Introduction

In Spring Boot 2, the health endpoint is part of Spring Boot Actuator, and its default web mapping is usually /actuator/health. That answer is simple, but it depends on Actuator being on the classpath and the endpoint being exposed over HTTP.

So the real question is not just “what is the path?” It is also “is the endpoint enabled and exposed in my application configuration?” Spring Boot 2 separates endpoint availability from endpoint exposure.

The Default Path

With Spring Boot 2 Actuator on the classpath, the default management base path is /actuator, and the health endpoint under that base path is:

/actuator/health

A typical dependency setup in Maven looks like this:

1<dependency>
2    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
3    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-actuator</artifactId>
4</dependency>

Once Actuator is present, the health endpoint exists, but HTTP visibility still depends on exposure rules.

Exposure Matters

In Spring Boot 2, not every actuator endpoint is exposed over web by default. If you want to expose more endpoints, configure them explicitly.

management.endpoints.web.exposure.include=health,info

The health endpoint is commonly exposed, but it is still a good habit to check your application configuration rather than assuming every environment uses the same defaults.

Changing the Base Path

If you change the management base path, the health URL changes with it.

management.endpoints.web.base-path=/manage

Now the health endpoint becomes:

/manage/health

This is a common source of confusion when developers expect /actuator/health but the app has customized the management path.

Health Details and Security

By default, health details may be restricted depending on the configuration and whether the caller is authorized. A basic unauthenticated response often contains only the overall status.

For example:

{"status":"UP"}

If you want more detail, you may need configuration such as:

management.endpoint.health.show-details=always

Whether that is appropriate depends on your security posture. Detailed health output can reveal internal dependencies and should be exposed deliberately.

Typical Built-In Health Contributors

Spring Boot Actuator can include health information from components such as:

• disk space
• database connections
• Redis
• MongoDB
• other auto-configured infrastructure beans

The exact details depend on what is on the classpath and configured in the application.

That is why two Spring Boot apps can both expose /actuator/health but show different component-level entries.

Why This Endpoint Is Important

The health endpoint is often used by:

• load balancers
• orchestrators such as Kubernetes
• uptime monitors
• operational dashboards

That makes its path and response behavior operationally important, not just convenient for developers.

If an environment expects /actuator/health and your app actually serves /manage/health, your readiness checks may fail even though the application itself is fine.

Common Pitfalls

A common mistake is assuming that adding Actuator automatically makes every management endpoint visible over HTTP. Exposure is configurable.

Another mistake is forgetting that a customized management base path changes the health URL.

Developers also sometimes expose detailed health information publicly when only a simple status should have been visible.

Finally, do not confuse endpoint existence with endpoint accessibility. Security configuration, exposure settings, and base-path changes all affect what clients can actually call.

Summary

• In Spring Boot 2, the default health endpoint mapping is usually /actuator/health.
• This depends on Spring Boot Actuator being on the classpath and the endpoint being exposed.
• Changing management.endpoints.web.base-path changes the URL.
• Health details and visibility are configurable and should be treated as security-sensitive.
• Always verify the effective endpoint path in the running environment instead of assuming the default was preserved.