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This guide helps you diagnose and resolve common monitor issues.
For configuration guidance and webhook implementation, see Configure monitors.

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Cannot create monitor from old job

Symptom: API returns “Monitor creation is only allowed for jobs with a run window within the last 7 days.” Cause: Reference job’s end_date is more than 7 days in the past. Solution: Check your job’s end date: 
curl "https://catchall.newscatcherapi.com/catchAll/pull/{job_id}" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" | jq '.date_range.end_date'
If older than 7 days, create a new job with end_date within the last 7 days and use that as your reference.
Monitors require end_date within 7 days to avoid data gaps. The job’s start_date can be any valid range - only end_date must be recent.

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Monitor returns zero records

Symptom: Webhook shows "records_count": 0 on every execution after the first. Possible causes:
  1. Event frequency doesn’t match monitor schedule (events occur less frequently than monitor runs).
  2. Deduplication is working correctly - same events keep appearing across multiple runs.
  3. Reference job had very restrictive validators.
Troubleshooting steps:
1

Check reference job validators

Review the validators array in your reference job results:
    curl "https://catchall.newscatcherapi.com/catchAll/pull/{reference_job_id}" \
      -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" | jq .validators
Overly restrictive validators may limit results.
2

Assess event frequency vs schedule

Consider whether events matching your query occur frequently enough for your monitor schedule:
  • ✅ Good match: Daily monitor for "AI startup funding rounds over $10M" (multiple events per week)
  • ❌ Frequency mismatch: Daily monitor for "Unicorn IPOs in biotech sector" (rare events)
If events are infrequent:
  • Adjust monitor schedule (weekly instead of daily)
  • Expand geographic or industry scope
  • Lower thresholds (e.g., $5M+ instead of $50M+)
3

Check monitor execution history

List recent monitor jobs to see the pattern:
    curl "https://catchall.newscatcherapi.com/catchAll/monitors/{monitor_id}/jobs" \
      -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"
If consecutive runs return zero records, adjust event frequency or schedule.
4

Adjust query or schedule

Based on your findings:Option 1 - Adjust schedule: Change from daily to weekly/bi-weekly for rare events.Option 2 - Adjust query scope: Expand to capture more events without losing business value.Create new reference job → Create new monitor → Disable old monitor.
Monitor deduplication uses a 7-day rolling window. Zero records after the first execution often means the same events keep appearing (correct deduplication), not a problem with your query.

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Duplicate records appearing

Symptom: Same event appears multiple times in aggregated results. Expected behavior: The system automatically deduplicates records across executions. If you’re seeing duplicates, this indicates a potential issue. Troubleshooting:
  1. Check if the duplicates have different record_id values.
  2. Verify that citations differ between duplicate records.
  3. If true duplicates exist, contact support with:
    • monitor_id
    • record_id values of duplicates
    • Example records

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Webhook not firing

Symptoms:
  • No POST requests received at your endpoint.
  • Monitor shows jobs executing but no notifications.
Troubleshooting steps:
1

Check endpoint accessibility

Verify your webhook URL is publicly accessible:
curl -X POST https://your-endpoint.com/webhook \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"test": "data"}'
Should return 2xx status code.
2

Verify HTTPS

Ensure your webhook URL uses HTTPS (not HTTP):
  • ✅ https://your-endpoint.com/webhook
  • ❌ http://your-endpoint.com/webhook
3

Check firewall rules

Ensure your server’s firewall allows incoming POST requests on the webhook port.
4

Test with webhook.site

Create a temporary webhook at webhook.site and update your monitor to verify the issue is with your endpoint.
5

Review server logs

Check your server logs for:
  • Incoming requests that failed
  • Authentication errors
  • Timeout errors
For webhook implementation guidance including error handling and retry logic, see Configure monitors: Implement robust webhooks.

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Need more help?

If you encounter issues not covered in this guide:
  1. Check the Changelog for recent updates.
  2. Review Monitors overview for how monitors work.
  3. Review Configure monitors for setup and testing guidance.
  4. Contact support at support@newscatcherapi.com with:
    • monitor_id or job_id
    • Detailed description of the issue
    • Steps to reproduce
    • Expected vs. actual behavior