---
title: "Health Checks"
description: "| Endpoint | Use Case | Purpose | |----------|----------|---------| | `/health/liveliness` | **Container liveness probes** | Basic alive check - use for container restart decisions | | `/health/readiness` | **Load balancer health checks** | Ready to accept traffic - includes DB connection status | | `/health` | **Model health monitoring** | Comprehensive LLM model health - makes actual API calls |"
type: skill
canonical_url: https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com/skills/health
source: "Claudary"
difficulty: intermediate
author: "Claude Code Knowledge Pack"
date: 2026-07-10T11:25:09.937Z
license: CC-BY-4.0
attribution: "Health Checks — Claudary (https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com/skills/health)"
---

# Health Checks
| Endpoint | Use Case | Purpose | |----------|----------|---------| | `/health/liveliness` | **Container liveness probes** | Basic alive check - use for container restart decisions | | `/health/readiness` | **Load balancer health checks** | Ready to accept traffic - includes DB connection status | | `/health` | **Model health monitoring** | Comprehensive LLM model health - makes actual API calls |

## Overview

# Health Checks
Use this to health check all LLMs defined in your config.yaml

## When to Use Each Endpoint

| Endpoint | Use Case | Purpose |
|----------|----------|---------|
| `/health/liveliness` | **Container liveness probes** | Basic alive check - use for container restart decisions |
| `/health/readiness` | **Load balancer health checks** | Ready to accept traffic - includes DB connection status |
| `/health` | **Model health monitoring** | Comprehensive LLM model health - makes actual API calls |
| `/health/services` | **Service debugging** | Check specific integrations (datadog, langfuse, etc.) |
| `/health/shared-status` | **Multi-pod coordination** | Monitor shared health check state across pods |

## Summary 

The proxy exposes: 
* a /health endpoint which returns the health of the LLM APIs  
* a /health/readiness endpoint for returning if the proxy is ready to accept requests 
* a /health/liveliness endpoint for returning if the proxy is alive
* a /health/shared-status endpoint for monitoring shared health check coordination across pods

## Shared Health Check State

When running multiple LiteLLM proxy pods, you can enable shared health check state to coordinate health checks across pods and avoid duplicate API calls. This is especially beneficial for expensive models like Gemini 2.5-pro.

**Key Benefits:**
- Reduces duplicate health checks across pods
- Saves costs on expensive model API calls
- Reduces monitoring noise and logging
- Improves resource efficiency

**Requirements:**
- Redis for shared state coordination
- Background health checks enabled
- Multiple proxy pods

For detailed configuration and usage, see [Shared Health Check State](./shared_health_check.md). 

## `/health`
#### Request
Make a GET Request to `/health` on the proxy 

:::info
**This endpoint makes an LLM API call to each model to check if it is healthy.**
:::

```shell
curl --location 'http://0.0.0.0:4000/health' -H "Authorization: Bearer sk-1234"
```

You can also run `litellm -health` it makes a `get` request to `http://0.0.0.0:4000/health` for you
```
litellm --health
```
#### Response
```shell
{
    "healthy_endpoints": [
        {
            "model": "azure/gpt-35-turbo",
            "api_base": "https://my-endpoint-canada-berri992.openai.azure.com/"
        },
        {
            "model": "azure/gpt-35-turbo",
            "api_base": "https://my-endpoint-europe-berri-992.openai.azure.com/"
        }
    ],
    "unhealthy_endpoints": [
        {
            "model": "azure/gpt-35-turbo",
            "api_base": "https://openai-france-1234.openai.azure.com/"
        }
    ]
}
```

### Embedding Models 

To run embedding health checks, specify the mode as "embedding" in your config for the relevant model.

```yaml
model_list:
  - model_name: azure-embedding-model
    litellm_params:
      model: azure/azure-embedding-model
      api_base: os.environ/AZURE_API_BASE
      api_key: os.environ/AZURE_API_KEY
      api_version: "2023-07-01-preview"
    model_info:
      mode: embedding # 👈 ADD THIS
```

### Image Generation Models 

To run image generation health checks, specify the mode as "image_generation" in your config for the relevant model.

```yaml
model_list:
  - model_name: dall-e-3
    litellm_params:
      model: azure/dall-e-3
      api_base: os.environ/AZURE_API_BASE
      api_key: os.environ/AZURE_API_KEY
      api_version: "2023-07-01-preview"
    model_info:
      mode: image_generation # 👈 ADD THIS
```

#### Custom Health Check Prompt

By default, health checks use the prompt `"test from litellm"`. You can customize this prompt globally by setting an environment variable, or per-model via config:

```bash
DEFAULT_HEALTH_CHECK_PROMPT="this is a test prompt"
```

