Metric alerts
Set an alert on a dashboard metric, and how it relates to Signals in Automations.
A metric alert tells you when a number on your dashboard crosses a threshold you set, such as overdue receivables rising above a limit. You create it from a dashboard you own, and it is delivered only to you.
Each metric alert is also a Signal in Automations. They aren't two copies: it is one alert that you can see and manage from either place. Pausing, editing, or deleting it in one place changes it in the other.
Create an alert
You need to be the Dashboard Owner. Viewers can't create alerts on a shared dashboard.
Start from the dashboard
Open the dashboard and select Create alert from its menu.
You can also start in Automations: select Add automation, choose Signal, then pick the dashboard and metric. The result is the same alert.
Choose the metric
Pick one of the dashboard's saved metrics. The alert uses the same definition and the same name you see on the dashboard.
Set the condition and threshold
Choose whether the alert fires when the metric goes above or below a value, then enter the threshold. Enter it in the same scale the dashboard shows. If a tile shows revenue in billions, enter the threshold in billions too.
Numbers follow your app language. In English, write 2,900,000,000 or 1.5. Input that could be read two ways is rejected rather than guessed.
The form shows the metric's current reading and recent trend with your threshold drawn on the chart, and how many recent values would have crossed it. If the current value is already past the threshold, it tells you the alert will fire right away. These are guides for picking a sensible threshold, not a forecast.
Choose where to receive it
Pick one or more channels: Email, WhatsApp, or the Dashboard itself. A channel is available only when it is ready for you. Channels and test fire explains what ready means.
There is no recipient to pick. The alert always goes to you.
Create it
Save the alert. It now appears in the dashboard's alerts and in your Automations list.
How alerts are checked
- The alert checks the same metric, with the same meaning, that the dashboard shows.
- For a metric that changes over time, the alert uses the latest complete period. A period still in progress isn't treated as complete.
- Zero is a real value and can trigger an alert. A missing or failed value never counts as zero.
- If the condition is still true after the alert's cooldown, you can be notified again. The metric doesn't have to return to normal first.
Who sees an alert
An alert belongs to the person who created it. Only you can see its settings, history, and messages, and only you receive it.
- Sharing the dashboard doesn't subscribe Viewers.
- Workspace Owners and Workspace Admins can't see or manage your alert.
- You can't add a teammate, a group, or a mailing list as a recipient.
At delivery time you still need access to the dashboard and its data. If you lose that access, the alert isn't delivered, and it is never sent to anyone else instead.
When the dashboard changes
| What happens to the dashboard | What happens to its alerts |
|---|---|
| Archived | Alerts pause. |
| Frozen | Alerts pause. |
| Deleted | Alerts stop. |
| Restored, or access returns | Alerts stay paused until you resume them yourself. |