Cargo has no public status page.
Platform incidents reach clients before you.
Cargo manages SSL and CDN delivery for custom domains transparently — which means agencies have no direct visibility into what breaks and when. A Cargo platform incident or a client DNS change that breaks the CNAME delegation surfaces only when a client notices the portfolio failing. Design agencies get the call, not the alert.
No credit card for the trial. Cancel any time.
- Check cadence (Agency)
- 5 min
- SSL pre-expiry alert
- 30 days
- Vendors watched
- 11
- Independent DNS resolvers
- 3
Where Cargo agencies get caught out
Three failure modes specific to Cargo creative portfolios.
Cargo handles most of the technical configuration for design agencies — but that abstraction creates infrastructure blind spots. The failures that surface are real: expired domains, broken CNAME configurations, and platform incidents that hit multiple client portfolios simultaneously.
Platform status opacity
No public status page means Cargo incidents reach clients first
Cargo does not maintain a public status page with real-time incident reporting. When Cargo's CDN degrades or a platform incident affects delivery of portfolio sites, design agencies have no upstream signal. Each client's portfolio looks like an isolated failure until enough clients call to suggest a pattern. External monitoring provides the upstream context that Cargo's platform doesn't.
CNAME drift after registrar transfer
Custom domain CNAME to Cargo CDN breaks silently during transfers
Cargo custom domains use a CNAME record pointing to its CDN infrastructure. When clients transfer their domain to a new registrar — typically for cost savings or to consolidate domains — the CNAME records need to be manually recreated in the new DNS provider. This step is frequently missed. The portfolio site continues loading from cache while the underlying DNS is broken, then fails completely once the TTL expires.
Domain expiry on client-controlled registrars
Client domains expire without the agency knowing
Design agencies often build portfolios on client-owned domains where the registrar account and renewal are controlled by the client's IT team or billing contact. Domain expiry registrar notices go to those contacts, not the agency. When a domain expires, the Cargo site disappears completely — and the first notification the agency receives is the client call.
How it works
Set up once per client. Watch every Cargo portfolio from there.
Merlonix is designed for creative agencies managing client portfolios across different platforms — one account covering every domain with a single alert flow that only fires when something needs attention.
01
Add Cargo client portfolio domains
Verify ownership with a DNS TXT record — works for any custom domain connected to a Cargo portfolio. One verification per domain establishes the monitoring baseline. Takes under two minutes per client.
02
SSL chain and certificate expiry monitored continuously
Merlonix validates the full certificate chain on every check interval — expiry date, issuer, chain completeness, and domain match. A 30-day expiry alert fires with enough runway to resolve Cargo custom domain issues before the browser warning reaches the client's audience.
03
CNAME integrity and domain expiry tracked
Three independent DNS resolvers verify the expected CNAME to the Cargo CDN on every check interval. When a client DNS migration breaks the delegation, the alert fires within minutes. Domain expiry is tracked separately — a 30-day alert fires before a client-controlled domain lapses.
04
Cargo platform status alongside per-domain alerts
Cargo platform status is monitored and surfaced in your alert feed separately from per-portfolio alerts. When a Cargo infrastructure incident is responsible for multiple portfolios failing, you identify the upstream cause immediately — rather than diagnosing each portfolio independently.
What the numbers mean for Cargo agencies
Monitoring that covers the Cargo-specific failure surface.
Creative agencies managing Cargo portfolios focus on design quality, not infrastructure monitoring. You shouldn't have to watch for platform incidents or DNS drift manually. Merlonix is built around that constraint — minimal setup per client, maximum signal per alert.
30 days
SSL and domain expiry warning lead time — enough runway to resolve Cargo CNAME issues or prompt clients to renew their domain before it lapses
< 10 min
Time from DNS change to alert — catches CNAME drift after registrar transfers before the Cargo CDN loses the delegation completely
11 vendors
Upstream services monitored — including creative portfolio platform status for agencies managing client portfolios
200 assets
Maximum monitored domains on the Agency plan — enough for a full Cargo creative agency client roster
Pricing
Flat monthly fee. Every client portfolio domain included.
No per-domain charges. No per-alert fees. Pick the tier that fits your client count and grow without billing surprises.
Starter
For independent designers watching a handful of Cargo portfolio clients.
$29/ month
- 10 monitored assets
- 1 seat
- 15-min check cadence
- SSL + DNS + vendor monitoring
- Email + Slack alerts
Team
For creative studios managing multiple Cargo client portfolios.
$79/ month
- 50 monitored assets
- 5 seats
- 10-min check cadence
- SSL + DNS + vendor monitoring
- Email + Slack alerts
Agency
For agencies with a full roster of Cargo creative portfolio clients.
$199/ month
- 200 monitored assets
- 15 seats
- 5-min check cadence
- SSL + DNS + vendor monitoring
- Email + Slack alerts
Stop finding out from clients.
Add your first Cargo client portfolio domain in under two minutes. The first SSL or DNS alert tells you whether monitoring was worth it — usually within the first week. 14-day trial, no card required.