diff --git a/check.py b/check.py
index 61b46b1..62349ec 100755
--- a/check.py
+++ b/check.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import html
 import os
 import re
 import smtplib
+import sys
 import warnings
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from datetime import date
@@ -22,6 +23,8 @@ from urllib3.util.url import parse_url
 
 from conference import LiveConference, config, load_yaml
 
+IS_TTY = sys.stdout.isatty()
+
 
 class AbsoluteDNSAdapter(HTTPAdapter):
     """A custom adapter for requests to ensure hostnames are treated as absolute."""
@@ -105,9 +108,17 @@ not_here_list = [
     "This page doesn't currently exist",
     "ERROR 503 - Service Unavailable",
     "ERROR 503",
+    "503 Service Unavailable",
     "401 Authorization Required",
     "Authorization Required",
     "used Cloudflare to restrict access",
+    "Error 1014",
+    "CNAME Cross-User Banned",
+    "looks like there's no page here",
+    "404 page can’t be found either",
+    "503 self-signed certificate",
+    "504 Gateway Timeout",
+    "<h2>Pages</h2>",
 ]
 
 
@@ -205,6 +216,12 @@ class Conference:
 
         self.response = r
 
+        if r.url.endswith("404.html") or r.url.endswith("404.htm"):
+            return (False, "URL ends with 404.html/404.htm", r.url)
+
+        if not r.text:
+            return (False, "empty response", r.url)
+
         not_here = find_not_here_message(r.text)
         if (
             len(r.text) < 2048
@@ -228,10 +245,17 @@ class Conference:
     def check_web_site(self) -> bool:
         """Check if an individual web site is live."""
         assert "{year}" in self.src_url or "{two_digit_year}" in self.src_url
+        if IS_TTY:
+            print(f"Checking {self.name} {self.year}: {self.url}")
         live, msg, redirect_to_url = self.check()
         if not live:
+            if IS_TTY:
+                print(f"  Not live: {msg}")
             return False
 
+        if IS_TTY:
+            print(f"  Live! Title: {msg}")
+
         og = "".join(f"\n{key}: {value}" for key, value in self.og_tags().items())
 
         if og:
@@ -247,6 +271,8 @@ class Conference:
 
         body += f"Web page title: {msg}{og}" ""
         send_mail(f"Conference site live: {self.name} - {self.year}", body)
+        if IS_TTY:
+            print(f"  Email sent")
 
         return True
 
@@ -304,6 +330,7 @@ def find_new_conference_web_sites(
 
 class NoAliasDumper(yaml.SafeDumper):
     """Dumper that disables YAML anchors and aliases."""
+
     def ignore_aliases(self, data):
         """Skip alias generation."""
         return True  # disables anchors and aliases
@@ -311,10 +338,19 @@ class NoAliasDumper(yaml.SafeDumper):
 
 def main(show_not_live: bool = False) -> None:
     """Check fow new conference web sites."""
+    if IS_TTY:
+        print("Loading existing live conferences...")
     live: list[LiveConference] = load_yaml("live")
+    if IS_TTY:
+        print(f"Found {len(live)} existing live conferences")
+        print("\nChecking for new conference websites...")
     if not (new := find_new_conference_web_sites(date.today(), live)):
+        if IS_TTY:
+            print("\nNo new conference websites found")
         return
 
+    if IS_TTY:
+        print(f"\n{len(new)} new conference(s) found! Updating live.yaml...")
     live_filename = os.path.expanduser(config["data"]["live"])
     with open(live_filename, "w") as out:
         yaml.dump(
@@ -325,6 +361,8 @@ def main(show_not_live: bool = False) -> None:
             allow_unicode=True,
             default_flow_style=False,
         )
+    if IS_TTY:
+        print(f"Updated {live_filename}")
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":