Hono is an ultrafast, edge-native web framework built for Cloudflare Workers, Bun, Deno, and Node.js. Its lightweight design makes it perfect for high-performance APIs and edge functions - but fast doesn't mean infallible. Here's how to add uptime monitoring to your Hono app with Vigilmon.
Why Hono Apps Need Uptime Monitoring
Hono runs on edge runtimes where traditional server monitoring doesn't apply. You can't SSH into Cloudflare Workers. You can't check process metrics on a Bun server the same way you would a VPS. External uptime monitoring fills this gap - it checks your endpoints from outside, the same way your users do.
Common failure modes in Hono apps:
- Edge deployment failures - a broken deploy that serves errors instead of responses
- Cold start timeouts - edge functions that exceed the timeout limit
- Upstream dependency failures - your Hono API calls a database or service that goes down
- Rate limit saturation - your Worker hits resource limits and starts rejecting requests
Setting Up a Health Endpoint in Hono
Add a /health route to your Hono app:
` ypescript
import { Hono } from "hono";
const app = new Hono();
app.get("/health", (c) => {
return c.json({
status: "ok",
timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
runtime: "cloudflare-workers", // or "bun", "deno", "node"
});
});
export default app;
`
For apps that depend on external services, check those dependencies:
` ypescript
app.get("/health", async (c) => {
const checks: Record = {};
// Check an upstream API
try {
const resp = await fetch("https://your-db-proxy.example.com/ping", {
signal: AbortSignal.timeout(3000),
});
checks.database = resp.ok ? "ok" : "error";
} catch {
checks.database = "unreachable";
}
const healthy = Object.values(checks).every((v) => v === "ok");
return c.json(
{ status: healthy ? "ok" : "degraded", checks },
healthy ? 200 : 503
);
});
`
Monitoring a Cloudflare Workers Hono App
- Deploy your Hono app with the health endpoint
- Go to vigilmon.online
- Create a monitor:
- URL: https://your-worker.your-subdomain.workers.dev/health
- Check interval: 1 minute
- Expected status: 200
- Regions: Select multiple (US East, Europe, Asia-Pacific)
Vigilmon checks from multiple locations - if your Worker is restricted in a region or a Cloudflare PoP has issues, you'll know which region is affected.
Monitoring a Bun-based Hono App
If you're running Hono on Bun as a traditional server:
` ypescript
import { Hono } from "hono";
import { serve } from "@hono/node-server"; // or Bun.serve
const app = new Hono();
app.get("/health", (c) => {
return c.json({ status: "ok" });
});
// Bun:
export default {
port: 3000,
fetch: app.fetch,
};
`
Monitor: https://your-bun-app.com:3000/health
For Bun apps running behind a reverse proxy (nginx, Caddy), monitor the public URL instead.
Alert Configuration for Hono Apps
Recommended alert setup:
| Monitor | Threshold | Alert |
|---|---|---|
| Production /health | 2 failures | Slack + email |
| Production /api/critical | 2 failures | Slack + email |
| Staging /health | 3 failures | Slack #dev |
Set the check interval to 1 minute for production endpoints - Hono apps typically serve real-time use cases where a 5-minute outage window is too long.
Edge-Specific Monitoring Tips
1. Monitor multiple subdomains if you use Cloudflare routing:
workers.dev (direct Worker)
api.yourdomain.com (custom domain via Cloudflare)
Both might fail independently - monitor both.
2. Include response time in your health check:
Vigilmon tracks response time over time. Sudden spikes in response time from a Hono Worker often signal an upstream dependency problem.
3. TCP monitoring for Bun servers:
If your Bun server listens on a non-HTTP port, add a TCP monitor in Vigilmon to check that the port is open.
Conclusion
Hono's edge-first design means you lose traditional server observability. Vigilmon gives it back by checking your endpoints from the outside - exactly how your users reach your app.
- No agent to install
- Works with any Hono runtime (Cloudflare, Bun, Deno, Node)
- Multi-region checks eliminate false alerts from transient network issues
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