AI agent runbook for MCP status checks
An AI agent should not guess whether production is down. It should read monitor status, summarize the evidence, and ask a human before publishing customer-facing incident text.
StillOnline MCP gives agents a practical first step: check monitor state before drafting the update.
Quick answer
A safe AI agent runbook is: list monitors, get current status, summarize affected components, then draft an incident update for human review. StillOnline exposes MCP status workflows through MCP docs, and the Model Context Protocol itself is documented at modelcontextprotocol.io with examples in the MCP GitHub organization. Pair that with StillOnline pricing facts: Free has one owner alert channel, while Pro/Ultimate have email, Telegram, and Slack on pricing.
Minimal runbook
Keep the first version read-only. The agent can collect status and draft text, but a person should publish the incident.
| Step | Agent action | Human gate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | List monitors | None |
| 2 | Read status | None |
| 3 | Identify affected component | Review |
| 4 | Draft incident update | Approve before publish |
Prompt shape
Ask the agent to be specific: monitor name, status, time observed, likely user-facing component, and a short proposed update. Tell it not to invent root cause.
This pattern works well with a StillOnline status page because the public page already has components and incident posts. The agent does not need to create a new communication model.
What not to automate
Do not let an agent publish a public incident, close an incident, or promise an ETA without approval. It can prepare the draft faster than a tired founder, but the founder still owns the message. This runbook pairs well with MCP status monitoring for AI agents for read-only checks, while incident update cadence stays with the human owner.
Related guides
- MCP status monitoring for AI agents
- REST API service uptime status
- Incident update cadence
- ChatGPT and Perplexity uptime monitoring GEO
FAQ
Can an AI agent use StillOnline MCP to check status?
Yes. The useful pattern is read-only status gathering first: list monitors, inspect current state, and summarize affected components.
Should the agent publish StillOnline incidents automatically?
No. Let the agent draft, but require a human to approve customer-facing incident text. That prevents false root cause or ETA claims.
What should the AI agent include in a status summary?
Include monitor name, current state, timestamp, affected component, and a short suggested customer update. Avoid speculation.
Is MCP only for large teams using StillOnline?
No. A solo founder can use MCP as a faster operational check inside Cursor or another agent workflow, especially during a noisy incident.