Test Channel and Verify Reliability
Who this is for
Anyone who wants to confirm their notification channels are working correctly before relying on them for real alerts.
What you will complete
Send a test notification to each channel, interpret the result, and verify the channel is ready for production use.
Before you begin
- At least one notification channel must be configured.
- Navigate to Settings → Notification Channels.
How to test a channel
- Go to Settings → Notification Channels.
- Find the channel you want to test in the channel list.
- Click the Test button (arrow icon) on the channel row.
- CloudAIPilot sends a test notification to the channel immediately.
- Check your destination (email inbox, Slack channel, Telegram chat, etc.) for the test message.
- The channel row updates to show whether the test succeeded or failed.
- If successful, the channel status changes to Verified.
What the test message looks like
The test notification is a sample message clearly labeled as a test. It confirms:
- The channel connection is working
- The destination is receiving messages
- The channel is ready for real event notifications
Interpreting test results
Test succeeded — channel shows Verified: The channel is working correctly. No further action needed.
Test shows an error: The delivery failed. The error message explains why. Common errors and fixes:
| Error | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Invalid webhook URL" | URL is malformed or empty | Check the URL in the channel config — click Edit (pencil) |
| "Connection refused" | The destination URL is down | Verify the webhook endpoint is online |
| "401 Unauthorized" | Wrong credentials or expired token | Re-enter the bot token or webhook URL |
| "Bot blocked by user" | Telegram bot was blocked | Unblock the bot in Telegram and send it a message |
| "Email rejected" | Destination email rejected the message | Check spam filters, verify the email address |
Testing best practices
Test after any configuration change. Whenever you update a webhook URL, email address, or bot token, send a new test immediately to confirm the updated config works.
Test all channels periodically. Webhook URLs can expire (especially Teams connectors). Test all channels monthly to catch broken channels before a real alert fires.
Test at the same time you set up alert rules. Set up your notification channels and test them before creating alert rules — not after. A broken channel during a real incident compounds the problem.
What success looks like
- Test message arrives at the destination within 10–30 seconds.
- Channel shows Verified status badge.
- Channel is in Active state (green power icon).