Comparison guide
Make Error Handling vs External Heartbeat Monitoring
Make has useful error-handling concepts. PulseProbe adds an outside view of whether the scenario completed when expected.
Short answer
Make error handling helps when a module errors during a scenario run. External heartbeat monitoring helps when the expected final completion signal never arrives.
Last reviewed: June 10, 2026PulseProbe is not an official Make.com integration or partner.
The difference
Make error handling
External heartbeat monitoring
Handles module errors and alternate routes.
Alerts when the scenario misses an expected check-in.
Useful inside the scenario builder.
Useful as an outside completion monitor.
Can recover, retry, skip, or route errors.
Does not retry the scenario; it tells you silence happened.
Best combined approach
- 1Use Make error handlers for known module failure modes.
- 2Place a heartbeat request after the successful route or routes that matter.
- 3Set the PulseProbe interval based on the scenario schedule.
- 4Use missed alerts to investigate scenario history and error handling state.
Common mistakes
- Sending the heartbeat from an error route that should not count as success.
- Ignoring Make retries or incomplete executions when choosing a grace window.
- Using heartbeat monitoring as a replacement for scenario design.
When not to use PulseProbe
- Do not use heartbeat monitoring as the only control for safety-critical, medical, emergency, financial trading, or regulated systems.
- Do not send secrets, customer records, prompt text, API keys, or private payloads to the heartbeat URL.
- Heartbeat monitoring proves a check-in arrived. It does not inspect the quality of the workflow output.
FAQ
Can Make error handlers catch all missed runs?
No. They are most useful for errors during execution. A heartbeat monitor catches missing expected completions.
Should I put a heartbeat on an error route?
Only if that route represents an acceptable completed outcome. Usually the heartbeat belongs on the successful path.
Does PulseProbe change my scenario?
No. It receives an HTTP check-in. Your scenario logic remains inside Make.