For a small deployment, run Uptime Kuma in Docker on an always-on Linux server and keep its data in persistent local storage. For metric history, probe-based latency and rule-driven alerts, use Prometheus with Blackbox Exporter; add Node Exporter when you also need the monitoring host’s Linux metrics. In either setup, put the monitor outside the website’s network when possible, check both the homepage and a meaningful endpoint, and test the alert path before relying on it.
Choose the monitoring setup that fits
The right server setup depends on whether you mainly want a straightforward availability dashboard or a metrics-based monitoring system you can extend with queries and alert rules.
| Setup | Best for | Strengths | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uptime Kuma | A small number of sites and quick setup | One Docker container, a browser-based UI and simple service checks | Less suited to complex metric queries and large-scale retention |
| Prometheus + Blackbox Exporter | Teams that need metrics, latency history and rules | Extensible scraping and rule-based alerts; probes websites from the monitoring host | More components and configuration to maintain |
| Prometheus + Blackbox Exporter + Node Exporter | Monitoring a website and the Linux server behind it | Can help correlate endpoint failures with host resource pressure | Requires exporter management and alert design |
Uptime Kuma is a sensible starting point when you want to configure checks through a UI rather than assemble a metrics stack. Choose Prometheus and Blackbox Exporter if you need probe measurements and alert rules: Prometheus scrapes exporter endpoints, and Blackbox Exporter probes targets such as websites. The Prometheus documentation describes rules as a way to create new time series and generate alerts (Prometheus rules).
A Blackbox probe reports what the monitoring host can reach and how the request behaves from that location. It is not proof that every visitor, network or region sees the same result. The Prometheus multi-target exporter guide identifies website reachability and latency from a specific external location as a Blackbox Exporter use case (multi-target exporter guide).
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Prepare a host that can report an outage
- Choose an always-on machine. A Linux VPS, mini-PC or another server can run the monitoring stack. Prefer a host outside the monitored website’s network: if both fail together, an in-network monitor may be unable to send an alert.
- Install Docker. Follow the installation instructions for your Linux distribution in the Docker Engine installation documentation. Make sure the host can reach the websites and notification destination you intend to monitor.
- Plan persistent storage. Create a dedicated local directory or Docker volume for monitoring data. Keep it outside the container’s disposable filesystem, and include it in your backup plan.
- Decide how alerts will leave the host. Use a notification channel that remains available if the website goes down. Configure a test check failure so you can verify delivery rather than assuming a configured alert works.
A second device is not automatically an independent monitoring location. A monitor on the same host, LAN or provider network as the website may share the failure it is meant to detect. The best vantage point depends on what you need to observe: your own server’s perspective, an outside network, or both.
Deploy Uptime Kuma with persistent data
The Uptime Kuma installation guide documents a Docker deployment that publishes port 3001 and maps persistent storage to /app/data. Its install instructions also warn that the data storage needs POSIX file-lock support and that NFS can cause locking problems. Use a local directory or a suitable local Docker volume rather than assuming a network filesystem will behave correctly (Uptime Kuma installation guide).
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- Create a data directory:
mkdir -p ~/uptime-kuma. Choose a location that your backup process can access. - Start the container:
docker run -d --restart=unless-stopped -p 3001:3001 -v ~/uptime-kuma:/app/data --name uptime-kuma louislam/uptime-kuma:1 - Open the UI: visit
http://SERVER_ADDRESS:3001from a machine that can reach the server, replacingSERVER_ADDRESSwith the host’s address. Complete the initial setup in the UI. - Add checks: create an HTTP or HTTPS monitor for the homepage and another for a critical transaction or API endpoint. Set a timeout and retry policy appropriate to the application, then adjust them after observing normal response behavior.
- Configure and test notifications: select a delivery channel in the UI, then deliberately make a test check fail in a controlled way. Confirm that the notification arrives through the intended channel.
The command exposes port 3001 on the host. Restrict access to the UI to trusted users and networks using your firewall or deployment’s access controls; do not assume that a reachable port should be public. The mounted directory is the durable application data: include it in backups, and verify that you can restore it. A running monitor without recoverable data can lose its configuration and history when the host or storage is lost.
Build a Prometheus and Blackbox Exporter stack
Prometheus is a better fit when you want time-series metrics and alert rules. Blackbox Exporter performs probes against target websites; Prometheus scrapes the exporter’s results. Mount Prometheus storage at /prometheus using a named volume or bind mount. The official Prometheus Docker documentation notes that data is cleared on restart if persistent storage is not configured (Prometheus installation documentation).
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- Run Prometheus with persistent storage. Create a named Docker volume, such as
prometheus-data, or a backed-up local directory, and mount it at/prometheusin the Prometheus container. Use the official installation instructions for the current container configuration and command. - Configure Blackbox Exporter. Set up an HTTP probe module and configure Prometheus to scrape Blackbox Exporter with each website as a probe target. Use the documented multi-target exporter pattern rather than treating the exporter’s own endpoint as the website check.
