<b>Q: Should my uptime check just fetch the homepage HTML, or load the whole page?</b>

<b>Q: Should my uptime check just fetch the homepage HTML, or load the whole page?</b>

A: Depends what you're protecting. A basic check fetches the initial HTML and measures time-to-first-byte. That's cheap, fast, and perfect for "is the server alive," but it lies about real experience, because it never loads your JavaScript, images, or third-party scripts.

For critical user journeys, run a browser-based (full-page) check that actually renders the page like a real browser. It catches a broken bundle, a hung analytics tag, or an API that returns blank data, none of which a raw HTML fetch would notice.

The sensible split:
— Lightweight HTML/status checks every minute for broad uptime
— Heavier browser checks every few minutes on your top 2-3 flows (login, checkout)

Browser checks cost more and run slower, so reserve them for journeys that actually make you money.

Got a question? Drop it in the comments.