# Checks that your website works, not just that it is switched on

> Scheduled automatic checks that your forms really send, your key pages load properly, your security certificate is valid and your site has not slowed down. Included on every plan.

- Source: https://nerdsharks.com/features/website-health-monitoring
- Publisher: Nerdsharks (Exeter, Devon, UK)
- Updated: 2026-09-27

Uptime monitoring tells you whether a website answers at all. A site can be "up" and still be letting you down: the contact form quietly failing, a page showing an error, the security certificate close to expiring, or an update making pages noticeably slower. Health checks are automated tests that run on a schedule and go further. They send a test enquiry through your forms and confirm it arrives, load your most important pages and check they contain what they should, check your SSL certificate, which is what gives your site the padlock, and compare page speed against previous results. When a check fails, we are alerted and we look into it. The aim is to catch the problems that uptime alone would miss, before a customer finds them.

## How it works

1. **We choose what matters** - At launch we set up checks for the parts of your site that bring in work: your enquiry and booking forms, your home page, your service pages and anything else you rely on.
2. **Test enquiries are sent** - On a schedule, an automated test fills in your forms and confirms the message arrives. Test submissions are clearly marked and filtered out so they do not clutter your enquiry list.
3. **Pages, certificate and speed are checked** - Key pages are loaded and checked for the right content, your SSL certificate is checked well before it could expire, and speed is compared with earlier results to spot a slowdown.
4. **Failures come to us** - If any check fails, we get an alert and investigate. Once it is fixed, we tell you in plain English what happened, if it affected you at all.

## Why it matters

- **Silent faults get caught** - A form that stops sending does not take the site down, so nobody notices, and enquiries simply stop. Checking that forms really deliver is aimed squarely at that kind of fault.
- **No warning signs for visitors** - An expired certificate makes browsers show a security warning that frightens customers off. Checking it ahead of time means it can be sorted before it becomes a problem.
- **Slowdowns do not creep in** - Sites tend to get slower bit by bit. Comparing speed over time lets us spot a drop after a change and put it right, which helps both visitors and your Google rankings.

## Questions

### What is the difference between uptime monitoring and health checks?

Uptime monitoring checks that your site responds at all. Health checks go further, testing that your forms actually deliver, your key pages show the right content, your certificate is valid and your speed has not dropped. Every plan includes both.

### Will test enquiries show up in my inbox?

No, test submissions are marked as tests and filtered out, so they do not appear in your enquiry list or trigger your usual notifications. You only see real enquiries from real customers.

### Do health checks mean nothing will ever go wrong?

No, no website can promise that. What the checks do is shorten the time between something breaking and us knowing about it, so problems are fixed sooner instead of being found by a customer weeks later.

### Do I pay extra for health checks?

No, automated health checks are included on every plan, including Monthly at £99 a month. They are part of how we look after your site.