# Load watch.poll\_file from a url?

**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/load-watch-poll-file-from-a-url/127395
**Category:** Beats
**Tags:** heartbeat
**Created:** [April 9, 2018, 10:10pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/load-watch-poll-file-from-a-url/127395 "2018-04-09T22:10:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![exwizzard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c67d28/32.png) [@exwizzard](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/exwizzard)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2018, 10:10pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/load-watch-poll-file-from-a-url/127395/1 "2018-04-09T22:10:19Z")

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I would like to dynamically add and remove hosts to be pinged via heartbeat, currently using FTP to upload a json file but I was wondering if it could be made to load a json file from a URL? Or if anyone has any better suggestion?

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### Author: ![steffens](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/steffens/32/79630_2.png) [@steffens](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/steffens)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2018, 10:24am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/load-watch-poll-file-from-a-url/127395/2 "2018-04-10T10:24:07Z")

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Heartbeat can not be driven from external URL. You would need another script to fetch your JSON file and put it in place. E.g. run you script regularly via cron.

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### Author: ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2018, 10:24am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/load-watch-poll-file-from-a-url/127395/3 "2018-05-08T10:24:18Z")

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