Glossary

What is health check?

Last updated June 15, 2026
Reviewed by Better-PaaS team

A request used to confirm an app is ready for traffic. Learn what health check means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.

Overview

A request used to confirm an app is ready for traffic.

Definition

A request used to confirm an app is ready for traffic.

Real-world example

Better-PaaS polls GET /health every few seconds; when it returns 200, traffic routes to the new container during a deploy.

Common mistake

Health endpoint requires authentication or returns 404, so deploys never complete and traffic never switches.

Better-PaaS in practice

Configure health check path and port per app. A failing health check blocks zero-downtime routing.

FAQ

Is health check only relevant to Better-PaaS?

No. health check appears across Docker, cloud platforms, and self-hosted tooling. Better-PaaS exposes the concept in deploy logs, dashboard fields, or docs when it affects your app.