# Downdetector API

> Downdetector provides service status and outage reports as a workflow and API.

Downdetector checks a service’s current status in a country and returns recent reports, usual report counts, and reported problems. The Check service status method needs a service name and uses the United States by default; you can specify another country.

- Page: https://fous.com/tools/downdetector
- Handle: `@downdetector`
- Category: [Other](https://fous.com/tools/category/other)
- Source website: https://downdetector.com
- Last verified: Sep 29, 2026

## Methods

### Check service status

Operation `check_service_status`, version 1. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted.

Check whether a service has current problems in a country, with recent reports, the usual report count, reported problem types, and locations when shown. The service must have a public Downdetector page in that country.

**Input**

| Field | Type | Required | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `country` | string | no | `"Canada"` | Country to check, for example Canada. Defaults to United States. |
| `service` | string | yes | `"Verizon"` | The name of the app or website to check, for example Microsoft Teams. |

**Input schema**

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "service"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "country": {
      "type": "string",
      "default": "United States",
      "description": "Country to check, for example Canada. Defaults to United States.",
      "examples": [
        "Canada"
      ]
    },
    "service": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "The name of the app or website to check, for example Microsoft Teams.",
      "examples": [
        "Verizon",
        "Instagram",
        "Microsoft Teams"
      ]
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "examples": [
    {
      "service": "Verizon"
    },
    {
      "service": "Instagram"
    },
    {
      "country": "Canada",
      "service": "Microsoft Teams"
    }
  ]
}
```

**Output**

| Field | Type | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `status` | string | `"No current problems"` |  |
| `country` | string | `"United States"` |  |
| `service` | string | `"Verizon"` |  |
| `time_checked` | string | `"2026-09-29T00:47:35+00:00"` |  |
| `usual_reports` | integer or null | `56` | Typical report count in that interval when shown. |
| `downdetector_link` | string | `"https://downdetector.com/status/verizon/"` |  |
| `most_reported_problems` | array |  |  |
| `most_reported_problems[].problem` | string | `"5G Home Internet"` |  |
| `most_reported_problems[].percent_of_reports` | integer | `40` |  |
| `most_affected_locations` | array |  | Most reported locations when shown; otherwise empty. |
| `reports_last_15_minutes` | integer or null | `77` | Reports in the latest 15-minute chart interval. |

**Example input**

```json
{
  "service": "Verizon"
}
```

**Example output**

```json
{
  "status": "No current problems",
  "country": "United States",
  "service": "Verizon",
  "time_checked": "2026-09-29T00:47:35+00:00",
  "usual_reports": 56,
  "downdetector_link": "https://downdetector.com/status/verizon/",
  "most_reported_problems": [
    {
      "problem": "5G Home Internet",
      "percent_of_reports": 40
    },
    {
      "problem": "Mobile Phone",
      "percent_of_reports": 28
    },
    {
      "problem": "Broadband Internet",
      "percent_of_reports": 16
    }
  ],
  "most_affected_locations": [
    "New York City",
    "Washington",
    "Brooklyn"
  ],
  "reports_last_15_minutes": 77
}
```

## Quick start

Replace `YOUR_API_KEY` with a Fous API key. To create one, open Developers at the bottom of Fous Studio, turn on Developer mode, then go to API keys (https://app.fous.com/keys). Change the values in `input` to run the same tool on new data.

```bash
curl 'https://api.fous.com/v1/query' \
  --fail-with-body --silent --show-error --max-time 180 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data-raw '{
  "api": "@downdetector",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "check_service_status",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {
    "service": "Verizon"
  },
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}'
```

```python
# Save as fous.py and run with python3 fous.py. No packages needed.
import json
import urllib.error
import urllib.request

api_key = "YOUR_API_KEY"

body = json.loads("{\n  \"api\": \"@downdetector\",\n  \"visibility\": \"public\",\n  \"operation\": \"check_service_status\",\n  \"version\": 1,\n  \"input\": {\n    \"service\": \"Verizon\"\n  },\n  \"response\": {\n    \"format\": \"json\"\n  }\n}")
request = urllib.request.Request(
    "https://api.fous.com/v1/query",
    data=json.dumps(body).encode("utf-8"),
    headers={
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}",
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    method="POST",
)
try:
    with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=180) as response:
        result = json.load(response)
except urllib.error.HTTPError as error:
    raise RuntimeError(f"HTTP {error.code}: {error.read().decode('utf-8', errors='replace')}") from error
if result.get("success") is False:
    raise RuntimeError(result.get("error", {}).get("message", "Request failed"))
print(json.dumps(result["data"]["output"], indent=2))
```

