In this post we will look at how you can set up alerts in SharePoint and how you can manage user alerts as a site owner or administrator.
Alerts allow you to stay up-to-date when things change in SharePoint. Once enabled, you will receive notifications based on the options you have specified and the delivery cadence.
Setting up alerts for document libraries
- Navigate to the document library in which you want to set up the alert
- Press the ellipsis > Alert me
- The alert me window will open, in here you can configure your alert with the following properties:
- Alert Title: Enter the title for this alert. This is included in the subject of the notification sent for this alert.
- Send Alerts To: You can enter user names or e-mail addresses. Separate them with semicolons.
- Delivery Method: Specify how you want the alerts delivered.
- Change Type: Specify the type of change you wish to be alerted to: all changes, new items added, existing items modified or items deleted.
- Send Alerts for These Changes: Specify whether to filter alerts based on specific criteria. You may also restrict your alerts to only include items that show in a particular view.
- When to Send Alerts: Specify whether to send alerts immediately, daily or weekly on a specific day/ time.
- Press OK. Your alert will now be saved.
Setting up alerts for specific files/ folders
As with document libraries, you can also set up alerts on individual files or folders. The steps to create an alert are the same as the above, but you first need to select the file or folder you wish to be alerted on:
💡 Note: You can’t select more than one file/ folder at a time to set alerts on a group
Managing your alerts on document libaries
As well as being able to set up alerts on document libraries, files or folders, you can also modify or delete them:
- Navigate to the document library in which you want to maanage an alert for
- Press the ellipsis > manage my alerts
In the my alerts on this site section, all your alerts will be listed.
- To edit an alert, click on the alert title
- Here you can customise all aspects of the alert, as if you were creating a new one
- To delete an alert, tick the box next to the alert title
- Press Delete Selected Alerts
Setting up alerts/ rules on lists
Alerts or rules – what’s the difference?
Alerts are primarily for receiving notifications about changes, while rules are for automating actions based on conditions. Both features help streamline workflows and keep users informed. Alerts work the same for both document libraries and lists, whereas rules are only available in lists.
Option #1: Alerts
- Navigate to the list in which you want to set up the alert
- Press the ellipsis > Alert me
- Alert Title: Enter the title for this alert. This is included in the subject of the notification sent for this alert.
- Send Alerts To: You can enter user names or e-mail addresses. Separate them with semicolons.
- Delivery Method: Specify how you want the alerts delivered.
- Change Type: Specify the type of change you wish to be alerted to: all changes, new items added, existing items modified or items deleted.
- Send Alerts for These Changes: Specify whether to filter alerts based on specific criteria. You may also restrict your alerts to only include items that show in a particular view.
- When to Send Alerts: Specify whether to send alerts immediately, daily or weekly on a specific day/ time.
- Press OK. Your alert will now be saved.
Alerts can also be set on individual list items too. The steps to create an alert are the same as the above, but you first need to select the item you wish to be alerted on. You can’t select more than one item at a time to set alerts on a group.
Option #2: Rules
- Navigate to the list in which you want to set up the rule
- Select Automate > Rules > Create a rule
- Select a condition that will trigger the rule. This can be when data changes in a column, a new item is created or an item is deleted
Data in a column changes
- Select a column to use to start the rule actions
- Choose a condition based on the column selected. The parameters of the condition will changed based on the column type (for example: choice column changes to anything, and contains or does not contain)
- Enter a name or email address to send the rule notification to once triggered. You can also select assigned to, created by, modified by or me.
A new item is created
- Enter a name or email address to send the rule notification to once triggered. You can also select assigned to, created by, modified by or me.
An item is deleted
- Enter a name or email address to send the rule notification to once triggered. You can also select assigned to, created by, modified by or me.
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