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Keyword Monitoring

Know when your page content changes

Vantaj checks the response body of your HTTP endpoints on every check cycle. If an expected keyword disappears — or an unexpected one appears — you're alerted immediately.

Response body assertions

Assert that a keyword or phrase is present in the response. Catch broken pages, missing content, and partial deploys that return 200 but serve the wrong thing.

Negative assertions

Alert when a keyword you never want to see — like "error", "maintenance", or a competitor's name — appears in a response.

Runs on every check

Keyword assertions run on the same schedule as your uptime checks — as fast as every 30 seconds. No separate polling layer.

Same alert pipeline

Keyword failures route through your existing alert policies: Slack, email, webhooks, and more — no extra setup.

Combine with status code checks

Use keyword assertions alongside HTTP status code checks. A page that returns 200 but shows an error message will still trigger an alert.

Logged with check history

Every check records the outcome of your keyword assertions. Review exactly when content changed and how long an issue persisted.

What you can assert

Assertion typeExample use case
Contains keyword
Ensure "Add to cart" is present — confirms the product page rendered correctly
Does not contain keyword
Alert if "502 Bad Gateway" or "Under maintenance" appears in any response
Response body substring
Check for API response fields like `"status":"ok"` or `"loggedIn":true`
Page title or heading
Verify the correct page title is served — catches misconfigured redirects

How it works

01 — Add your monitor

Open Advanced settings

When adding or editing an HTTP monitor, expand the Advanced settings section to find keyword assertion fields.

02 — Set your assertions

Type what you expect to see

Enter a word or phrase that must be present in the response body. Optionally add a "must not contain" assertion for error strings.

03 — Automatic checking

Checked on every probe cycle

On each check, Vantaj fetches the page, verifies the status code, and evaluates your keyword assertions. A mismatch opens an incident immediately.

04 — Get alerted

Notification through your existing channels

Keyword failures trigger the same alert policies as downtime events. Your team is notified via Slack, email, or webhook within seconds.

Frequently asked questions

Is keyword monitoring included on all plans?
Yes. Keyword assertions are part of the Advanced settings on every HTTP monitor, available on all plans including free.
Can I assert on JSON API responses?
Yes. The assertion checks the raw response body as text, so you can match JSON strings like `"status":"ok"` or `"error":false` just as easily as HTML keywords.
What happens if the keyword is in a comment or hidden element?
The assertion checks the full raw HTTP response body — including HTML comments, hidden elements, and script tags. If the text is anywhere in the response, it will match.
Can I use multiple keyword assertions on one monitor?
You can set one "must contain" and one "must not contain" assertion per monitor. For more complex checks, create additional monitors pointing at the same URL with different assertions.

Ready to set up Keyword Monitoring?

Up and running in under a minute. Free for up to 20 monitors, no credit card required.

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