# Status API

This API provides insight into the inner workings of consensus. The metrics are useful for monitoring node health and setting up [alerts](broken://pages/8h0xt8Fi1Pwmz2DL3o3v#monitoring).

## Enabling the Status API

Enable the status API by appending the [`http`](broken://pages/8h0xt8Fi1Pwmz2DL3o3v#http) and [`status`](broken://pages/8h0xt8Fi1Pwmz2DL3o3v#status) module flags to your node's startup command:

```bash
sequencer [options] -- http -- status [-- other modules...]
```

## Public Access

The API is served over HTTP on the port configured via `ESPRESSO_SEQUENCER_API_PORT`. Node operators should ensure this port is reachable from the internet so the Espresso team can monitor overall network health and identify nodes that may need attention.

To verify the API is accessible, replace the URL below with your node's public IP or domain name and run from an external machine:

```bash
# Direct access over HTTP (replace 8080 with your ESPRESSO_SEQUENCER_API_PORT):
curl http://203.0.113.10:8080/status/metrics

# If you have a reverse proxy with TLS (recommended for production):
curl https://my-espresso-node.example.com/status/metrics
```

You should see Prometheus-formatted metrics:

```
# HELP ...
# TYPE ...
...
```

{% hint style="info" %}
The node serves plain HTTP. For production deployments we recommend setting up HTTPS via a [reverse proxy](broken://pages/8h0xt8Fi1Pwmz2DL3o3v#http).
{% endhint %}

## Monitoring Recommendations

### Node Version

The `consensus_version` metric reports the image tag and git revision your node is running:

```
consensus_version{desc="20260312",rev="c71063750783484374a5d879da9d320feb32ec80",...} 1
```

Verify the `desc` label is at least the latest recommended image tag from the [running a mainnet node](broken://pages/ZUQO3uzXSoBmoxnEBt5D) guide.

### Timeouts as Leader

The `consensus_number_of_timeouts_as_leader` metric tracks views where your node was the leader but failed to propose a block. Every jump in this counter means a missed proposal and warrants investigation.

### Proposal Participation

Operators should also monitor their node's participation rate via the participation endpoints of another query node, for example the Espresso-hosted query service. These endpoints return per-epoch statistics:

```
curl https://query.main.net.espresso.network/v1/node/current-proposal-participation
curl https://query.main.net.espresso.network/v1/node/previous-proposal-participation
```

The response is a map of BLS public keys to participation scores. Look up your node's [staking public key](broken://pages/8h0xt8Fi1Pwmz2DL3o3v#private-keys). A healthy node should have a value very close to `1.0`. Values below `0.95` warrant investigation and reaching out to the Espresso team.

A temporary dip lasting up to one epoch is expected if a node was offline or recently restarted (\~40,000 blocks / \~1 day on mainnet, \~3,000 blocks on decaf).

## Endpoints

### GET `/status/block-height`

The last known block height of the chain.

#### Returns `integer`

### GET `/status/success-rate`

The fraction of views since genesis that resulted in a successful block. This equals the block height divided by the number of views completed.

#### Returns `float`

### GET `/status/time-since-last-decide`

The elapsed time, in seconds, since consensus last decided on a block. Useful to alert when consensus is stalled or this node has been disconnected from consensus.

#### Returns `integer`

### GET `/status/metrics`

Exposes all metrics recorded by consensus in Prometheus format.


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.espressosys.com/network/developer/espresso-api/status-api.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.