **Test** and check that the test email arrives, including in your spam folder.

**3. Create a monitor for your server**

Click **Add New Monitor** and choose a type from the table above. Examples:

* Website: **HTTP(s)**, URL `https://example.com`
* Linux server: **TCP Port**, hostname `203.0.113.10`, port `22`
* Windows server: **TCP Port**, hostname `203.0.113.20`, port `3389`

**4. Avoid false alarms**

Keep **Heartbeat Interval** at 60 seconds and set **Retries** to `2` or `3`, so a single dropped check doesn't email you.

**5. Attach the notification and save**

Tick your email notification in the monitor's **Notifications** section and click **Save**.

## How to alert when a server stops checking in (Push)

A Push monitor works the other way round: your server calls Uptime Kuma, and you are alerted if the calls stop. It is useful when the server isn't reachable from outside, or to confirm a backup job really ran.

**1. Create a Push monitor**

In Uptime Kuma, click **Add New Monitor**, choose **Push** and save. Copy the **Push URL** it shows.

**2. Call the URL from your server**

> [tab] Linux (cron)
>
> Run `crontab -e` and add a line that calls the URL every minute:
>
> ```bash theme={null}
> * * * * * curl -fsS -m 10 "https://status.example.com/api/push/AbC123xYz?status=up&msg=OK" > /dev/null
> ```
>
> See [schedule tasks with cron](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/how-to-schedule-tasks-with-cron.md).

> [tab] Windows (Task Scheduler)
>
> Create a task in **Task Scheduler** that runs every minute and starts `powershell.exe` with these arguments:
>
> ```powershell theme={null}
> -NoProfile -Command "Invoke-WebRequest -UseBasicParsing -Uri 'https://status.example.com/api/push/AbC123xYz?status=up&msg=OK' | Out-Null"
> ```

Replace the URL with the one Uptime Kuma gave you. Treat it like a password: anyone with it can mark your monitor as up.

## How to find out why your server went down

When the alert arrives, work through these in order:

**1. Check the VPS Panel**

Open your server in the VPS Panel. The **Overview** tab shows whether it is running, and the **Statistics** graphs show CPU, memory, disk and network for the last 30 minutes to the last week. A flat line where traffic stopped, or CPU or memory at 100% just before the outage, tells you where to look. See [monitor VPS resource usage](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/vps-panel/how-to-monitor-vps-resource-usage.md).

**2. Check the task log**

The [task log](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/vps-panel/understanding-the-vps-task-log.md) shows any boot, restart or power-off at that time.

**3. Get a console**

If the server is running but you can't connect, open the [VNC console](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/vps-panel/how-to-enable-and-use-vnc-console-access.md) to see boot errors or log in directly. For a dedicated server, [open a ticket](https://freakhosting.com/clientarea/submitticket.php) if you need console access.

**4. Read the logs once you are back in**

Linux: `journalctl -b -1 -p warning` shows warnings from the previous boot. See [read logs with journalctl](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/how-to-read-logs-with-journalctl.md).
Windows: open **Event Viewer** and check **Windows Logs > System**. See [use Event Viewer to find errors](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/how-to-use-event-viewer-to-find-errors.md).

> [!NOTE]
>
> The VPS Panel's own email notifications cover account logins and backups; they don't tell you when your server stops responding. That is why an external monitor such as Uptime Kuma is needed.

## How to check it worked

Test the whole chain once. On a non-critical port or a test monitor, pause the service (for example `sudo systemctl stop nginx` on a test site) and wait for the retries to run out. You should receive a **Down** email, then an **Up** email after you start it again. Don't test by stopping SSH or RDP on a server you only reach that way.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can my server email me when it goes down?

No. A server that is off, frozen or cut off from the network can't send anything. Monitoring has to run somewhere else. What the server itself can do is warn you about problems while it is still running, such as a full disk; see [Netdata](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/how-to-set-up-netdata-monitoring.md).

### How often should the check run?

Every 60 seconds with 2 or 3 retries is a good balance for most sites. Shorter intervals find outages faster but cause more false alarms.

### Can I get alerts in Discord or Telegram instead?

Yes. Uptime Kuma supports more than 90 notification services, including Discord, Telegram and Slack. Add them under **Settings > Notifications** the same way.

### Why did I get a down alert when my site was fine?

The check may have hit a short network blip between the monitor and your server. Raise **Retries**, and if it repeats, run [MTR](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/how-to-run-mtr-and-traceroute.md) from the monitoring server to see where packets are lost.

## Related guides

> [card] [VPS and dedicated server guides](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/vps-and-dedicated-server-guides.md)
>
> Every server guide in one place.

> [card] [Set up Uptime Kuma](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/how-to-set-up-uptime-kuma.md)
>
> Install the monitor with Docker.

> [card] [VPS Panel resource graphs](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/vps-panel/how-to-monitor-vps-resource-usage.md)
>
> See what happened before the outage.

> [card] [Set up Netdata](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/how-to-set-up-netdata-monitoring.md)
>
> Alerts for disk, CPU and memory.

> [card] [Enable ICMP on Windows](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/how-to-enable-icmp-on-windows.md)
>
> Let Windows Server answer ping.

> [card] [Use the VNC console](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/vps-panel/how-to-enable-and-use-vnc-console-access.md)
>
> Reach a server that won't answer.

***

> [!NOTE]
>
> **Checked against the official [Uptime Kuma documentation](https://github.com/louislam/uptime-kuma/wiki/Internal-API)** (monitor types and the Push endpoint) and Microsoft's [Invoke-WebRequest](https://learn.microsoft.com/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.utility/invoke-webrequest) reference on 4 November 2026. Uptime Kuma menu names can change between releases.

> [!NOTE]
>
> ### Need Extra Help?
>
> If you encounter any issues, our support team is ready to assist:
>
> * **Live Chat:** Quick assistance via our website.
> * **Support Ticket:** [Open a Ticket](https://freakhosting.com/clientarea/submitticket.php)
> * **Discord:** [Join our Community](https://discord.gg/freakhosting)
> * **Email:** [support@freakhosting.com](mailto:support@freakhosting.com)

> [!TIP]
>
> ### Save on Your Hosting
>
> Ready to upgrade your hosting? Use code **KB20** at checkout for **20% off** your first order!

***

**Last Updated:** November 2026


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