Keyword
How Telescope checks if a webpage contains or doesn't contain specific text.
Keyword monitors make an HTTP request and search the response body for a specific keyword or phrase.
How a check works
- Telescope sends an HTTP request to your URL (same as an HTTP monitor).
- The response body is read (up to 8 MB).
- The body is searched for your keyword (case-insensitive).
- If a WAF or firewall is blocking the request, the keyword check is skipped.
- The result is recorded based on whether the keyword was found and your condition.
Status classification
| Condition | Status | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword found (contains) or absent (not_contains) | Up | Content matches your expectation |
| WAF or firewall blocking detected | Degraded | Page is blocked, keyword check unreliable |
| Keyword missing (contains) or present (not_contains) | Down | Content doesn't match your expectation |
| Unexpected status code | Down | Server returned an error |
| Timeout, DNS failure, or network error | Down | Site is unreachable |
Configuration options
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword | — | Text to search for in the response body (required) |
| Condition | Contains | Whether the keyword should be present or absent |
| Method | GET | HTTP method |
| Headers | — | Custom request headers |
| Expected status codes | 200–204, 301–303, 307–308 | Which status codes count as a valid response |
| Authentication | — | Basic auth or Bearer token |
| Follow redirects | Yes | Whether to follow HTTP redirects |
| Timeout | 30 seconds | How long to wait before marking as down |
Keyword monitors support all the same HTTP configuration options as HTTP monitors, including authentication and custom headers.