Server uptime refers to the amount of time a server is fully operational and available without interruptions. This is an important indication of how stable your web hosting is, showing you how often people are actually capable of accessing your website.

For anyone with a website – whether it's a business, a blog, or anything else – server uptime is extremely critical. When your website is down, even for a brief period, you can lose visitors, lose potential customers, and it can even cause your website to seem unreliable. Most solid hosting companies aim for around 99.9% uptime, which means their servers are down for under 9 hours in a whole year.

Why does server uptime matter for your website?

When your server uptime is solid, your website stays accessible 24/7. This is key for keeping traffic flowing, ensuring a good experience for your visitors, and keeping things running smoothly for your business. Search engines also like websites that are consistently available, so good uptime can even help your site rank better.

Whether you're sharing your thoughts on a personal blog, showcasing your work in a portfolio, or running an online store, knowing your server is reliable means fewer headaches and happier users. On the flip side, if your site is down a lot, people might get frustrated and not come back.

How server uptime works

Server uptime is usually shown as a percentage, and the higher the percentage, the better. You'll often see hosting providers promising 99.9% or even higher. Here's a quick look at what those percentages mean in terms of potential downtime per year.

• 99% uptime = about 3 and a half days of downtime per year
• 99.9% uptime = roughly 8 and three-quarter hours of downtime per year
• 99.99% uptime = a little over 52 minutes of downtime per year

Many hosting companies include uptime guarantees in their service agreements (SLAs). This means they promise a certain level of uptime, and if they don't meet it, they might offer you some form of compensation.

How to monitor server uptime for your website

To make sure your website is staying online as it should, you can use a few different methods.

• Uptime monitoring tools. Services like Pingdom or Uptime Robot will regularly check if your website is up and running and will alert you if it goes down.
• Web hosting dashboards. Many hosting providers include uptime statistics and logs in your account dashboard, so you can see how your site has been performing over time.
• Server logs. Your hosting provider usually gives you access to server logs, which can help you see when there have been any downtime incidents and troubleshoot potential issues.

FAQs about server uptime

Why is server uptime important?

It ensures your website is always there for your audience. Good uptime minimizes disruptions, helps your site perform better in search results, and builds trust with your visitors.

What is a good server uptime percentage?

You should aim for 99.9% or higher. At 99.9%, your server would only be down for a few hours a year, which is generally considered excellent.

How can server uptime affect my website?

Poor uptime means your site will be unavailable more often, which can lead to lost visitors, fewer sales if you have them, and lower rankings on search engines. Consistent uptime is key for a good user experience.

Can I improve server uptime on my own?

While you can't directly control your hosting provider's uptime, choosing a reliable host with a strong uptime guarantee and proactive monitoring is crucial. Also, optimizing your website's performance (like using caching and optimizing images) can help reduce the load on the server.

Build a reliable website with B12

With B12’s AI website builder, you don’t have to worry about managing your website’s server uptime. B12’s platform ensures that your site is hosted with a solid uptime guarantee, so you can focus on growing your business. Get started with your website today and enjoy high-performance hosting that keeps your site accessible at all times!