KPI Alert Rules Wizard Overview

There are multiple variations of Alert Wizard, the correct one will be chosen for every specific case based on where the User begins to create an Alert. This article will use the KPI Alert Creation Wizard as an example. The other wizards are very similar in design.

Security Requirement:  Power and Regular Users should have a "Create Custom Alert" Privilege assigned to them either directly or via Group Membership to be able to create KPI Alerts.

Creating a New KPI Alert Rule

Create new KPI alert rule
  1. Access the Wizard from Content > Alert Rule > KPI Alert and click [+Add KPI Alert Rule]
  2. Access the Wizard via the Metric Viewer. Click the bell icon and than [+New Rule]
Access the Wizard from +New Menu

Coming from the New menu involves choosing the Metric to which the Alert Rule should be applied.

Coming from the New menu, requires choice of an existing metric

Choose one of the following:

  1. Create a New Metric: You are going to be redirected to the Metric Editor. After the Metric is created, a similar set of wizard steps will allow you to create a KPI Alert. Reference articles:
  2. If you choose to use Existing Metric, select it from the drop-down list below

KPI Alert Wizard

1. Alert Rule Type

Select the Type of rule
  1. Choose which Type of Alert Rule you plan to create:
    • Fixed Value: This will compare the latest measurement value to a specific threshold that you set
    • Prior Value: Compare the latest measurement value to a prior value for the same metric (e.g. value from same time last year)
    • Average of prior values: Compare the latest measurement value to the average of values recorded recently
    • Target Value: Set the Alert based on how the latest measurement time compares with a target value
    • Recent Volatility Levels: Compare the latest measurement value to the standard deviations of the average of values recorded recently
    • Combination of multiple Alerts: a flexible way to customize your criteria

For detailed explanation for each option visit: Alert Comparison options

  1. Public / Private Alert: Choose whether you want to use this Alert Rule individually or other Users can subscribe to it as well.

2. Alert Criteria

This step is going to have different set of Alert criteria options depending on the Alert Rule Type selected in Step 1 (see above).

Select the Alert criteria

The process of setting the Alert criteria is similar to constructing a sentence: you choose  conditions and the values which are going to serve as a reference.

If the data values that should trigger an Alert are fetched in bulk, you might face the issue when the Alert is not triggered for the values it is supposed to. The number of latest values that can trigger an Alert is to be set in the Alert Window parameter within the Measurement Interval used for the Metric. For more information see the Update Measurement Interval Settings article.

3. Content

Select exactly what the Content of Alert will contain

You can customize the defaults for:

  1. Subject: You have an option to provide different Subject line displayed both for email and phone alerts
  2. Alert Text: The text that displays on Viewers and in emails for this Alert
  3. Send with the Alert: You can choose to add Alternative Visualization by selecting it from the drop-down list or attach Nothing
  4. Additional message is optional
  5. The Preview & Test section will display the Content as you change it - you can also trigger a Test Alert to be generated to verify spacing for the alert.

4. Default Notification Method / Alert Workflow

  1. Choose whether you want to add an Alert Workflow. To know more about Managed Alerting, refer to this section of our Help: Managed Alerting
  2. Define the default distribution method and alerting frequency for this Alert. If this Alert Rule is public and other users will be subscribing to it, they can choose their preferred delivery method and frequency.

Once the Alert is ready, you are going to be automatically subscribed to it.

Finish

NOTE: To unsubscribe from this Alert, clear the check box next to the Alert Subject.

5. Sending Options

If the User is subscribed to an Alert Rule, she can customize how and when Alert Notification will be sent to her email.

Finish

After clicking an envelope icon, the menu with two drop-down fields appears. The first one allows the User to choose how the Alert notification will be sent:

  • Email digest. All new alerts will be bundled into one digest and sent to the User's email
  • Immediately. As soon as an Alert Notification is generated, it is sent to the User via email or SMS
  • Browser only. Notifications are only displayed on the respective tile on the Homepage

The second field gives the User an opportunity to select when the notification is sent:

  • First time only. This option prevents Alert Notifications from being generated when the alert condition happens more than once in a row. The User will only receive one Alert email per measurement interval
  • Every time. The User receives an Alert Notification every time the Alert condition is satisfied

Subscribing Other Users to this Alert

1. Open Alert Rule Editor

Access Metric Viewer click the alert icon and than the gear icon

You are going to be redirected to the Alert Rule Editor.

2. Open Subscriptions & Alert Workflows Tab

You can add subscribers via:

  1. A User Map. For more details refer to: Create a User Map
  2. Adding a Group of Users. Refer to: Assigning Privileges and Permissions to the Group
  3. Individually checking users from the list. Users shown in Red may be subscribed to the Alert but will not receive Alerts until they are granted View Access to either the Metric or any associated Payload, such as a Report. Hover over the name to see exactly what element access is missing.