Setup Guide

Get up and running with KumaAlert in minutes.

App Setup

The onboarding wizard walks you through everything. Here's what to expect.

1

Download KumaAlert

Download KumaAlert from the App Store (iOS 17.2 or later). Android (10 or later) is coming soon to Google Play.

2

Enter Your Server URL

You'll need the URL of your Uptime Kuma instance, the address you use to access your dashboard in a web browser (e.g., https://status.example.com). The app validates and tests the connection before proceeding.

Your server must be accessible from the internet. Local network addresses won't work from your phone when you're away from home.

3

Sign In

Enter your username and password, the same credentials you use to log into your Uptime Kuma dashboard. If your server uses two-factor authentication (2FA), you'll be prompted for your TOTP code.

If your server has authentication disabled, the app detects this automatically and skips the credentials step.

4

Pin Your Favorites

Choose which monitors to pin for quick access on the Overview tab. You can select all, pick individual ones, or skip and change this later.

5

Choose Alert Types

Select which events you want push notifications for: monitors going down, services recovering, maintenance windows starting/ending, and flapping monitors.

6

You're Ready

The app shows a summary of your connected monitors and you're good to go. You can add home-screen widgets from here too.

Advanced Setup

Optional configuration for API keys, Cloudflare Access, and custom headers.

1

API Key (Optional)

For background status checks when the app isn't open, add an API key. In your Uptime Kuma dashboard, go to Settings > API Keys and create a new key. Then in KumaAlert, go to Settings > your server and paste the key.

2

Cloudflare Access (Optional)

If your Uptime Kuma instance is behind Cloudflare Access, you'll need a Service Token:

  1. Go to the Cloudflare Zero Trust dashboard
  2. Navigate to Access > Service Auth > Service Tokens
  3. Click Create a Service Token and copy the Client ID and Client Secret
  4. In KumaAlert, go to Settings > your server > Cloudflare Access
  5. Enable the toggle, enter the Client ID and Client Secret, then save
3

Custom HTTP Headers (Optional)

If your server sits behind a reverse proxy or custom authentication gateway, you can add arbitrary HTTP headers. Go to Settings > your server and add key-value pairs under Custom Headers.

Push Notifications

KumaAlert sets push up for you, so there's no more copying webhook URLs by hand. There's a one-time step on your device, then one tap per server.

1

Enable push on your device

In KumaAlert, go to Settings > Notifications and tap Enable Push Notifications. Allow the permission prompt when it appears. This registers your device so it can be alerted even when the app is closed.

2

Create the webhook (one tap per server)

Go to Settings > Notifications > Push Alerts, pick your server, and tap Create webhook in Uptime Kuma. KumaAlert signs in to that server over its existing connection and creates a notification named KumaAlert, switched on for every monitor, including ones you add later. It's safe to tap again any time.

The Push Alerts list shows each server as Active, Not set up, or Offline, so you can see which servers will actually alert you.

3

That's it

You'll now get a push whenever a monitor goes down or recovers, with the monitor name, status, and the error from the failed check. No Uptime Kuma API key is required; provisioning uses the login you already connected with.

One-tap setup needs a login that can edit that server. If your Uptime Kuma login is read-only, use the manual method below instead.

Prefer to set it up by hand?

On the same server's Push Alerts screen, expand Set up manually instead to reveal the exact values to paste into Uptime Kuma:

  1. In Uptime Kuma, go to Settings > Notifications > Setup Notification
  2. Set Notification Type to Webhook
  3. Set Post URL to the Post URL shown in the app
  4. Set Request Body to Preset - application/json
  5. Set Additional Headers to the JSON shown in the app (this carries your push secret)
  6. Save, then enable it on your monitors: tick Apply to all existing monitors and Auto apply for new monitors to cover everything

Multiple devices & re-registering

Signed in to a KumaAlert account, your devices share one webhook automatically, with no per-device setup. If you ever tap Re-register Push Notifications (under Settings > Notifications, Advanced), a fresh device token is generated: one-tap servers re-apply on their own, but any server you set up by hand needs its webhook URL updated. You can also Rotate secret on a server to swap its push secret and re-apply in one step.

Alerts & Priorities

Make the outages that matter loud and keep the rest quiet. Every monitor has its own alert rules, plus a one-time switch that lets critical alerts break through silent mode.

1

Open a monitor's Alert Rules

Open a monitor, then tap the Notifications row to bring up the Alert Rules sheet. Everything below lives here, saves instantly, and syncs across your devices.

2

Choose what it alerts on

Under Alert scope, pick All events, DOWN only, or Off. Off fully mutes the monitor, and muted monitors are filtered server-side in the push relay, so they never wake your phone.

3

Set its severity

Under Severity, choose Info, Warning, or Critical. Info alerts stay quiet, Warning behaves normally, and Critical can break through silent mode and Focus once you flip the switch in step 5.

Critical monitors can also Repeat until acknowledged, re-alerting every 5 minutes until you acknowledge, snooze, or the monitor recovers, so a 3am outage doesn't get missed.

4

Skip the flaky blips (optional)

Set an Alert delay ("only alert if it's been down for N minutes") and brief blips that recover within the window never reach you.

5

Let critical alerts break through

Flip the master switch once, under Settings > Notifications > Alert Ladder > Critical alerts. On iOS this requests the Critical Alerts permission; on Android it asks you to allow the Do Not Disturb bypass for KumaAlert. A monitor only pierces silent mode when its severity is Critical and this switch is on.

Use Send test alert on the same screen (Warning or Critical) to fire a real notification through the full delivery path and confirm your sounds and breakthrough settings work.

Home-Screen Widgets

Glanceable status on your Home Screen and Lock Screen, on iOS and Android. When everything is healthy a widget shows the monitors you pick; during an incident it switches itself to show only what is down or in maintenance, so a problem is never buried.

1

Add a widget

iOS: touch and hold the Home Screen, tap the + in the corner, search KumaAlert, then pick a size. Home Screen widgets come in small, medium, and large; Lock Screen widgets come in circular, rectangular, and inline. Android: touch and hold the home screen, tap Widgets, find KumaAlert, and drag your size into place.

2

Configure it

Touch and hold the widget and choose Edit Widget on iOS, or set its options when you place it on Android. Pin the widget to a single server or let it show all of them. The small widget offers two styles, a status headline or a big number, and the large widget packs in up to 18 monitors across two columns, with every row carrying its live response time or down duration.

3

Choose which monitors appear

Go to Settings > Widget > Selected monitors to pick which monitors show when everything is healthy. During an incident the widget automatically shows only what is down or in maintenance, so you never have to hunt for the problem.

4

Keep it fresh with an API key

Widgets refresh in the background using an API key. Without one, a widget only updates when you open the app. Add a key under Settings > your server > API Key (generate it in Uptime Kuma under Settings > API Keys). The operating system decides exactly when background refreshes run, so updates are periodic rather than instant.

5

Tap to jump in

Tapping a widget opens the app and jumps straight to the monitor when just one is down. On iOS you can also acknowledge a down monitor right from the medium and large widgets.

Need help?

Visit our support page or email help@kumaalert.app