August 27, 2026
When Should You Ask for Push Notification Permission?
Asking for browser notification permission on page load kills opt-in rates for good. Here's when to ask, what Block does permanently, and how iOS differs.
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Blog
The Pingwire blog
Guides and deep dives on developer notifications, monitoring, web push, and getting an alert all the way to a human.
August 26, 2026
How to Build a Cron Job Dead Man's Switch That Alerts You
Set up a dead man's switch for cron: a heartbeat ping that alerts you the moment a scheduled job stops checking in, before a missed backup costs you data.
Read article →August 25, 2026
How to Get Notified When a systemd Service Fails on Linux
Learn how to get notified the moment a systemd service fails, using an OnFailure= unit and a webhook, so a crash never hides in the journal again.
Read article →August 24, 2026
What Should Your Status Page Say During an Outage?
A status page update should name the state, affected component, and when you'll post next — never internal error strings. Here's what to write and when.
Read article →August 23, 2026
QR Code Channels: How to Notify a Live Audience Fast
QR code channels let anyone subscribe to push alerts with one scan, no app or email required. Here's how to set one up for events, shops, or classrooms.
Read article →August 22, 2026
Email vs push notifications for server alerts: which should developers use?
Push notifications beat email for urgent server alerts: they arrive in seconds and skip spam filters. Email still wins for digests, long reports, and audit trails. Here is how to split the two.
Read article →August 21, 2026
How do I know when my AI agent run finishes or silently stalls?
An agent run that stalls raises no error. Use two signals: a completion ping at the end of the run, and a heartbeat monitor so silence itself opens an incident. Python and curl examples included.
Read article →August 20, 2026
Why Didn't My Web Push Notification Arrive?
A web push that never shows up almost always fails at one of four points: permission, an expired subscription, the device holding the wake-up, or a rejected send. Check them in that order — with the exact browser and server checks for each.
Read article →August 19, 2026
How do I get alerted before my SSL certificate expires?
Set an external check that reads the certificate on every request and pushes your phone when the remaining days drop below your threshold — 14 days by default, 30 if renewal is manual. Here is how to do it with openssl, cron, or a monitor.
Read article →August 18, 2026
How Do I Get Notified When a GitHub Actions Workflow Fails?
Add one step with if: failure() that POSTs to a webhook, and a failed GitHub Actions run reaches your phone as a push notification in seconds. Copy-paste YAML for failure, success, and scheduled workflows that stop running.
Read article →August 17, 2026
How Should a Solo Developer or Small Team Handle Incidents?
Small teams handle incidents well with three habits: one clear alert to a named person, an escalation chain with two or three steps that repeats until acknowledged, and a one-sentence note on resolve. No on-call rota or war room needed. Practical setup with API examples.
Read article →August 16, 2026
How Can People Subscribe to Push Notifications by Scanning a QR Code?
A QR code can link to a subscribe page where one tap turns on web push notifications, with no app install, email, or phone number. How subscribe-by-scan works, where it fits (events, shops, classrooms, status updates), iPhone and Android realities, and how to set one up.
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