Failover Delivery
Also known as: redundant delivery, delivery failover
What is it?
Failover delivery is a safety arrangement where, if the main path used to send you a signal fails for any reason, the system automatically routes that signal through a backup path instead, so the message is not simply lost. The word failover describes the act of switching over when something fails, much like a building that automatically turns on a backup generator the moment the main power supply cuts out, so the lights stay on. In signal delivery, the equivalent is having more than one route to reach you and the intelligence to switch routes when one stops working.
This matters because no single delivery path is perfect: an internet connection can briefly drop, a service can go offline, or a web address can stop responding. If you depend on just one channel and it fails at the wrong moment, you could miss signals during a live session without even knowing it. Failover keeps signals flowing through a backup, for example retrying a failed delivery and also sending the same signal as a push notification, so an outage on one path does not leave you blind.
Two practical points are worth knowing. First, having several channels does not automatically mean you have true failover; if all of them secretly rely on the same single upstream point, then when that point fails, every channel fails together. Second, a backup path you have never tested often does not actually work when you finally need it, so it is wise to occasionally simulate an outage and confirm the failover really kicks in.
Why it matters: Single channels fail - APIs go down, networks blip - and failover keeps signals flowing so an outage does not blind you mid-session.
Failover protects against missed signals during outages but does not change normal-path latency.
Real-world example
If the primary webhook endpoint times out, the signal is retried and also sent via push so you still see it.
How SignalBots handles it
SignalBots' multi-pillar delivery means a problem on one channel does not stop the signal reaching you on another.
Pro tip
Test your failover deliberately by simulating an outage; a backup path you have never exercised often does not work when it matters.
Common pitfalls
Assuming redundancy exists because there are multiple channels, when in fact they all depend on one upstream point of failure.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need failover for signals?
If missing a signal would be costly to you, yes. A backup path ensures that an outage on one channel does not leave you blind during a live trading session.
Does having several channels mean I already have failover?
Not necessarily. If all your channels secretly depend on the same single point upstream, they can all fail together. True failover needs genuinely independent backup paths.
How can I check my failover actually works?
Test it deliberately by simulating an outage on the main path and confirming the backup takes over. A backup never tested often does not work when it is finally needed.
Does failover make my signals slower?
No. Failover only activates when the main path fails. On a normal day it sits in the background, so your usual delivery speed is unchanged until a problem occurs.
What is a backup channel usually?
It is simply a second, independent route, such as a push notification or chat alert that takes over if the primary one fails, so the same signal still reaches you.