We run joyofexploringtheworld.com with Datadog for observability. After setting up the Datadog Agent, we noticed the Apache integration was logging 404 errors every 15 seconds. Here’s why—and two ways to fix it.

The problem Link to heading

Datadog’s Apache integration polls http://localhost/server-status?auto to scrape metrics (requests per second, busy workers, etc.). The official wordpress:latest Docker image does not enable Apache’s mod_status module. So the endpoint doesn’t exist, and every poll returns 404.

Option A: Disable the Apache check Link to heading

If Traefik (or another reverse proxy) already exposes HTTP metrics via DogStatsD, the Apache-level metrics are redundant. Disable the check:

# config/datadog/conf.d/apache.d/conf.yaml
instances: []

This silences the 404 errors without losing visibility—Traefik’s DogStatsD metrics cover request rates, latency, and error codes at the proxy layer.

Option B: Enable mod_status on a separate port Link to heading

If you want Apache-level metrics (worker utilisation, scoreboard, etc.), enable mod_status on a dedicated port that is not exposed to the internet:

# config/apache/02-server-status.conf
Listen 8888

<IfModule mod_status.c>
    ExtendedStatus On
</IfModule>

<VirtualHost *:8888>
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html
    <Location /server-status>
        SetHandler server-status
        Require all granted
    </Location>
    <Directory /var/www/html>
        AllowOverride None
        Require all denied
    </Directory>
</VirtualHost>

Then point the Datadog check at port 8888:

# config/datadog/conf.d/apache.d/conf.yaml
instances:
  - apache_status_url: "http://%%host%%:8888/server-status?auto"
    tags:
      - "env:production"
      - "service:wordpress"

The VirtualHost on 8888 only exposes /server-status—all other requests are denied. Expose port 8888 in your docker-compose.yml (internally only, not to the host) and the Datadog Agent will scrape it from the Docker network.

Bake extensions into the Dockerfile Link to heading

A related lesson: we originally installed Datadog’s PHP tracer (dd-trace-php) and the phpredis extension at runtime in the container entrypoint. This caused slow starts and occasional 5xx errors. The fix was to bake them into the image:

FROM wordpress:latest

RUN curl -sSLf https://github.com/DataDog/dd-trace-php/releases/latest/download/datadog-setup.php -o /tmp/datadog-setup.php \
    && php /tmp/datadog-setup.php --php-bin=all --enable-appsec --enable-profiling 2>&1 \
    && rm -f /tmp/datadog-setup.php

RUN pecl install redis \
    && docker-php-ext-enable redis

What you can do Link to heading

  1. Check your Datadog Agent logs for Apache 404 errors.
  2. Decide: do you need Apache-level metrics, or are Traefik/proxy metrics enough?
  3. If not needed, set instances: [] in the Apache check config.
  4. If needed, add mod_status on a separate port with a locked-down VirtualHost.
  5. Bake PHP extensions into your Dockerfile instead of installing at runtime.

The full Apache config and Dockerfile are in the companion repo.

See also: Running a WordPress Travel Blog on a Budget VPS: The Full Stack | How We Sped Up Our Travel Blog

Built for a travel blog on a budget. This stack powers Joy of Exploring the World — curated travel itineraries, restaurant reviews, and destination guides. If you're planning your next trip, come explore with us.

All config files from this post are in the companion GitHub repo.