- Validate each target. Check Prometheus’s targets page and confirm the relevant scrape target is
UP. Then verify that the probe result reflects the target website, not merely that Prometheus can contact the exporter. - Define alert rules. Prometheus rules can create derived time series and alerts. Choose conditions and evaluation windows that match the failure you want to detect; a single slow or failed probe may be transient, while an overly tolerant rule can delay notification.
- Test end to end. Cause a controlled probe failure and confirm that the rule fires and the notification reaches a channel independent of the monitored site.
For exact configuration syntax, use the official Prometheus installation guide and Blackbox multi-target exporter guide. The components and configuration grow with the number of targets and alerting needs; there is no universal set of thresholds or resource sizing established for every deployment.
Add Node Exporter when host health matters
Blackbox Exporter answers an outside-in question: can the monitoring host reach the website, and what does the probe observe? Node Exporter adds Linux machine metrics such as CPU, memory and disk data, which can help investigate whether a web outage coincided with resource pressure on the monitored host. Follow the Prometheus Node Exporter guide to collect those host metrics. Node Exporter does not replace a website probe: a healthy machine can still serve a broken application, and an unreachable site does not by itself establish that the host is overloaded.
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Choose checks that detect real user-facing failures
- Monitor the homepage and a critical endpoint. A homepage response alone may not reveal a broken login, checkout, API or other core function. Select endpoints that matter to your service and that are safe to request repeatedly.
- Set a realistic timeout. A timeout that is shorter than ordinary response variation can create noisy alerts; one that is too long delays detection. Observe normal behavior from the monitoring host before tuning it.
- Use retries and alert windows deliberately. Retries can reduce alerts from brief network errors, but add detection delay. Decide whether you want to be paged on the first failure or after sustained failures.
- Interpret latency in context. A single probe location measures that location’s path to the target. If geography matters, a second monitoring location may answer a different question than adding more checks from the first host.
- Keep alert delivery independent. An email, chat or other notification path that relies on the same failing service may not tell you about the outage. Test the complete route.
Backups, reliability and operating cost
Both approaches need persistent storage and a recovery plan. Back up the Uptime Kuma data directory and Prometheus storage, and periodically check that the backup can be restored. For Prometheus, storage must be mounted persistently at /prometheus; otherwise a container restart clears the data. For Uptime Kuma, select storage that supports POSIX file locks and avoid NFS configurations that can produce locking problems.
The monitoring system itself can fail silently if its host is powered off, its container stops, storage fills, or its notification route breaks. Monitor the stack’s availability from somewhere else when practical, and periodically generate a controlled failure to exercise the alert path. A check being configured is not the same as an alert being delivered.
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There is no sourced universal uptime percentage, server size or performance benchmark for these setups. Actual capacity and cost depend on the host, target count, probe frequency, retention, storage, and the chosen hosting arrangement. Account for the always-on host, persistent storage, backup destination and any separate alerting service; tune retention and check cadence to the operational need rather than assuming a particular size or price.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot common setup failures
- Uptime Kuma UI does not open: confirm the container is running with
docker ps, that the host port mapping includes3001:3001, and that the firewall permits access from your client. Check the container logs withdocker logs uptime-kuma. - Uptime Kuma loses data after replacement or restart: verify the host-side directory or volume is mounted at
/app/data. Data stored only in the container’s writable layer is not a substitute for the documented persistent mount. - Uptime Kuma behaves badly on network storage: check whether the filesystem supports POSIX file locks. The installation guide specifically warns about NFS locking problems; move the data to local storage or another supported volume.
- Prometheus data disappears after restart: verify that persistent storage is mounted at
/prometheusand that the container can write to it. Prometheus documentation says data is cleared on restart without persistent storage. - Blackbox target is down while the exporter is reachable: distinguish the exporter scrape from the website probe. Check the configured target URL, probe module, monitoring host’s DNS and outbound network access, and the probe result in Prometheus.
- Prometheus target is not UP: determine whether Prometheus can scrape the exporter endpoint. An unavailable exporter, incorrect scrape configuration or network restriction is different from a website that fails its probe.
- No alert arrives: inspect whether the check or alert rule actually entered a failing state, then check notification configuration and the delivery service. Trigger a controlled failure and confirm delivery before treating the setup as operational.
- Too many alerts: compare failures with observed normal latency and transient network behavior. Adjust the timeout, retry policy or rule window intentionally; do not suppress alerts without checking that sustained failures will still be detected.
Or skip the browser setup
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Example cURL request:
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Can I run website monitoring from a mini-PC instead of a VPS?
Yes. The key requirement is an always-on host with network access to the sites and alert destination. A mini-PC on the same network as a site may share its outage, so consider an outside monitoring location if independent detection matters.
Does a Blackbox Exporter probe prove that all visitors can reach my site?
No. It measures reachability and latency from the monitoring host’s network location. Visitors on other networks or in other regions may have a different result.
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