Documentation

Goal

This guide walks you from account creation to your first monitored application. It assumes you have at least one public hostname that you own.

Preparation checklist

• A hostname you control, for example example.com.
• Access to DNS or web server configuration for verification.
• A list of paths you want to monitor, such as /login or /healthz.

Step-by-step

1. Create an account.

   Go to the sign up page, confirm your email if prompted, and sign in.

   

   Create your WAFDOG account.
2. Create your first project.

   Projects define ownership, billing, and access. Give it a clear name such as "Acme Production".

   

   Create a project to organize applications and checks.
3. Add an application hostname.

   Create a single application or use bulk add for multiple hosts.

   

   Add a hostname to start monitoring.
4. Verify ownership.

   Choose a verification method (secret, DNS TXT, or well-known path) and complete the challenge.

   Verification locks checks to the approved hostname and protects against abuse.

5. Review default checks.

   WAFDOG creates default checks for each application. Review them and run a manual recheck if needed.

   

   Default checks appear immediately after application creation.
6. Inspect the dashboard.

   The dashboard shows health, alerts, and trends for the active project.

   

   Overview of status and recent results.
7. Add a custom check.

   Create a Simple HTTP check for a critical endpoint, then tune the interval.

   

   Define URL path, method, and matching rules.
8. Enable alerts.

   Use the dashboard toggle to receive alerts by email when checks fail.

9. Share status when needed.

   Generate a public share link for stakeholders without logins.

   

   Read-only status for external stakeholders.

Success criteria

• You can switch between projects using the selector.
• Your application shows as verified.
• Default checks return results.
• Email alerts are enabled for the project.

If any step fails, check Troubleshooting for common fixes.