Getting Started

Get your first cron job monitored in under 5 minutes.

Quick Start with curl

The simplest way to monitor a job is with a single curl command. No installation required.

1. Create a Check

Log in to Pakyas and create a new check. You’ll get a unique ping URL like:

https://ping.pakyas.com/{public_id}

2. Ping from Your Cron Job

Add a curl command to your cron job:

# Simple success ping
0 * * * * /path/to/backup.sh && curl -fsS https://ping.pakyas.com/{public_id}

Or use start/success/fail signals:

#!/bin/bash
curl -fsS https://ping.pakyas.com/{public_id}/start

if /path/to/backup.sh; then
  curl -fsS https://ping.pakyas.com/{public_id}
else
  curl -fsS https://ping.pakyas.com/{public_id}/fail
fi

Install the CLI

The pakyas CLI provides better ergonomics and features like automatic exit code capture.

macOS

curl -fsSL https://pakyas.com/install.sh | bash

Linux

curl -fsSL https://pakyas.com/install.sh | bash

Verify Installation

pakyas --version

Authenticate

pakyas login

This opens your browser for authentication. Once logged in, the CLI stores credentials securely.

Create Your First Check

# Switch to your project
pakyas project switch "My Project"

# Create a check with cron schedule
pakyas check create backup-nightly --cron "0 2 * * *" --tz Asia/Manila

# Or with interval
pakyas check create api-heartbeat --every 5m

# Interactive mode (prompts for all options)
pakyas check create my-check -i

The CLI automatically derives a sensible grace period (10% of interval, clamped to 5min-1hour) if not specified.

Wrap a Cron Job

The easiest way to monitor a job is with pakyas monitor:

# In your crontab
0 2 * * * pakyas monitor backup-nightly -- /path/to/backup.sh

This automatically:

• Sends a /start ping when the job begins
• Captures stdout/stderr
• Sends success or failure ping with exit code
• Includes error output in failure notifications

What Happens When Things Go Wrong?

1. Job misses schedule - If no ping arrives within period + grace, you get a “missed” alert
2. Job fails - If a /fail ping or non-zero exit code is sent, you get a “failed” alert
3. Job runs too long - If max_runtime is set and exceeded, you get a “running long” alert

Next Steps

• CLI Reference - Full command reference
• API Reference - Direct HTTP integration
• External Monitors - Migrate from healthchecks.io or Cronitor