Updated 25 October 2026 · By the Upcertain team
Two modes
| Mode | Up when | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Must contain | The word or phrase is on the page | A product name, a price label, a known heading, "status":"ok" in a health response |
| Must not contain | The word or phrase is absent | "Something went wrong", "Maintenance", "Database error" |
Set it up
- Choose New monitor, then Keyword monitoring.
- Enter the URL and the keyword, up to 500 characters.
- Choose whether it must be present or absent, and whether the match is case-sensitive (off by default).
- Set the expected status codes as for any HTTP monitor; both the status and the keyword must pass.
What is searched
The response body as the server sent it, up to the first 1 MB. That means the HTML source, not the page after JavaScript runs. For a single-page app, check a server-rendered page or a health endpoint whose JSON includes the word.
Choosing a good keyword
- Pick text that only appears when the page works: a product grid's "Add to basket" rather than your company name, which also appears on the error page.
- Avoid text that changes, such as dates, prices that move, or A/B-tested headings.
- For JSON health checks, include the quotes:
"status":"ok".
A failure records Keyword missing or Keyword present as the cause, so the alert says why the page was judged down.