Webpage Monitor with Slack Alerts

active
View Repository

Simple Python utility for monitoring website status and sending real-time alerts to Slack channels

Technologies

Python 3.6+ requests python-dotenv Slack Block Kit

Tags

PythonMonitoringSlackDevOpsAlerting

A lightweight Python script for monitoring website availability and sending structured alerts to Slack channels when sites go down or come back online. Perfect for DevOps teams needing simple, reliable uptime monitoring.

Purpose

Maintaining website availability is critical for any online service. This utility provides immediate notification when a site becomes unavailable, enabling rapid response to outages.

Key Features

  • Real-Time Monitoring: HTTP status code checking for configured URLs
  • Slack Integration: Structured notifications using Slack Block Kit
  • Environment-Based Configuration: Separate development and production URLs
  • Clean UI: Professional Slack message formatting with Block Kit
  • Lightweight: Minimal dependencies, easy to deploy
  • Status Transitions: Alerts for both down and recovery events

Technical Implementation

Python Script

  • requests library: HTTP status checking
  • python-dotenv: Environment variable management
  • Slack Block Kit: Professional message formatting

Configuration Environment variables in .env file:

  • DEVELOPMENT: Boolean flag for environment selection
  • URL_DEVELOPMENT: Development website URL to monitor
  • URL_PRODUCTION: Production website URL to monitor
  • SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL: Slack incoming webhook for notifications

How It Works

  1. Status Check: Script performs HTTP request to configured URL
  2. Status Evaluation: Checks HTTP response code (200 = OK, others = down)
  3. Slack Notification: Sends formatted message to Slack channel if status changes
  4. Message Formatting: Uses Slack Block Kit for clean, consistent alerts

Slack Block Kit Integration

The utility leverages Slack’s Block Kit framework for professional, structured notifications:

Benefits:

  • Consistent visual formatting
  • Rich content blocks
  • Clear status indicators
  • Easy-to-read alert messages
  • Action buttons (future enhancement)

Installation

  1. Clone repository:
git clone https://github.com/ddeveloper72/Webpage-Monitor.git
cd Webpage-Monitor
  1. Create virtual environment:
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
  1. Install dependencies:
pip install -r requirements.txt
  1. Configure environment (create .env file):
DEVELOPMENT=True
URL_DEVELOPMENT=https://your-development-url.com
URL_PRODUCTION=https://your-production-url.com
SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL=https://hooks.slack.com/services/your/slack/webhook/url

Usage

Run the monitoring script:

python monitor.py

The script will:

  • Check the configured URL (dev or prod based on DEVELOPMENT flag)
  • Send Slack alert if site is down
  • Send recovery alert when site comes back online

Use Cases

DevOps Monitoring

  • Quick uptime checks for critical services
  • Immediate Slack notifications for team awareness
  • Development and production environment monitoring

Scheduled Monitoring

  • Run via cron job for continuous monitoring
  • Integrate with CI/CD pipelines
  • Scheduled health checks

Team Communication

  • Centralized alerting to Slack channels
  • Visible status changes for entire team
  • Rapid incident response initiation

Deployment Options

Cron Job (Linux/Mac):

*/5 * * * * /path/to/venv/bin/python /path/to/monitor.py

Windows Task Scheduler:

  • Create scheduled task to run script every 5 minutes

Docker Container:

  • Package as Docker container for cloud deployment
  • Run on AWS ECS, Azure Container Instances, or Heroku

Cloud Functions:

  • Deploy as AWS Lambda or Azure Function
  • Schedule with CloudWatch or Azure Logic Apps

Future Enhancements

  • Multiple URL monitoring in single run
  • Configurable check intervals
  • Response time measurement and trending
  • Email notifications in addition to Slack
  • Database logging of uptime history
  • Web dashboard for status visualization
  • SMS alerts for critical failures
  • Custom alert thresholds

Value Proposition

Simple, effective uptime monitoring that:

  • Immediate Alerts: Know about outages within minutes
  • Team Visibility: Slack integration keeps everyone informed
  • Easy Setup: Minimal configuration required
  • Flexible Deployment: Run anywhere Python works
  • Professional Formatting: Slack Block Kit for clean alerts
  • Environment-Aware: Separate dev and prod monitoring

Technical Highlights

  • Python 3.6+ Compatible: Modern Python features
  • Slack Block Kit: Professional message formatting
  • Environment Variables: Secure configuration management
  • Minimal Dependencies: requests + python-dotenv only
  • Easy Integration: Works with existing Slack workspaces
  • Lightweight: Small footprint, fast execution

Simple monitoring for peace of mind.

← Back to Projects