# 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/workflows/downdetector
- Handle: `@downdetector`
- Category: [Other](https://fous.com/workflows/category/other)
- Source website: https://downdetector.com
- Last verified: Sep 29, 2026
- Fous is not affiliated with Downdetector.

## Methods

### Check service status

Operation `check_service_status`, version 1. 1 credit per call.

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

Call the API with a Fous API key (`FOUS_API_KEY`). To create one, turn on Developer mode in Fous Studio, then open Keys & connections → API keys (https://app.fous.com/keys).

```bash
# First set your key: export FOUS_API_KEY='YOUR_FOUS_API_KEY'
: "${FOUS_API_KEY:?Set FOUS_API_KEY before running this example}"

curl 'https://api.fous.com/v1/query' \
  --fail-with-body --silent --show-error --max-time 120 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $FOUS_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.
# First set your key: export FOUS_API_KEY='YOUR_FOUS_API_KEY'
import json
import os
import urllib.error
import urllib.request

api_key = os.environ.get("FOUS_API_KEY")
if not api_key:
    raise RuntimeError("Set FOUS_API_KEY before running this example")

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=120) 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.
// First set your key: export FOUS_API_KEY='YOUR_FOUS_API_KEY'
const apiKey = process.env.FOUS_API_KEY;
if (!apiKey) throw new Error("Set FOUS_API_KEY before running this example");

const response = await fetch("https://api.fous.com/v1/query", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  signal: AbortSignal.timeout(120_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);
```

Or describe the data in plain language: send `{"api":"@downdetector","prompt":"Describe the data you need, with every detail"}` to the same URL. Fous fills in the input, runs the method that fits and returns only the fields you asked for; `data.route.calls[].request` is the exact call it made. Routing is free; the run costs the same.

## 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

### Is Fous affiliated with Downdetector?

No. Fous is not affiliated with Downdetector. This workflow reads the public downdetector.com website and returns its data.

### How much does it cost?

Each run costs 1 credit. 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; repeating the same request within a day may return the saved result. Fous checks this workflow automatically; it last passed a check 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/workflows/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/workflows/atlassian-statuspage.md): Public status pages for service health, incidents, and maintenance.
- [World Health Organization API](https://fous.com/workflows/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/workflows/duckduckgo.md): Private web search and instant answers.
- [World Bank API](https://fous.com/workflows/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/workflows/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/workflows/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/workflows/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 workflows](https://fous.com/workflows/category/other)