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Never Miss a Failed Backup Again

Backup dead man switch. One curl line. Your backup logic stays the same.

14-day free trial · No credit card required

Four Ways to Monitor Backups

Choose the backup monitoring mode that fits your needs

1

Simple Ping

Just verify that your backup executed. One curl line confirms completion.

2

Ping with Payload

Verify backup correctness. Send backup file size and validate in the dashboard. Detect empty backups automatically.

3

Start/Stop Tracking

Measure backup execution time. Track backup duration and optionally include payload validation.

4

Start/Stop with Payload

Track backup duration and validate backup file size for complete monitoring.

See detailed examples in documentation →

The uncomfortable truth

Most backups don't fail loudly.
They succeed… incorrectly.

empty backup file

zero bytes

outdated backup

partial backup

backup didn't run

And no alert fires.

Why existing monitoring tools fail here

Plain webhooks (Discord / Slack)

  • • You must write your own connectors
  • • No "backup didn't run" detection

DeadManPing = Stop writing connectors. One curl line. Rest in the dashboard.

Error monitoring tools

  • • Alerts only on exceptions
  • • No concept of "wrong result"

If your backup file is 0 bytes instead of 2GB, error trackers are silent.

Binary ping monitors

  • • Binary signal: ping or no ping
  • • Zero awareness of results

"The backup ran" is not the same as "The backup did its job."

Job schedulers

  • • Require migration from cron
  • • Complex setup and maintenance

DeadManPing works with your existing backup scripts. No migration needed. Just add one curl line.

What DeadManPing is NOT

•Not a backup scheduler
•Does not run your backups
•Does not replace cron
•Does not touch backup execution
✓

We only observe the effects of backup execution

Your cron runs your backup scripts. We verify the backup results.

What You DON'T Need to Build

Connectors to Slack/Discord/Email

Everything is in the dashboard

Logic to check if backup executed

DeadManPing does this automatically

State management

DeadManPing tracks state changes

Recovery logic

Alerts only on state change, no spam

Monitoring dashboard

Everything in one place

Payload validation logic

Rules in UI, not in code

Stop writing alert connectors. One curl line. Rest in the dashboard.

How It Works

1

Create monitor in dashboard

Set up your first monitor in our dashboard. Define validation rules, set intervals, and configure alerts — all without writing code.

A descriptive name for this monitor

Expected every 24 hours

How long to wait before alerting if the job doesn't run? (1 hour)

Optional: Set a maximum execution time to detect jobs that run longer than expected (zombie jobs).

2

Add one line at the end of your existing script

Cron runs your backup script. Your backup script executes and collects data (file size, status). At the end of your script — one curl line with backup data.

Important: Curl must be INSIDE the script, not in the cron line, because only in the script do you have access to variables from execution results.

daily_backup.sh

#!/bin/bash
./backup_database.sh
FILE_SIZE=$(stat -f%z backup.tar.gz 2>/dev/null || stat -c%s backup.tar.gz 2>/dev/null || echo 0)

# Single ping with data from execution
# Use the monitor ID from your dashboard
# Validation rules are already configured in the dashboard
curl -X POST "https://deadmanping.com/api/ping/abc123?file_size=$FILE_SIZE"

# In crontab: 0 0 * * * /path/to/daily_backup.sh

3

Get state-aware alerts

Alerts fire on state transitions. No spam. No silence.

Monitor Recovered

Monitor recovered successfully. All validation rules passed and monitor is working.

Monitor Name:Backup Job
Status:Healthy
Last Ping:5 minutes ago

Monitor Reported Failure

Your monitor reported a failure status. Please check your job logs and investigate the issue.

Monitor Name:User Sync
Status:Failed
Last Ping:2 minutes ago

Monitor Warning

Payload validation warning detected. Monitor is still within grace period.

Monitor Name:Report Generator
Status:Warn
Last Ping:1 hour ago

Simple, Transparent Pricing

14-day free trial • No credit card required

What DeadManPing does differently

We separate backup execution from evaluation.

Your cron runs your backup scripts.
Your backup scripts send facts (file size, status).
We verify if that's OK.

Key Differentiators

Result-aware monitoring

We monitor outcomes, not just execution.

Declarative rules

Rules live in the UI, not inside scripts.

Built-in recovery logic

Alerts fire on state change, not every run.

Missing-run detection

If your backup never executes — you still get alerted.

Zero custom logic per customer

Same payload schema. Same evaluation engine. No support burden.

No-code configuration

Set up monitoring rules without writing any code or deploying changes.

What You Get

FeatureDeadManPing
Detect backup didn't run✓
Detect empty backup file✓
Inspect backup results✓
Payload-based rules✓
Thresholds in UI✓
OK → FAIL tracking✓
Requires SDK✗
Requires code logic✗

Integrate with Your Workflow

Get alerts where your team already works

Discord

Real-time alerts in your Discord channels

Slack

Notifications directly in your Slack workspace

Email

Instant email notifications for critical alerts

Who This Is For

✓

Built for:

  • •DevOps managing backups
  • •MSP (Managed Service Providers)
  • •Infra & ops teams
  • •Backend developers
  • •VPS & bare metal server admins
✗

Not for:

  • •Realtime apps
  • •Error debugging
  • •APM
  • •Log aggregation

It's not an error tracker.

It's a backup outcome verifier.

Error trackers tell you when your backup crashed.
DeadManPing tells you when it succeeded… incorrectly.

Reliable & Secure

Secure & Private

Your data is encrypted. We only store what you send. No access to your servers.

24/7 Monitoring

Reliable infrastructure. Your monitors are always checked, even when you're not.

No Hidden Costs

Transparent pricing. Cancel anytime. Free tier available. No credit card required for trial.

Stop trusting that backups just work.

Monitor backup results, not assumptions.

14-day free trial · No credit card required

DeadManPing

Simple monitoring for your cron jobs and scheduled tasks.

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