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Open-Source Observability · Owloops

updo

Updo is a Go-based CLI tool for monitoring website uptime, response times, and SSL certificate expiry with real-time alerts. It supports multi-target monitoring, webhook notifications (Slack, Discord), and optional AWS Lambda deployment across 13 regions for distributed monitoring.

Source: GitHub — github.com/Owloops/updo
993
GitHub stars
47
Forks
Go
Primary language
MIT
License (OSI-approved)

Key facts

Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.

FieldValue
RepositoryOwloops/updo
OwnerOwloops
Primary languageGo
LicenseMIT — OSI-approved
Stars993
Forks47
Open issues5
Latest releasev0.4.8 (2026-05-26)
Last updated2026-05-26
Sourcehttps://github.com/Owloops/updo

What updo is

Written in Go, Updo provides concurrent HTTP monitoring with configurable intervals, custom headers, POST/PUT support, response assertions, and structured JSON logging. It integrates with Prometheus/Grafana for metrics export and supports TOML-based configuration for complex setups, with optional multi-region execution via AWS Lambda.

Quickstart

Get the updo source

Clone the repository and explore it locally.

terminalbash
git clone https://github.com/Owloops/updo.gitcd updo# follow the project's README for install & configuration

Need it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.

Best use cases

Team-based uptime monitoring with alerts

Monitor internal and external APIs with webhook-based notifications to Slack/Discord, enabling rapid incident response without additional SaaS subscriptions.

Distributed geographic monitoring

Deploy across 13 AWS regions to validate endpoint availability and latency from multiple locations, critical for CDN verification or global SLA validation.

Lightweight DevOps/infrastructure monitoring

Standalone CLI tool deployable on EC2, container orchestration platforms, or CI/CD pipelines without external agent infrastructure or licensing complexity.

Implementation considerations

  • Deploy as containerized workload or EC2 instance; Lambda multi-region requires AWS credentials and IAM configuration for cross-region function provisioning.
  • Configure webhook URLs securely (use environment variables or secrets management for sensitive endpoints like Slack tokens).
  • Set appropriate body_size_limit in config to avoid memory issues on large response payloads; default 1 MiB cap may truncate response assertions.
  • For multi-target monitoring, use TOML config files instead of CLI flags; per-target customization (headers, timeouts) requires config-based setup.
  • Plan for log aggregation and alerting backend; local JSON logging requires external systems (ELK, Loki, S3) for durable retention and querying.

When to avoid it — and what to weigh

  • Need enterprise SLA guarantees — Updo is open-source with community support only. No commercial SLA, uptime guarantee, or vendor accountability for production-critical monitoring.
  • Require complex synthetic transaction workflows — Updo monitors HTTP endpoints only; it cannot simulate browser interactions, multi-step user flows, or advanced application-layer synthetic tests.
  • Prefer fully managed cloud monitoring platform — Updo requires self-hosting and operational overhead. For turnkey monitoring without infrastructure management, consider commercial alternatives (DataDog, New Relic, Uptime Robot).
  • Need centralized data retention and historical analytics — Updo logs locally or sends alerts; it does not provide a built-in backend for long-term metric storage. Prometheus/Grafana integration is manual and operator-managed.

License & commercial use

MIT License: permits commercial use, modification, and redistribution with retention of copyright and license notice. No restrictions on proprietary use or closed-source distribution.

MIT License explicitly permits commercial deployment and closed-source modifications without royalties or restrictions. However, as an open-source community project with no vendor backing, use in business-critical contexts carries operational risk (community-only support, no SLA, volunteer-driven maintenance).

DEV.co evaluation signals

Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.

SignalAssessment
MaintenanceActive
DocumentationStrong
License clarityClear
Deployment complexityLow
DEV.co fitGood
Assessment confidenceHigh
Security considerations

No security audit or vulnerability disclosure data provided. Go runtime is generally memory-safe but SSL verification is configurable (skip-ssl flag exists—use with caution). Webhook integration transmits alert metadata over HTTPS; validate endpoint ownership. No secrets management built-in; rotate API keys/tokens used in headers or webhook URLs externally. Custom header support may leak sensitive data in logs; review TUI and JSON output for credential exposure.

Alternatives to consider

Uptime Robot

Commercial SaaS; fully managed, no infrastructure; advanced reporting and complex check types; higher cost and vendor lock-in.

Grafana OnCall + Prometheus Alertmanager

Open-source stack; more powerful alerting and aggregation; steeper operational complexity and learning curve.

Datadog or New Relic

Enterprise APM platforms; synthetic monitoring, distributed tracing, logs; significantly higher cost; tightly integrated SaaS ecosystems.

Software development agency

Build on updo with DEV.co software developers

Deploy Updo as a lightweight, self-hosted uptime monitor with Slack/webhook alerts. Assess fit for your team's operational needs and infrastructure constraints.

Talk to DEV.co

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updo FAQ

Can I monitor endpoints behind authentication?
Yes. Use --header or config headers to add Authorization, API key, or custom token headers. Credentials are passed as-is in HTTP requests; store sensitive values in environment variables and reference them in config files.
How do I retain historical monitoring data?
Updo does not persist data by default. Export to JSON with --log flag, pipe to external systems (S3, ELK, Loki), or integrate Prometheus for metrics scraping. You manage retention and storage.
Is multi-region Lambda monitoring reliable?
Documented as a feature but requires manual AWS account setup, IAM roles, and profile configuration. No official managed service or SLA; reliability depends on your AWS infrastructure and Lambda function logs.
Can Updo replace commercial synthetic monitoring?
No. Updo monitors HTTP endpoints only. Commercial tools support browser automation, API chains, and complex workflows. Updo is suitable for simple uptime checks and basic health endpoints.

Work with a software development agency

DEV.co is a software development agency delivering custom software development services to companies building on open source. Our software developers and web developers design, integrate, and ship production systems — spanning web development, APIs, AI, data, and cloud. If updo is part of your open-source observability roadmap, our team can implement, customize, migrate, and maintain it.

Evaluate Updo for Your Infrastructure Monitoring

Deploy Updo as a lightweight, self-hosted uptime monitor with Slack/webhook alerts. Assess fit for your team's operational needs and infrastructure constraints.