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# Synthetic monitor status definitions

# Synthetic monitor status definitions {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Australia  
Updated July 21, 2026  
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## Summary of Synthetic monitor status definitions

Synthetic monitor tests report statuses that help you differentiate between genuine endpoint issues and test execution problems.
Understanding these statuses is crucial for accurate monitoring and efficient issue triage.
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## Key Features

* **Passed:** The synthetic test ran successfully, and all assertion criteria were met by the endpoint response.
* **Failed:** The test executed and reached the endpoint, but the response did not meet one or more assertion criteria, such as unexpected status codes, response time exceeding thresholds, or missing expected content.
* **Unknown:** The test could not run at all, so no evaluation result is available. This status indicates that the check never attempted to reach the endpoint and is not a direct indication of endpoint health.

## Key Outcomes

When triaging alerts:

* **Failed status** suggests the endpoint returned an unexpected or problematic response, requiring investigation of the endpoint itself.
* **Unknown status** indicates issues with the synthetic monitor's execution environment (such as the MID Server or location) rather than with the endpoint.

## Common Causes of Unknown Status

The following scenarios typically result in an Unknown status because the test could not run:

* **MID Server removed from monitoring location:** If the assigned MID Server is no longer available at the designated location, the test cannot be executed.
* **MID Server down or unvalidated:** If the MID Server exists but is offline or not properly validated, the test does not run. In earlier releases, this sometimes incorrectly generated a Failed status.

To avoid misinterpreting Unknown statuses as endpoint failures, verify the MID Server status and environment before troubleshooting the monitored service.  
Learn what each synthetic monitor test status means, so you can distinguish a genuine endpoint failure from a test that never ran.

## Overview of Synthetic monitor status {#synthetic-monitor-status-definitions__section_status_overview}

Each test run by a synthetic monitor reports one of the following statuses. Use these definitions to distinguish a monitor that detected a genuine problem with the monitored endpoint from a monitor whose test could not run at all.

## Status definitions {#synthetic-monitor-status-definitions__section_status_definitions}

{#synthetic-monitor-status-definitions__table_status_definitions__entry__2}

| Status | Definition |
|-|-|
| **Passed** | The test executed and the response met all configured assertion criteria. |
| **Failed** | The test executed but the response did not meet one or more configured assertion criteria. The monitor successfully reached the endpoint and received a response, but that response failed evaluation. Examples include an unexpected status code, a response time over the configured threshold, or missing expected content. |
| **Unknown** | The test could not run, so no result is available for evaluation. An Unknown status means the monitor could not attempt the check at all, rather than reaching the endpoint and receiving an unsuccessful response. Unknown is expected in this case, and does not by itself indicate a problem with the monitored endpoint. |
[Table 1. Synthetic monitor test statuses]

{#synthetic-monitor-status-definitions__table_status_definitions}  
Important:  
A Failed status indicates the monitored endpoint returned an unexpected result. An Unknown status indicates the monitor was unable to run the test at all. Treat these differently when triaging alerts: an Unknown status should prompt you to investigate the monitor's execution environment, such as its location or MID Server, rather than the health of the monitored endpoint itself.

## Common causes of an Unknown status {#synthetic-monitor-status-definitions__section_unknown_scenarios}

An Unknown status can occur whenever the test cannot run to completion. Common causes include the following.
{#synthetic-monitor-status-definitions__table_unknown_causes__entry__2}

| Cause | Description |
|-|-|
| MID Server removed from the synthetic monitoring location | If the MID Server assigned to a monitor's location is removed from that location, the test cannot run and the status becomes Unknown. This is expected behavior. |
| MID Server is down or not validated | If the MID Server assigned to a monitor's location exists but is down or has not been validated, the test cannot run and the status should become Unknown, since the check never actually executed. Note: In earlier releases, this scenario could incorrectly report a Failed status and generate an alert, making it appear that the monitored endpoint was down. If you see a Failed status for a monitor and suspect its MID Server is down or unvalidated, check the MID Server's status before troubleshooting the monitored endpoint. |
[Table 2. Causes of an Unknown status]

{#synthetic-monitor-status-definitions__table_unknown_causes}

## Related topics {#synthetic-monitor-status-definitions__section_related_topics}

[Upgrade issues](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/I5pxYGiOxADTePAiHmUxEA "What to do when monitors don't work after upgrading synthetic monitoring.")

[Identifying system issues with synthetic monitoring](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/AKSCMeNewKJt5wtAtZ_T4Q "Tests run by synthetic monitors enable service owners and operators to view service endpoint performance at scale.")