---
title: Starting and stopping PingGateway
description: When you start PingGateway, specify the configuration directory where PingGateway looks for configuration files.
component: pinggateway
version: 2026
page_id: pinggateway:getting-started:start-stop
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pinggateway/2026/getting-started/start-stop.html
revdate: 2025-04-01T17:53:34Z
section_ids:
  starting-default: Start PingGateway with default settings
  stopping: Stop PingGateway
---

# Starting and stopping PingGateway

## Start PingGateway with default settings

When you start PingGateway, specify the configuration directory where PingGateway looks for configuration files.

1. Start PingGateway:

   * Linux

     `/path/to/ping-gateway-2026.3.0/bin/start.sh`

   * Windows

     `C:\path\to\ping-gateway-2026.3.0\bin\start.bat`

   By default, PingGateway configuration files are located under `$HOME/.openig` on Linux, `%appdata%\OpenIG` on Windows. Learn how to use a different location in [Configuration location](../configure/configure.html#configuration-location).

2. Check that PingGateway is running in one of the following ways:

   * Check the PingGateway endpoint at `http://ig.example.com:8085/health/startup` to make sure PingGateway it returns `HTTP 200 OK`.

     If PingGateway hasn't finished starting up or is shutting down, the endpoint returns `HTTP 503 Service Unavailable`.

   * Display the product version and build information at `http://ig.example.com:8085/api/info`.

## Stop PingGateway

Use the `stop.sh` or `stop.bat` script to stop an instance of PingGateway, specifying the instance directory as an argument.

If the instance directory isn't specified, PingGateway uses the default instance directory as in these examples:

* Linux

  `/path/to/ping-gateway-2026.3.0/bin/stop.sh $HOME/.openig`

* Windows

  `C:\path\to\ping-gateway-2026.3.0\bin\stop.bat %appdata%\OpenIG`