Create Alerts for SharePoint Documents and Libraries

Overview

SharePoint alerts allow you to receive notifications when documents, folders, lists, or library items are added, modified, or deleted.

Alerts can be sent by email and by text message (SMS).

You can create alerts for:

  • An entire document library or list
  • A specific folder
  • An individual file or document
  • A specific list item

For example, you can create an alert for a single folder and receive notifications only when changes occur within that folder, rather than for the entire library.

Alerts can be sent to an individual user, multiple users, or a group, depending on your organization's SharePoint configuration.

Create an Alert for a Specific File, Folder, or Item

  1. Open the SharePoint document library containing the file, folder, or item you want to monitor.
  2. Select the file, folder, or item.
  3. From the toolbar, select Alert Me (or ... > Alert Me, depending on your SharePoint view).
  4. In the Alert me when items change window, configure the alert settings as described in the Alert Options section below.
  5. Select OK to save the alert.

Create an Alert for an Entire Document Library

  1. Open the SharePoint document library you want to monitor.
  2. Ensure that no files or folders are selected.
  3. Select Alert Me from the toolbar.
  4. In the Alert me when items change window, configure the desired alert settings.
  5. Select OK to save the alert.

Alert Options

The following settings are available when creating an alert:

Alert Title

The title that appears in the subject line of alert notifications.

By default, SharePoint populates this field with the name of the library and item, but you can modify it to make the alert easier to identify.

Send Alerts To

Specify the user(s) who should receive the alert.

  • Enter one or more email addresses or user names.
  • Separate multiple recipients with semicolons (;).
  • Depending on your organization's configuration, you may also be able to send alerts to groups.

Delivery Method

Choose how notifications are delivered:

  • Email
  • Text Message (SMS)

Change Type

Select which types of changes trigger notifications:

  • All changes
  • New items are added
  • Existing items are modified
  • Items are deleted

Send Alerts for These Changes

Further refine when notifications are sent.

For example, you can receive alerts:

  • When any user makes a change
  • Only when someone changes an item you created
  • Only when someone changes an item you last modified

The available options may vary depending on the type of item being monitored.

When to Send Alerts

Choose how often notifications are delivered:

  • Send notification immediately – Receive an alert each time a qualifying change occurs.
  • Daily summary – Receive a single summary of changes once per day.
  • Weekly summary – Receive a single summary of changes once per week.

For daily and weekly summaries, you can choose the delivery time. Weekly summaries also allow you to select the day of the week.

Immediate notifications are useful for time-sensitive content, while daily or weekly summaries can help reduce email volume for frequently updated libraries.

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