Email alerts when your SaaS goes down (StillOnline)
Email is the default owner alert channel on StillOnline — tied to your Google or GitHub sign-in address. You do not paste SMTP settings or verify a separate inbox; once you enable owner notifications, messages land in the mailbox you already use to log in.
Email works well as an archive and for founders who live in the inbox. It is not always the fastest on-call channel while a check stays down — Telegram and Slack repeat more often by design. This guide explains what StillOnline sends, when, and how email fits next to the StillOnline Telegram bot.
Quick answer
StillOnline sends owner email when a check goes down (after two failed checks), recovers, or stays up 24 hours without outage. While a check remains down, email is throttled to at most once every 15 minutes. Telegram (StillOnline bot) and Slack can repeat on every check interval. On Free you choose one owner channel — email, Telegram, or Slack.
What triggers email
StillOnline ties owner mail to status transitions, not to every single failed HTTP attempt. That keeps your inbox usable during a long outage while Telegram can stay loud on your phone.
| Event | Email sent |
|---|---|
| Check down | Yes (after status becomes down; throttled every 15 min while down) |
| Recovered | Yes |
| 24h operational | Yes (milestone) |
Messages include project, check, URL, last probe (HTTP code, latency), and links to the status page and dashboard. Same event set as Slack owner alerts: meaningful state changes plus the 24h milestone.
Enable email owner alerts
Setup is intentionally short because the address comes from OAuth.
- Sign in — email comes from your Google or GitHub profile.
- Open settings → Owner notifications → enable alerts.
- On Free, under one channel, select Email (switching away disables Telegram/Slack owner channel until you change plan or channel).
- Save — confirm a health check exists and probes are running.
Email vs Telegram vs Slack
Pick the channel that matches how you respond at 2 a.m. You can combine all three on paid plans.
| Channel | Best for | StillOnline setup |
|---|---|---|
| Inbox-driven founders, async teams | Automatic from OAuth | |
| Telegram | Mobile push, solo on-call | StillOnline bot |
| Slack | Team channel | Incoming Webhook |
Pro / Ultimate: enable all three simultaneously — Pricing.
While a check is down, Telegram and Slack may alert more often than email. That is intentional for phone-first response; email remains the quieter trail.
Subscribers vs owner email
Customers and founders use different inboxes for different reasons. Do not point support at subscriber mail when you mean owner alerts.
| Audience | Mechanism |
|---|---|
| Customers | Subscribe with Google on the public status page — product emails on incidents |
| You (owner) | Owner alerts in settings |
Details: public status page guide.
Related guides
FAQ
Which email address receives StillOnline owner alert emails?
The address on your Google or GitHub account used to sign in. Update it at your OAuth provider if you change inboxes — StillOnline does not maintain a separate CC list for owner alerts today.
Can StillOnline send owner alerts to a second email address?
The product uses one account email per login. For a second person, add Slack or Telegram (StillOnline bot) on Pro / Ultimate, or forward the inbox — Telegram guide · Pricing.
Should I use StillOnline email or Telegram for night on-call?
Many founders use the StillOnline Telegram bot for instant DMs while email archives DOWN, recovery, and 24h milestones. On Free you pick one channel; compare behavior in the table above and Telegram guide.
Do StillOnline customers receive the same emails as owner alerts?
No. Customers subscribe with Google on the public status page for incident updates. Owner alerts are separate in settings — public status page guide.
Why did StillOnline email stop while Telegram kept notifying during a long outage?
Email is throttled to once per 15 minutes while a check stays down. Telegram and Slack repeat on each check interval so mobile on-call does not miss a long outage — Telegram owner alerts.