Cloud monitoring and security platform Datadog has taken an internet meme and turned it into something genuinely useful. What’s Updog? Datadog’s new tool tells you which apps are down, offering a free, AI-powered dashboard that lets users instantly check the status of popular online services like AWS, Slack, Cloudflare, and OpenAI.
Image Credits:Olga Zarzycka / 500px / Getty Images
The web dashboard, called Updog, is Datadog’s playful yet practical answer to an age-old joke: “What’s up, dog?” Now, developers and users alike can simply check Updog to see if their favorite SaaS providers are up—or down.
Datadog’s Fun Twist on Serious Monitoring
Datadog clearly leaned into the humor behind its branding. It all started when software engineer Rhys Sullivan joked on X (formerly Twitter), “You’re telling me Datadog has an uptime monitoring product and they didn’t call it ‘Updog’?” Four months later, Datadog engineer Tim Brown responded with a link to the real thing: Updog is live.
This lighthearted exchange turned into a fully functional service that anyone can access for free. While Datadog already offers advanced uptime and performance monitoring within its paid platform, Updog is designed for quick, everyday checks—no subscription required.
Why Developers Are Loving Updog
For developers and businesses that rely heavily on cloud services, What’s Updog? Datadog’s new tool tells you which apps are down—and that insight can be invaluable. Outages across services like AWS, Cloudflare, or payment processors can bring major operations to a halt. Updog helps users verify if downtime issues are widespread or isolated.
This tool likely would have been a lifesaver during the recent AWS outage, which disrupted banks, payment systems, and government websites. With Updog, developers can quickly assess whether the problem lies with a provider or their own infrastructure.
How Updog Uses AI to Predict Outages
What sets Updog apart from typical uptime dashboards is its AI-driven telemetry analysis. Datadog claims the tool can detect subtle anomalies in server data that may signal an upcoming outage before it escalates.
By using artificial intelligence to analyze patterns from vast data streams, Updog can help businesses act faster—minimizing downtime and financial loss. This proactive approach aligns with Datadog’s broader strategy of merging AI insights with performance monitoring.
Simple, Free, and Accessible
Anyone can use Updog without logging in or paying a cent. The interface is clean, responsive, and mobile-friendly—perfect for quick checks during an outage crisis. This accessibility makes it not just a developer tool but a community resource for anyone who relies on cloud-based services daily.
For instance, remote teams can check Slack’s status before assuming internal errors, or IT admins can confirm whether a problem stems from AWS or their own servers.
What’s Next for Datadog and Updog
Datadog’s clever branding move might have started as an inside joke, but Updog could become a go-to status-checking hub for millions of users. By blending humor, utility, and AI-powered insights, Datadog has created something both engaging and functional.
As the company continues expanding its AI capabilities, tools like Updog reinforce its reputation as a forward-thinking leader in cloud monitoring and reliability engineering.
What’s Updog? Datadog’s new tool tells you which apps are down, and that’s no joke. With its free, AI-enhanced status dashboard, Datadog makes monitoring outages easier—and a little more fun. Whether you’re a developer managing uptime or a curious user wondering if Slack’s acting up again, Updog has your back.
Check it out, and next time someone asks, “What’s up, dog?”—you’ll actually have an answer.
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