SMS Alerts
Text message alerts delivered to mobile phones via SMS. Requires prepaid credits.
Why Use SMS Alerts?
- ✓Immediate notification regardless of email access
- ✓Works on any mobile phone (smartphone not required)
- ✓High priority alerts that demand immediate attention
- ✓Perfect for on-call rotations and critical services
- ✓Works without internet connection on the receiving device
Setting Up SMS Alerts
- 1
Purchase SMS Credits
Go to Settings → Billing → SMS Credits to purchase a credit package
- 2
Add Phone Number
Navigate to Settings → Contacts and add a new SMS contact
- 3
Enter Phone Details
Provide contact name and phone number with country code (e.g., +1 555-123-4567)
- 4
Save Contact
Click save to add the SMS contact
- 5
Assign to Monitors
Add the SMS contact to monitors that require urgent notifications
Note: SMS is a prepaid service. You must purchase credits before you can send any SMS alerts.
SMS Message Format
SMS messages are concise to fit within standard SMS character limits:
Down Alert Example
Recovery Alert Example
SSL Certificate Warnings
Messages are extremely concise - just the monitor name and status. For detailed information, check your email notifications or dashboard.
SMS Credits System
How SMS Credits Work
- •SMS operates on a pay-as-you-go credit system
- •Each SMS message consumes 1 credit
- •Credits never expire once purchased
- •Both down and recovery alerts use credits
- •Failed delivery attempts don't consume credits
Available Credit Packages
100 / 200 / 500 / 1,000 credits
Check current pricing in Settings → Billing → SMS Credits
Global Coverage
SMS delivery is available to mobile phones worldwide. Messages typically arrive within seconds, though delivery times may vary by carrier and location.
Phone Number Formats
Always include the country code when adding phone numbers:
Tip: Our system accepts various formats (spaces, dashes, parentheses) and will normalize them automatically. The country code is always required.
SMS Alert Best Practices
- ✓Reserve for critical monitors
Use SMS for production systems and services requiring immediate response
- ✓Set up on-call rotations
Update SMS contacts based on who's currently on-call to avoid alert fatigue
- ✓Monitor credit balance
Set up low balance alerts to ensure you never run out during incidents
- ✓Combine with other channels
Use email for detailed information and SMS for urgent wake-up calls
- ✓Test delivery regularly
Test delivery by temporarily changing a monitor URL to trigger an alert
Troubleshooting SMS Delivery
Not Receiving SMS Alerts?
- 1. Verify credit balance: Check you have available SMS credits
- 2. Confirm contact assignment: The SMS contact must be assigned to monitors
- 3. Check phone service: Ensure your phone has signal and can receive SMS
- 4. Verify country code: Ensure the correct country code is used
- 5. Review delivery status: Check notification history in your dashboard
If issues persist, contact support at hi@uptime-monitor.io with your phone number and we'll investigate delivery issues.
When to Use SMS Alerts
✓ Good Use Cases
- • Production database outages
- • Payment processing failures
- • Critical API endpoints down
- • Security certificate expiration
- • Infrastructure failures
- • On-call engineer alerts
✗ Poor Use Cases
- • Development environment issues
- • Minor performance degradation
- • Scheduled maintenance alerts
- • Non-critical service warnings
- • Detailed diagnostic information
- • High-frequency notifications