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Put each page you want to monitor in urlwatch’s urls.yaml job file and separate jobs with a line containing only ---. Give each job a descriptive name, choose a job type such as url, then run urlwatch on a schedule. Use urlwatch --edit to create or edit jobs; it checks the configuration before activation. urlwatch’s official introduction describes this format.
Put multiple jobs in one YAML file
A urlwatch job file is a sequence of job definitions. For ordinary web pages, each definition uses a url key. A name is optional but useful because it makes change reports easier to recognize.
name: "Example status page"
url: "https://status.example.com/"
---
name: "Example release notes"
url: "https://example.com/releases"
filter:
- xpath: '//main'
- html2text:Replace the example addresses with the pages you need to track. The second job demonstrates filters: it selects the page’s <main> element and converts the selected HTML to text before comparison. Filters can reduce noisy alerts caused by page content that changes but is not relevant to you. The example is a template; confirm selectors and filters against the actual page.
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Choose the right job type
urlretrieves the server response, using HTTP GET by default. Use it for pages whose relevant content is present in the response.navigateis intended for pages that need JavaScript rendering. Use it when a plain HTTP response does not contain the content you need to compare.commandruns a shell command. It is useful when the content to monitor is produced by a local command rather than fetched directly as an HTTP response.
These are alternatives for the one job-defining key in a job. Configuration details for browser or shell jobs can differ from a basic URL check; consult the official urlwatch documentation for the job type you use.
Create, validate, and run the job file
- Install urlwatch by following its installation instructions.
- Run urlwatch once so it can initialize or migrate its data.
- Edit the jobs: run
urlwatch --edit, add one job per page, and separate jobs with---. Give jobs names that will make sense when you receive a report. - Run a check: invoke
urlwatch. Run it again at the interval you want; urlwatch’s job file defines what to check, not when to check it. - Set up reporting if needed: use
urlwatch --edit-configto configure global settings and reporters. Reporter choices include email and several chat or push services; the setup depends on the destination you select.
The urlwatch introduction recommends not running checks more often than every 30 minutes and demonstrates cron scheduling. Treat that interval as the project’s recommendation, not a universal rule. To automate checks, schedule the urlwatch command with the scheduler available on your system; for example, cron can invoke it periodically.
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Keep comparisons useful and job history intact
Filter out irrelevant changes
Use filters to select or normalize the portion of a page that matters. The official documentation illustrates chaining XPath selection, HTML-to-text conversion, and grep. This can help when navigation, timestamps, or other changing page elements would otherwise create distracting reports. Check the filter output so the job still includes the changes you care about.
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Monitor one URL in more than one way
Job identity is based on the URL, or on the navigate or command definition for those job types. If you need separate jobs for the same URL—for example, two different filters—the advanced guide documents unique URL fragments such as #1 and #2. See the urlwatch advanced guide for the documented approach.
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Change a URL without discarding its history
Changing a job’s URL normally creates a new job identity, so the new job does not inherit the old job’s history. If you are relocating an existing monitored page and want to retain its history, urlwatch documents urlwatch --change-location for moving the job identity. Review the command’s usage in the installed version before applying it.
Keep jobs separate from global settings
The list of jobs belongs in urls.yaml; global settings and reporter configuration belong in urlwatch.yaml. The job_defaults setting can apply shared configuration to all jobs or to categories such as URL, browser, or shell jobs. See the configuration documentation for supported settings.
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Troubleshoot common problems
- The second job is not recognized: make sure the separator is exactly
---on its own line and that the following job’s keys are valid YAML. - A job reports the wrong or empty content: check whether the content is present in the server response. If it is rendered by JavaScript, consider the
navigatejob type; if a filter is too restrictive, revise its selector or transformation. - Reports contain too many unrelated changes: add or adjust filters to select and normalize the relevant content, then check the resulting comparison.
- The same address cannot be used for separate jobs as expected: job identity is tied to the URL. Follow the advanced guide’s documented unique-fragment method for monitoring one URL in multiple jobs.
- A changed URL starts with no previous history: this is expected when the URL creates a new job identity. Use
urlwatch --change-locationwhen moving an existing job and preserving its identity is intended. - No message arrives even though checks run: reporters are configured separately from URL jobs in
urlwatch.yaml. Check the selected reporter’s configuration and delivery settings.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does urlwatch monitor pages continuously after I add them to the YAML file?
No. It checks jobs when the urlwatch command runs, so monitoring frequency depends on your scheduler.
Can I use urlwatch to monitor a page that needs JavaScript?
Use the documented navigate job type for pages that require JavaScript rendering rather than a basic url job.
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