This Article describes how to configure alerts for SharePoint Lists and Document Libraries. In order to do this Microsoft has provided two options:
- SharePoint Rules: fastest, great for “notify me when X happens” on a list/library; limited customization, simplistic.
- Power Automate: flexible, conditional logic, higher levels of customization, more complicated
Note:
Microsoft is retiring classic SharePoint Alerts. New alert creation is blocked for all tenants beginning January 2026, and all alerts stop working in July 2026. During the transition, existing alerts auto‑expire every 30 days from October 2025.
Here is a breakdown of each option:
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Capability
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SharePoint Rules
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Power Automate
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Setup speed
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Very fast (UI in list/library)
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Fast with templates; more steps for logic
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Triggers
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New item/file, item modified; basic column/value changes (not multi‑line text)
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Full SharePoint trigger set (item/file created/modified/deleted; property‑only; selected item)
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Conditions/filters
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Basic; sentence‑style conditions; no complex logic
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Full condition builder, expressions, trigger conditions, view‑like filters
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Actions
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Email only (from no‑reply@sharepointonline.com)
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Many: Outlook/Teams/Planner, approvals, branching, loops, digests, etc.
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Email customization
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Minimal; fixed template; includes only title of the list item/document library
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Fully customizable (subject/body), dynamic tokens
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Per‑list limits
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~15 rules per list/library (practical guidance)
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Governed by Power Platform requests and connector throttling
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Good for
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“Notify me when a new item is added,” “Notify when Status = Closed”
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Conditional routing, field‑level checks, multi‑recipient paths, Teams posts, digests, approvals
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Configuring Alerts:
SharePoint Rules:
- Open your List or Document Library
- Click Automate → Rules → Create a rule
- Choose a trigger
- Configure the bolded parts:
- Click Create
- To edit later: Automate → Rules → Manage rules
Power Automate:
- Open Power Automate (Office.towson.edu) → Create → Automated cloud flow
- Name your flow: “Notify on new item” and Select trigger: When an item is created (SharePoint)
- Choose Site Address and List Name
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- (Optional) Add Condition step to filter (e.g., Status = Approved)
- Add Send an email (V2)
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- Configure Message. In Subject and Body
- Insert Dynamic Content by typing "/"
- Save and test