API and HTTPS Check Differences and Uses

Both the HTTP(S) Check and the API Check utilize HTTP(S) requests to monitor, but each check fills a different role. API checks are multi-step, meaning multiple HTTPS checks are used to complete a single API check. HTTP(S) checks perform a single monitoring check to a resource or address while API checks can be used to perform multiple sequential requests and obtain validations that each step has been completed.

Combining these two check types will help administrators monitor critical web infrastructure, while pinging certain resources for availability and responsiveness.

This brief article will first breakdown the differences between each check, then provide some helpful ideas on using the two checks together.

Table of Contents

• API and HTTPS Check Differences At A Glance
• API and HTTPS Check Differences
• When to Use an HTTPS Check
• When to Use an API Check

API and HTTPS Check Differences At A Glance

• HTTPS Checks monitor specific web and IP addresses.

• An API Check will monitor API endpoints with multiple HTTPS requests.

API and HTTPS Check Differences

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First, it’s important to understand what each check monitors. From our support documentation:

• HTTP(S) checks monitor a specific web or IP address in intervals ranging from 1 to 60 minutes, with optional parameters that provide additional functionality.
• An API check will monitor API using multiple HTTP(S) requests in intervals ranging from 1 to 60 minutes.

With advanced options, HTTPS check functionality can mimic some of the functionality of an API check but it cannot go beyond checking the resources of a single URL or IP address.

When to Use an HTTPS Check

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An HTTPS check is best when we need to know only what’s happening on a single URL. HTTPS checks can run at one-minute intervals, and can be configured to mimic a single step in an API check. Use HTTPS checks for faster alerting of downtime for the critical steps you configured in your API check.

A user might create multiple HTTPS checks to monitor single URLs all over the site, some for API access and others for general uptime monitoring.

When to Use an API Check

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The true power behind using API is the followup, and the detail of the data returned. It’s much easier to define a specific query, test functionality, and even use GET requests to ping infrastructure faster.

However, API checks also include the ability to use access tokens and are a more secure method of identifying and authorizing Uptime.com to perform test login forms. HTTPS checks use basic auth, while access tokens in an API check reduce the security risks to your organization.