> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.checklyhq.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating A URL Monitor

> Step-by-step guide to set up your first URL monitor and ensure your websites and APIs are always accessible.

> [!TIP]
>
> Learn more about all the [URL Monitor capabilities](https://www.checklyhq.com/docs/detect/uptime-monitoring/url-monitors/overview.md) in the general overview.

This guide walks you through creating your first URL monitor to check the availability and performance of your websites, APIs, or any HTTP-based service.

Each URL monitor is defined by its request configuration, which includes the target URL and how its availability and performance should be validated.

## Basic Setup

Configure your URL monitor by specifying the endpoint and request method:

![URL monitor setup interface showing HTTP method selection, URL input field, and options for Skip SSL and Follow redirects](https://mintcdn.com/checkly-422f444a/XonWrJoX4jUKhQZd/images/url-monitor-entry.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=XonWrJoX4jUKhQZd\&q=85\&s=b9fd3a78eb7160745fbcb5b947349e33)

* **Request method:** Always `GET`
* **URL:** The HTTP(S) URL to monitor (e.g. `https://api.example.com`)
* **IP family:** Defaults to IPv4

## Response Validation

### Assertions

Validate the returned response status code:

![URL monitor assertions interface showing status code configuration](https://mintcdn.com/checkly-422f444a/9iwkS8Mlm4KfOHnA/images/url-monitor-assertions.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=9iwkS8Mlm4KfOHnA\&q=85\&s=9b99c1c3e725b4414f8f35345b7bfb09)

### Response Performance

Define performance thresholds for degraded or failed states:

![URL monitor response time limits interface showing degraded and failed thresholds](https://mintcdn.com/checkly-422f444a/9iwkS8Mlm4KfOHnA/images/url-monitor-response-times.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=9iwkS8Mlm4KfOHnA\&q=85\&s=b00a1cf911a6e8f67f66736a8a5dda4b)

## Frequency

Set how often the monitor runs (every 10 seconds to 24 hours).

![URL monitor frequency interface showing 10 seconds to 24 hours options](https://mintcdn.com/checkly-422f444a/9iwkS8Mlm4KfOHnA/images/url-monitor-frequency.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=9iwkS8Mlm4KfOHnA\&q=85\&s=54ffe14083fafaa8551014628cef1fd4)

## Scheduling & Locations

![URL monitor scheduling strategy interface showing round robin vs fixed schedule options](https://mintcdn.com/checkly-422f444a/9iwkS8Mlm4KfOHnA/images/url-monitor-scheduling-strategy.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=9iwkS8Mlm4KfOHnA\&q=85\&s=4806fe0d7a6912cc2d93be0becd1402f)

* **Scheduling:** Choose between round-robin or parallel execution. Learn more about [scheduling strategies](https://www.checklyhq.com/docs/concepts/scheduling.md)
* **Locations:** Select [public](https://www.checklyhq.com/docs/concepts/locations.md) or [private](https://www.checklyhq.com/docs/platform/private-locations/overview.md) locations to run the monitor from

## Additional Settings

* **Name:** Give your monitor a clear name to identify it in dashboards and alerts
* **Tags:** Use tags to organize monitors across dashboards and [maintenance windows](https://www.checklyhq.com/docs/communicate/maintenance-windows/overview.md)
* **Description:** A short description of the check. Supports Markdown. Maximum length: 500 characters
* **Retries:** Define how failed runs should be retried. See [retry strategies](https://www.checklyhq.com/docs/communicate/alerts/retries.md)
* **Alerting:** Configure your [alert settings](https://www.checklyhq.com/docs/communicate/alerts/configuration.md), [alert channels](https://www.checklyhq.com/docs/communicate/alerts/channels.md), or set up [webhooks](https://www.checklyhq.com/docs/integrations/alerts/webhooks.md) for custom integrations


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