Status Pages

What are Status Pages?

Status pages are public-facing websites that display the current operational status of your services, systems, and infrastructure. They provide real-time information about service availability, ongoing incidents, maintenance schedules, and historical uptime data. Status pages help maintain transparency with users and reduce support inquiries during outages.

Why Status Pages are Important

Customer Communication

• Transparency: Keep users informed about service status and issues
• Trust building: Demonstrate proactive communication and accountability
• Support reduction: Reduce support tickets during known issues
• Expectation management: Help users understand service availability

Business Benefits

• Professional image: Show that you monitor and care about service quality
• Customer retention: Maintain customer confidence during incidents
• SLA compliance: Provide evidence of uptime for service level agreements
• Incident management: Centralize incident communication

Operational Advantages

• Automated updates: Status reflects actual monitor states
• Historical tracking: Maintain records of service performance
• Team coordination: Central place for incident updates
• Public accountability: Motivate maintaining high uptime standards

How to Access Status Pages

Manage your status pages through:

• Main dashboard → Status Pages section
• Sidebar navigation → Status Pages
• Direct URL: /status-pages

Creating a Status Page

Step 1: Navigate to Status Page Creation

1. Go to your Status Pages section
2. Click "Create Status Page"
3. Complete the status page creation form

Step 2: Basic Information

Page Details

• Name: The title displayed on your status page (e.g., "Acme Services Status")
• URL: Custom URL slug for your status page (e.g., "acme-status")
• Description: Brief description of your services or company
• Logo: Upload your company logo for branding

Domain Configuration

• Default domain: Use the provided subdomain (e.g., yoursite.domain.com/status/your-url)
• Custom domain: Use your own domain (e.g., status.yourcompany.com)
• Subdomain setup: Configure DNS records for custom domains

Step 3: Select Monitors

Choose Services to Display

• Uptime monitors: Include website and service monitors
• Heartbeat monitors: Show status of scheduled tasks and processes
• Service grouping: Organize monitors by service category
• Public vs. internal: Only include monitors appropriate for public display

Monitor Organization

• Service categories: Group related monitors together
• Display names: Use user-friendly names instead of technical monitor names
• Priority ordering: Arrange services by importance to users
• Visibility control: Choose which specific monitors to show

Step 4: Customize Appearance

Visual Design

• Theme selection: Choose from available color themes
• Brand colors: Customize colors to match your brand
• Layout options: Select layout style and organization
• Custom CSS: Add custom styling for advanced customization

Content Customization

• Custom messages: Add maintenance notices or general information
• Social links: Include links to social media or support channels
• Contact information: Provide ways for users to get help
• Timezone display: Show times in your users' preferred timezone

Step 5: Access and Security Settings

Visibility Options

• Public access: Anyone can view the status page
• Password protection: Require password for access
• Search engine visibility: Allow or prevent search engine indexing
• Team access: Control who can manage the status page

Additional Features

• Email notifications: Allow users to subscribe to status updates
• RSS feeds: Provide RSS feeds for automated monitoring
• API access: Allow programmatic access to status data
• Embed options: Enable embedding status widgets on other sites

Understanding Status Page Elements

Service Status Indicators

• 🟢 Operational: Service is functioning normally
• 🟡 Degraded Performance: Service is experiencing performance issues
• 🟠 Partial Outage: Some functionality is unavailable
• 🔴 Major Outage: Service is completely unavailable
• ⚪ Under Maintenance: Service is undergoing planned maintenance

Overall System Status

• All Systems Operational: All services are functioning normally
• Minor Issues: Some services have degraded performance
• Service Disruption: Significant issues affecting multiple services
• Major Outage: Critical services are experiencing outages

Status Page Sections

Current Status

• Real-time status of all monitored services
• Overall system health summary
• Any active incidents or issues
• Ongoing maintenance activities

Incident History

• Past incidents and their resolution
• Timeline of events and updates
• Post-mortem summaries and lessons learned
• Service recovery information

Uptime Metrics

• Historical uptime percentages
• Service availability over different time periods
• Performance trends and patterns
• SLA compliance information

Maintenance Calendar

• Scheduled maintenance windows
• Expected impact and duration
• Advance notice for planned downtime
• Alternative service arrangements

Managing Status Pages

Updating Service Status

Automatic Updates

• Monitor integration: Status automatically reflects monitor states
• Real-time changes: Status updates immediately when monitors change
• Incident creation: Outages automatically create incidents
• Recovery detection: Status improves when monitors recover

Manual Updates

• Override status: Manually set status regardless of monitor state
• Add context: Provide additional information about issues
• Maintenance mode: Mark services as under maintenance
• Custom messages: Add specific information for users

Incident Management

Creating Incidents

1. Go to your status page management interface
2. Click "Create Incident" or select an existing monitor incident
3. Provide incident title and description
4. Select affected services
5. Set incident severity level
6. Publish the incident to your status page

Incident Updates

• Progress updates: Keep users informed of investigation and resolution progress
• Timing information: Provide expected resolution times when possible
• Workarounds: Share temporary solutions or alternatives
• Root cause sharing: Explain what caused the issue (when appropriate)

Incident Resolution

• Resolution confirmation: Verify services are fully restored
• Final update: Provide closure and summary information
• Post-mortem: Share lessons learned and prevention measures
• Performance monitoring: Continue monitoring for any lingering effects

Maintenance Scheduling

Planned Maintenance

1. Schedule maintenance in advance
2. Specify affected services and expected impact
3. Provide start time, duration, and timezone
4. Add description of work being performed
5. Set reminders for users leading up to maintenance

Maintenance Communication

• Advance notice: Notify users well before maintenance begins
• Clear impact description: Explain what users can expect
• Alternative arrangements: Provide workarounds if available
• Contact information: Offer support channels for urgent needs