### Text Completion Models 


To run `/completions` health checks, specify the mode as "completion" in your config for the relevant model.

```yaml
model_list:
  - model_name: azure-text-completion
    litellm_params:
      model: azure/text-davinci-003
      api_base: os.environ/AZURE_API_BASE
      api_key: os.environ/AZURE_API_KEY
      api_version: "2023-07-01-preview"
    model_info:
      mode: completion # 👈 ADD THIS
```

### Speech to Text Models 

```yaml
model_list:
  - model_name: whisper
    litellm_params:
      model: whisper-1
      api_key: os.environ/OPENAI_API_KEY
    model_info:
      mode: audio_transcription
```


### Text to Speech Models 

```yaml
# OpenAI Text to Speech Models
  - model_name: tts
    litellm_params:
      model: openai/tts-1
      api_key: "os.environ/OPENAI_API_KEY"
    model_info:
      mode: audio_speech
      health_check_voice: alloy
```

You can specify a `health_check_voice` if you need to use a voice other than "alloy".

### Rerank Models 

To run rerank health checks, specify the mode as "rerank" in your config for the relevant model.

```yaml
model_list:
  - model_name: rerank-english-v3.0
    litellm_params:
      model: cohere/rerank-english-v3.0
      api_key: os.environ/COHERE_API_KEY
    model_info:
      mode: rerank
```

### Batch Models (Azure Only)

For Azure models deployed as 'batch' models, set `mode: batch`. 

```yaml
model_list:
  - model_name: "batch-gpt-4o-mini"
    litellm_params:
      model: "azure/batch-gpt-4o-mini"
      api_key: os.environ/AZURE_API_KEY
      api_base: os.environ/AZURE_API_BASE
    model_info:
      mode: batch
```

Expected Response 


```bash
{
    "healthy_endpoints": [
        {
            "api_base": "https://...",
            "model": "azure/gpt-4o-mini",
            "x-ms-region": "East US"
        }
    ],
    "unhealthy_endpoints": [],
    "healthy_count": 1,
    "unhealthy_count": 0
}
```

### Realtime Models 

To run realtime health checks, specify the mode as "realtime" in your config for the relevant model.

```yaml
model_list:
  - model_name: openai/gpt-4o-realtime-audio
    litellm_params:
      model: openai/gpt-4o-realtime-audio
      api_key: os.environ/OPENAI_API_KEY
    model_info:
      mode: realtime
```

### OCR Models 

To run OCR health checks, specify the mode as "ocr" in your config for the relevant model.

```yaml
model_list:
  - model_name: mistral/mistral-ocr-latest
    litellm_params:
      model: mistral/mistral-ocr-latest
      api_key: os.environ/MISTRAL_API_KEY
    model_info:
      mode: ocr
```

### Wildcard Routes

For wildcard routes, you can specify a `health_check_model` in your config.yaml. This model will be used for health checks for that wildcard route.

In this example, when running a health check for `openai/*`, the health check will make a `/chat/completions` request to `openai/gpt-4o-mini`.

```yaml
model_list:
  - model_name: openai/*
    litellm_params:
      model:  openai/*
      api_key: os.environ/OPENAI_API_KEY
    model_info:
      health_check_model: openai/gpt-4o-mini
  - model_name: anthropic/*
    litellm_params:
      model: anthropic/*
      api_key: os.environ/ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
    model_info:
      health_check_model: anthropic/claude-3-5-sonnet-20240620
```

## Background Health Checks 

You can enable model health checks being run in the background, to prevent each model from being queried too frequently via `/health`. 

:::info

**This makes an LLM API call to each model to check if it is healthy.**

:::

Here's how to use it: 
1. in the config.yaml add:
```
general_settings: 
  background_health_checks: True # enable background health checks
 health_check_interval: 300 # frequency of background health checks
```

2. Start server 
```
$ litellm /path/to/config.yaml
```

3. Query health endpoint: 
```
 curl --location 'http://0.0.0.0:4000/health'
```

### Disable Background Health Checks For Specific Models

Use this if you want to disable background health checks for specific models.

If `background_health_checks` is enabled you can skip individual models by
setting `disable_background_health_check: true` in the model's `model_info`.

```yaml
model_list:
  - model_name: openai/gpt-4o
    litellm_params:
      model: openai/gpt-4o
      api_key: os.environ/OPENAI_API_KEY
    model_info:
      disable_background_health_check: true
```

### Hide details

The health check response contains details like endpoint URLs, error messages,
and other LiteLLM params. While this is useful for debugging, it can be
problematic when exposing the proxy server to a broad audience.

You can hide these details by setting the `health_check_details` setting to `False`.

```yaml
general_settings: 
  health_check_details: False
```

## Health Check Driven Routing

Route traffic away from unhealthy deployments proactively — before user requests hit them. Supports per-error-type failure thresholds, transient error suppression, and automatic safety nets.

