Frequently Asked Questions

About Tessera

What is Tessera?

Tessera is a self-hosted uptime monitor for Windows. You install it on a Windows machine on your own network, and it watches your servers, websites, ports, and TLS certificates and alerts you when something goes wrong.

Is it really self-hosted? What data leaves my network?

Yes. Tessera runs entirely on your machine, and your monitoring data, dashboards, and user accounts stay on your server. The only times Tessera contacts the outside world are to validate your license (it sends your license key and a hashed machine identifier to our licensing provider) and, optionally, to check whether a newer version is available (which you can turn off in Settings). It never sends your monitoring data anywhere. See our Privacy Policy for details.

What can it monitor?

• Websites and web services over HTTP or HTTPS, optionally checking that the page contains specific text.
• Any TCP service by host and port (databases, mail servers, SSH, custom applications, and so on).
• Host reachability with Ping (ICMP).
• TLS certificate expiry on your HTTPS targets, with an early warning before a certificate expires.

What are the system requirements?

A 64-bit version of Windows 10, Windows 11, or Windows Server 2016 or later, and about 300 MB of free disk space. Everything Tessera needs is bundled, so there is nothing else to install.

Installing and using

How do I install it?

Run TesseraSetup.exe, approve the Windows prompt, choose a port for the web interface, and finish. Tessera installs as a Windows service that starts automatically. See the Getting Started guide for the full walkthrough.

How do I access the dashboard from another computer?

Use the Tessera machine's IP address and port in your browser, for example http://192.168.1.50:8080/, and allow that port through the Windows firewall. You can set which address Tessera binds to under Settings.

Can I serve the dashboard over HTTPS?

Yes. Upload a PKCS#12 (.pfx or .p12) certificate under Settings > TLS Certificate, enable HTTPS, and restart the service. Without a certificate, the dashboard is served over HTTP, which is suitable for a trusted internal network.

Can I have more than one user?

Yes. Tessera supports multiple user accounts with Admin and Viewer roles, so your team can see status while only admins change configuration.

I forgot my admin password. How do I get back in?

Tessera includes a local recovery method that does not require a password or network access. On the Tessera machine, place a small text file named reset-admin.txt in the data folder (C:\ProgramData\Tessera\data) and restart the service; Tessera resets the admin account on startup and writes a result file. Because this requires administrator access to the server itself, it is safe. Full steps are in the documentation, or email support@gettessera.io.

Licensing and billing

How does the trial work?

Tessera includes a free trial period so you can evaluate it before paying. No card is required to start the trial.

How is pricing structured?

Plans are tiered by the number of endpoints you monitor (Starter, Pro, Business, and Enterprise). Monthly and annual billing are available, with a discount for annual. See gettessera.io for current pricing.

How do I move my license to a different machine?

Each license activates on one machine at a time. Deactivate it on the old machine from the License page (or from your account), then activate it on the new machine.

How do I cancel or manage my subscription?

Manage or cancel your subscription any time through the Lemon Squeezy customer portal at app.lemonsqueezy.com/my-orders: enter the email you purchased with, open the magic link Lemon Squeezy emails you, and you can update your payment method, download invoices, or cancel. The same "manage subscription" link is in your purchase receipt. If you cancel a monthly plan it stays active until the end of the current billing period.

What happens if my subscription lapses?

Tessera is designed never to delete your data. If a subscription ends, the software provides a grace period and then limits paid features, but your configuration and history remain in place. Reactivating restores full functionality.

Do you offer refunds?

Because we offer a free trial to evaluate the software, subscription fees are non-refundable, except where required by law. Monthly plans can be cancelled any time and remain active until the end of the billing period. See our Refund Policy for details.

Who handles payment?

Payments are processed by Lemon Squeezy, our Merchant of Record, which also handles applicable sales tax and VAT.

Updates and support

How do I update Tessera?

Download the latest installer and run it over your existing installation. The installer stops the service, updates the files, and restarts it, keeping your data and settings. It also makes a backup of your data folder before upgrading.

How do I get help?

Email support@gettessera.io and we will help.