Windows heartbeat monitoring with Task Scheduler

Create a heartbeat checker

In Add checker, choose Heartbeat, then enter a display name, an optional group, and the expected interval. The default is 60 minutes; intervals can range from one minute to 30 days. Save and copy the private URL from the checker. A GET or POST request to that URL reports success without a custom header or request body. These templates report every 30 minutes while the checker allows 60 minutes between reports, leaving room for ordinary scheduling or network delays. Replace the entire sample URL with yours.

Reopen the checker on the dashboard whenever you need to view its read-only Heartbeat URL field and copy the address again.

Windows: create a repeating scheduled task

On Windows 10/11 or Windows Server with curl.exe installed, open Command Prompt as administrator. The one-line command below creates a task every 30 minutes under the local SYSTEM account, without storing a login password. It continues after signing out and resumes its schedule when Windows is running again.

schtasks /Create /TN "Simple Ping heartbeat" /SC MINUTE /MO 30 /RU SYSTEM /TR "%SystemRoot%\System32\curl.exe --fail --silent --show-error --connect-timeout 5 --max-time 15 --output NUL https://simple-ping.com/heartbeat/YOUR-UUID"

Replace /MO 30 with the number of minutes between runs and keep the expected interval in Simple Ping longer than that schedule. If curl.exe is installed elsewhere, use its full path. These commands test the task immediately and show its last result; a successful curl run returns 0.

schtasks /Run /TN "Simple Ping heartbeat"
schtasks /Query /TN "Simple Ping heartbeat" /V /FO LIST

Wait for the task to finish before checking Last Result. In Task Scheduler, review the Conditions tab if the computer should report while on battery power. No reports are sent while the computer is off or asleep. Set maintenance before planned downtime. To remove this task, run:

schtasks /Delete /TN "Simple Ping heartbeat"

Windows Task Scheduler command reference

Arm it with the first success report

The URL is available immediately. The first valid report starts monitoring and marks the checker UP immediately, without generating DOWN alerts beforehand. Each report restarts the configured interval. After that deadline, the regular consecutive-down threshold applies during scheduled checker runs. A later success report records recovery immediately. The dashboard shows the updated state on its next automatic refresh.

Monitor private systems through an outbound report

Only outbound HTTPS access is needed, including from behind a VPN. An unconditional scheduled report proves the computer can run that task and reach Simple Ping; it does not prove a particular application or backup is healthy. The URL can submit success reports only, not read or manage your account. Keep it private in protected task or script settings, never in screenshots, shared logs, or public repositories.