Customizing Your Status Page

Branding and Design

Visual Elements

• Logo placement: Add your company logo for brand recognition
• Color scheme: Match your brand colors for consistency
• Typography: Use fonts that align with your brand style
• Layout customization: Arrange elements to match your preferences

Custom Content

• Welcome message: Add introductory text about your services
• Contact information: Provide support and contact details
• Social media links: Include links to your social media accounts
• Help resources: Link to documentation or support portals

Advanced Customization

Custom CSS

• Advanced styling: Override default styles with custom CSS
• Responsive design: Ensure good appearance on all devices
• Brand consistency: Match your website's look and feel
• Accessibility: Ensure compliance with accessibility standards

Custom JavaScript

• Enhanced functionality: Add custom interactive features
• Analytics integration: Track status page usage
• Third-party integrations: Connect with other tools and services
• User experience enhancements: Add features for better user interaction

Status Page Analytics and Insights

Visitor Analytics

• Page views: Track how many people visit your status page
• Traffic patterns: Understand when users check status most often
• Geographic distribution: See where your users are located
• Referral sources: Understand how users find your status page

Usage Insights

• Incident correlation: Compare traffic spikes to service incidents
• Communication effectiveness: Measure how well status updates reach users
• User behavior: Understand how users interact with status information
• Mobile usage: Track mobile vs. desktop usage patterns

Best Practices for Status Pages

Content and Communication

• Clear language: Use simple, non-technical language that users understand
• Timely updates: Provide frequent updates during incidents
• Honest communication: Be transparent about issues and their impact
• Proactive notifications: Inform users of maintenance before it happens

Service Organization

• User-focused grouping: Organize services the way users think about them
• Clear service names: Use names that users will recognize
• Logical hierarchy: Arrange services by importance or dependency
• Consistent categorization: Maintain consistent service groupings

Incident Management

• Quick acknowledgment: Acknowledge issues promptly, even if details are unknown
• Regular updates: Provide updates every 30-60 minutes during incidents
• Impact clarity: Clearly describe how issues affect users
• Resolution confirmation: Confirm full resolution before closing incidents

Design and Usability

• Mobile responsiveness: Ensure the page works well on all devices
• Fast loading: Optimize for quick loading during high-traffic periods
• Clear visual hierarchy: Make current status immediately obvious
• Accessible design: Ensure the page is accessible to all users

Common Use Cases

SaaS Platform Status

Scenario: Software company providing cloud services

• Services to monitor: Web application, API, authentication, database
• Target audience: Customers using the software platform
• Key features: Real-time status, incident history, maintenance calendar
• Communication focus: Service availability and performance

E-commerce Website Status

Scenario: Online retail business

• Services to monitor: Website, payment processing, order system, customer support
• Target audience: Customers making purchases
• Key features: Shopping and payment system status, order processing updates
• Communication focus: Transaction reliability and order fulfillment

Corporate IT Services

Scenario: Internal IT department status page

• Services to monitor: Email, file servers, intranet, VPN, phone systems
• Target audience: Company employees
• Key features: Internal service status, maintenance schedules, IT contact information
• Communication focus: Productivity tools and business systems

API Service Provider

Scenario: Company providing API services to developers

• Services to monitor: API endpoints, authentication service, documentation site, developer portal
• Target audience: Developers integrating with the API
• Key features: Endpoint-specific status, performance metrics, incident details
• Communication focus: Technical details and integration impact

Integration with Monitoring

Automatic Status Updates

• Monitor mapping: Connect status page services to specific monitors
• State synchronization: Status automatically reflects monitor health
• Incident creation: Failed monitors can automatically create incidents
• Recovery detection: Status improves when monitors recover

Manual Override Capability

• Status override: Manually set status regardless of monitor state
• Maintenance mode: Mark services as under maintenance
• Custom messaging: Add specific information for users
• Gradual rollback: Carefully return to automatic status updates

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Status Page Not Updating

• Monitor connection: Verify monitors are properly linked to status page services
• Manual overrides: Check if status has been manually overridden
• Caching issues: Clear cache or wait for automatic cache refresh
• Configuration review: Ensure status page settings are correct

Custom Domain Not Working

• DNS configuration: Verify CNAME records point to the correct target
• SSL certificates: Ensure SSL certificates are properly configured
• Propagation time: Allow time for DNS changes to propagate
• Firewall settings: Check if network restrictions affect access

Styling Issues

• CSS conflicts: Check for conflicts between custom and default styles
• Browser compatibility: Test appearance in different browsers
• Mobile responsiveness: Verify appearance on various screen sizes
• Load order: Ensure custom CSS loads after default styles

Security and Privacy

Access Control

• Password protection: Restrict access to sensitive status information
• Team permissions: Control who can edit and manage status pages
• Audit logging: Track changes and access to status page management
• Secure hosting: Ensure status pages are served over HTTPS

Information Disclosure

• Public information: Only display information appropriate for public viewing
• Technical details: Avoid exposing sensitive technical information
• Internal systems: Don't reveal internal system architecture
• Security incidents: Carefully communicate security-related issues

Tips for Effective Status Pages

• Keep it simple: Focus on essential information users need
• Be proactive: Update status before users notice problems
• Stay consistent: Use consistent language and formatting
• Test regularly: Verify status page functionality and appearance
• Monitor usage: Track when and why users visit your status page
• Gather feedback: Ask users how you can improve status communication
• Plan for scale: Ensure status page can handle traffic during major incidents
• Integrate with support: Connect status information with support processes
• Regular reviews: Periodically review and update status page content
• Train your team: Ensure team members know how to update status during incidents