```typescript
// Save as fous.mts and run with npx tsx fous.mts.
const apiKey = "YOUR_API_KEY";

const response = await fetch("https://api.fous.com/v1/query", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  signal: AbortSignal.timeout(180_000),
  body: JSON.stringify({
  "api": "@downdetector",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "check_service_status",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {
    "service": "Verizon"
  },
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}),
});
type ApiResult = { success: boolean; data?: { output: unknown }; error?: { message: string } };
const result: ApiResult = await response.json();
if (!response.ok || result.success === false) {
  throw new Error(result.error?.message ?? `HTTP ${response.status}`);
}
if (!result.data) throw new Error("Missing API response data");
console.log(result.data.output);
```

## Use from an AI assistant

Connect this tool to Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and any MCP client as its own MCP server. Each method is a typed tool whose arguments are the method’s input.

- Server URL: `https://api.fous.com/mcp/tools/downdetector`
- Authorization: `Authorization: Bearer <Fous API key>`

**Tools**

- `check_service_status`: Check service status. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted.
- `fous_get_run`: the result of a run that was still going, by its `request_id`. Free.

Claude Code:

```bash
claude mcp add --scope user --transport http fous-downdetector https://api.fous.com/mcp/tools/downdetector --header "Authorization: Bearer ${FOUS_API_KEY:?Set FOUS_API_KEY to your Fous API key}"
```

To give the assistant every tool, connect `https://api.fous.com/mcp`: it finds one with `fous_search_tools` and runs it with `fous_run_tool`. Setup for other clients: https://fous.com/llms-full.txt.

## Use cases

- Monitor recent reports for a service in a country
- Compare current reports with the usual report count
- Identify the most reported problem types
- Review reported locations when available

## FAQ

### Can I run it with my own inputs?

Yes. Change the inputs in Studio and press Run, or send new inputs from your code, or ask a connected AI assistant.

### Can I call this Downdetector tool as an API?

Yes. Send a POST request to /v1/query with your Fous API key and the inputs, and get JSON back.

### How much does it cost?

Each completed run costs 1 credit. Failed runs without a completed receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted. With pay as you go, a credit costs 1¢. Monthly plans cost less per credit.

### Do I need a Downdetector account?

No. You only need a Fous account.

### How current is the data?

Fous gets the data from downdetector.com when you run it. Some results are reused for up to 24 hours, and results that use your account or key are never reused. It was last verified on Sep 29, 2026.

### Is a service having problems in a country?

Use Check service status with the service name and country to see its current status and recent reports.

### What problems are people reporting?

Check service status returns the most reported problem types and their share of reports when shown.

### Which locations are most affected?

Check service status returns the most reported locations when shown.

## Related

- [Cloudflare Radar API](https://fous.com/tools/cloudflare-radar.md): Cloudflare Radar provides internet trends, domain popularity and weekly rank history only for top-100 sites, plus recent and ongoing outages with locations when identified.
- [Atlassian Statuspage API](https://fous.com/tools/atlassian-statuspage.md): Public status pages for service health, incidents, and maintenance.
- [World Health Organization API](https://fous.com/tools/world-health-organization.md): The World Health Organization provides public health information, latest outbreak reports, country health statistics with up to 10 years of history when available, and topic fact sheets.
- [DuckDuckGo API](https://fous.com/tools/duckduckgo.md): Private web search and instant answers.
- [World Bank API](https://fous.com/tools/world-bank.md): World Bank provides country statistics and latest values within selected years, plus country rankings for a chosen year or the latest broadly covered year.
- [FlixPatrol API](https://fous.com/tools/flixpatrol.md): FlixPatrol provides daily streaming rankings by service and country, plus current country rankings for titles; older dates and some daily-change or Top 10 duration figures are unavailable.
- [Similarweb API](https://fous.com/tools/similarweb.md): Similarweb provides website traffic estimates and digital market intelligence, including monthly traffic, rankings, engagement, top countries, and category and country leaders; anonymous access may limit results.
- [Argos API](https://fous.com/tools/argos.md): Argos helps shoppers find UK products with prices, ratings and links, and check delivery and nearby store collection for a postcode; stock and delivery charges may vary.
- [All Other tools](https://fous.com/tools/category/other)