How do you automate uptime reporting with a REST API?

Your board wants a weekly uptime slide, but the monitoring vendor only exports CSV from a dashboard you forget to open. A REST API is a machine-readable menu: your script asks "what was up last week?" and gets JSON back instead of screenshots. After this guide you will list the fields a reporting API must expose, compare UptimeRobot, Better Stack, Checkly, StatusCake, and StillOnline on pull-style reporting, and wire a simple automate-reporting workflow without logging into five tabs.

Quick answer

Reporting automation needs pull endpoints for status, uptime %, probe timestamps, and incidents. UptimeRobot v3 returns monitor logs and response times on all plans — Free allows about 10 requests per minute. Better Stack adds SLA summaries and incident log drains. Checkly offers aggregated reporting plus CLI stats for dev teams. StatusCake v1 pulls history but has no public status JSON API. StillOnline gives keyless public JSON with uptime_7d plus private checks and MCP on Pro ($9/mo). Match poll frequency to check interval, not every minute.

Uptime monitoring pings your URL on a schedule. REST API lets software read those stored results — like a waiter bringing a printed status sheet to your script. Reporting automation means a scheduled job pulls JSON and posts a summary to Slack, email, or a spreadsheet.

Hub guides: REST API service uptime status · MCP status monitoring for AI agents · StillOnline API reference.

Choose what the API must expose for reporting

Before you compare vendors, write down what your report must answer. Investors care about uptime %. Engineering cares about last probe time and open incidents. Clients may only need a green/red badge. Pull APIs return stored probe results from background workers — they do not replace scheduled checks.

Do: require at minimum overall status, per-check last result, last probe timestamp, and uptime for a fixed window (7d or 30d). Do not: assume every GET triggers a fresh ping — most APIs return stored probe results from background workers.

Minimum reporting field set: overall status → per-URL status → uptime % window → open incident (if any) → optional response time.

1. List stakeholders and which fields each group needs (exec summary vs on-call detail).
2. Decide pull (your cron calls the API) vs push (vendor webhooks stream events to you).
3. Check whether the API returns history or only a current snapshot — you may need to store daily snapshots yourself.
4. Note rate limits per plan before scheduling hourly polls.
5. Confirm commercial use and API access on your tier (UptimeRobot API works on Free; StillOnline private API needs Pro+).

Compare UptimeRobot, Better Stack, Checkly, StatusCake, StillOnline

These five appear in almost every indie shortlist when reporting automation matters. Pull endpoints mean your cron reads stored check results. Pre-built aggregates save you from rolling up raw logs yourself.

Do: match vendor to check type — classic HTTP (UptimeRobot, StatusCake), SLA webhooks (Better Stack reporting API), synthetic scripts (Checkly), bundled status slug plus MCP (StillOnline Pro). Do not: buy Checkly for a single homepage ping.

Verdict: UptimeRobot for budget DIY reporting at scale. Better Stack for webhook audit logs plus SLA pulls. Checkly for dev teams already using checks-as-code. StatusCake for private history pulls without public JSON. StillOnline Pro when one project equals one status slug and you want public JSON for clients plus MCP for weekly agent summaries.

Separate public status JSON vs private API key

Public status JSON needs no password — good for client widgets and release checklists. StillOnline public GET allows about 60 requests per minute per IP with roughly 60-second cache. Private API key (Bearer token) returns owner fields like last_probed_at and pause state.

Do: public JSON externally, keys in server env only. Do not: hit StillOnline public status for a private slug (404). StatusCake v1 has no keyless public JSON; UptimeRobot read-only keys are safer for reporting-only scripts.

See the full endpoint matrix in REST API service uptime status.

Connect MCP for AI agents (StillOnline Pro)

MCP (Model Context Protocol) lets a Cursor or Claude agent call StillOnline tools (status.get, checks.list) instead of you pasting JSON. stillonline-mcp ships on Pro ($9/mo) and mirrors the API reference. Checkly offers a similar angle via CLI stats for checks-as-code teams.

Do: MCP for draft summaries in-chat; REST cron for Monday Slack posts. Do not: paste API keys into chat. Setup: MCP status monitoring for AI agents.

Build a sample reporting workflow

Workflow: define fields → pick public or private endpoint → schedule pull → normalize JSON → deliver to Slack/Sheets → archive snapshots.

1. Copy the minimum field set from section 1 into a one-page spec.
2. Map one endpoint row per prod URL (slug for public, project id for private).
3. Schedule daily or weekly pulls under vendor rate limits.
4. Store date, status, uptime window, open incident flag.
5. Post summary to Slack; link the public status page for clients.
6. Archive 90+ days if contracts cite uptime thresholds.

On StillOnline Pro, create a key in the dashboard, pull private checks for owner metrics, public JSON for client sections. See pricing before scaling.

What to do next

1. Run the field checklist on your vendor.
2. Prototype one public JSON pull.
3. Upgrade for private keys if owner metrics matter.
4. Add MCP for Cursor teams.
5. Document poll limits in your runbook.

StillOnline Pro bundles one status slug per project — compare transparent pricing before annual billing. Endpoint details live in the REST API service uptime status hub.

Related guides

• REST API for service uptime and status — public JSON vs private checks, curl examples, rate limits.
• MCP status monitoring for AI agents — stillonline-mcp on Pro for Cursor and Claude.
• Freelancer uptime monitoring for 10–20 sites — portfolio reporting and client handoff.
• Slack and Telegram instant alerts comparison — push alerts vs pull reporting.
• Transparent uptime pricing comparison — Free tier traps and $9 Pro math.
• Which StillOnline plan fits — when Pro unlocks API and MCP.

FAQ

What fields should an uptime API return for automated reporting?

Overall status, per-check last result, last probe time, uptime for a fixed window, and open incidents. Add latency only if your SLA requires it; otherwise store daily snapshots yourself. StillOnline public JSON includes uptime_7d per component — see REST API guide.

Can UptimeRobot API pull monitor logs for weekly reports?

Yes via v3 GET monitors with logs and response_times. Roll up weekly in your own store. Free tier allows the API at about 10 requests per minute per UptimeRobot v3 docs.

Does Better Stack API export SLA and incident data for reports?

Yes — monitor SLA with date range plus incidents v3 filters. Incident log drains push audit events for compliance-style reports per Better Stack reporting docs.

Is Checkly a good fit for uptime reporting automation?

Best for synthetic API or browser checks. Use reporting aggregate or CLI stats; archive snapshots because raw results expire after about 30 days per Checkly check results API.

Does StatusCake offer a public status JSON API like StillOnline?

No public reporting endpoints in v1. All pulls need a Bearer token; automate private reports from uptime history instead per StatusCake API docs.

Does StillOnline Free include REST API access for reporting?

No private API on Free. Public status JSON works without a key when the page is public. Pro unlocks private checks and MCP — see the REST API guide.

Should I use REST or MCP for reporting from Cursor?

REST for cron and CI; MCP when you want an agent to draft a summary from checks.list after an incident. Same StillOnline data on Pro+. Setup in MCP guide.

How often should I poll an uptime API for automated reports?

Once per report period (daily or weekly), not every check interval. Respect rate limits and cache headers — StillOnline public JSON caches about 60 seconds, UptimeRobot Free allows about 10 requests per minute.