See the full guide: [Health Check Driven Routing](./health_check_routing.md)

## Health Check Timeout

The health check timeout is set in `litellm/constants.py` and defaults to 60 seconds.

This can be overridden in the config.yaml by setting `health_check_timeout` in the model_info section.

```yaml
model_list:
  - model_name: openai/gpt-4o
    litellm_params:
      model: openai/gpt-4o
      api_key: os.environ/OPENAI_API_KEY
    model_info:
      health_check_timeout: 10 # 👈 OVERRIDE HEALTH CHECK TIMEOUT
```

## Health Check Max Tokens

By default, health checks use `max_tokens=5` to balance reliability with low cost and latency. For wildcard models, the default is `max_tokens=10`.

You can override this per-model by setting `health_check_max_tokens` in the `model_info` section of your config.yaml.

```yaml
model_list:
  - model_name: openai/gpt-4o
    litellm_params:
      model: openai/gpt-4o
      api_key: os.environ/OPENAI_API_KEY
    model_info:
      health_check_max_tokens: 5 # 👈 OVERRIDE HEALTH CHECK MAX TOKENS
```

### Reasoning vs non-reasoning defaults

Reasoning models (per `supports_reasoning` in the model map) often need a higher health-check `max_tokens` because providers count reasoning tokens toward the completion budget. You can set **separate** limits without listing every model:

**Per deployment (`model_info`)** — used when `health_check_max_tokens` is not set. Ignored for wildcard routes (`*` in `litellm_params.model`, i.e. the deployment model string; not `health_check_model`).

```yaml
model_list:
  - model_name: openai-stack
    litellm_params:
      model: openai/gpt-5-nano
      api_key: os.environ/OPENAI_API_KEY
    model_info:
      health_check_max_tokens_reasoning: 128
      health_check_max_tokens_non_reasoning: 1
```

**Global (environment)**:

- `BACKGROUND_HEALTH_CHECK_MAX_TOKENS_REASONING` — for non-wildcard reasoning models, this value takes precedence when set
- `BACKGROUND_HEALTH_CHECK_MAX_TOKENS` — global fallback for all models (including wildcard routes)

If neither is set, non-wildcard models default to `5` and wildcard routes omit `max_tokens`.

## `/health/readiness`

Unprotected endpoint for checking if proxy is ready to accept requests

Example Request: 

```bash
curl http://0.0.0.0:4000/health/readiness
```

Example Response:  

```json
{
  "status": "connected",
  "db": "connected",
  "cache": null,
  "litellm_version": "1.40.21",
  "success_callbacks": [
    "langfuse",
    "_PROXY_track_cost_callback",
    "response_taking_too_long_callback",
    "_PROXY_MaxParallelRequestsHandler",
    "_PROXY_MaxBudgetLimiter",
    "_PROXY_CacheControlCheck",
    "ServiceLogging"
  ],
  "last_updated": "2024-07-10T18:59:10.616968"
}
```

If the proxy is not connected to a database, then the `"db"` field will be `"Not
connected"` instead of `"connected"` and the `"last_updated"` field will not be present.

## `/health/liveliness`

Unprotected endpoint for checking if proxy is alive


Example Request: 

```
curl -X 'GET' \\
  'http://0.0.0.0:4000/health/liveliness' \\
  -H 'accept: application/json'
```

Example Response: 

```json
"I'm alive!"
```

## `/health/services`

Use this admin-only endpoint to check if a connected service (datadog/slack/langfuse/etc.) is healthy.

```bash
curl -L -X GET 'http://0.0.0.0:4000/health/services?service=datadog'     -H 'Authorization: Bearer sk-1234'
```

[**API Reference**](https://litellm-api.up.railway.app/#/health/health_services_endpoint_health_services_get)


## Advanced - Call specific models 

To check health of specific models, here's how to call them: 

### 1. Get model id via `/model/info` 

```bash
curl -X GET 'http://0.0.0.0:4000/v1/model/info' \\
--header 'Authorization: Bearer sk-1234' \\
```

**Expected Response**

```bash
{
    "model_name": "bedrock-anthropic-claude-3",
    "litellm_params": {
        "model": "anthropic.claude-3-sonnet-20240229-v1:0"
    },
    "model_info": {
        "id": "634b87c444..", # 👈 UNIQUE MODEL ID
}
```

### 2. Call specific model via `/chat/completions` 

```bash
curl -X POST 'http://localhost:4000/chat/completions' \\
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \\
-H 'Authorization: Bearer sk-1234' \\
-D '{
  "model": "634b87c444.." # 👈 UNIQUE MODEL ID
  "messages": [
    {
      "role": "user",
      "content": "ping"
    }
  ],
}
'
```

---

Source: [Claudary](https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com/skills/health) · https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com