Create an Alert
Create an alert from a table in chat or from a saved Data Flow, then set the metric, condition, and who to notify.
You can create an alert from a table in a chat or from a saved Data Flow. Both paths open the same alert form, where you set the metric, the condition, when it checks, and who gets notified.
Create an Alert from Chat
- Select New alert on the Alerts page, or switch the chat composer to Create alert mode.
- Connect or choose a data source, such as Google Analytics, Search Console, or a database. Alert chats need a source that can be pulled again; uploaded files don't work.
- Ask for the data you want to watch, for example "daily sessions for the last 90 days" or "orders per day by region". You can describe the condition too, such as "tell me when signups drop below 50", but you set the actual rule in the alert form.
- Select Create alert above the composer.
- Choose the table to watch. When your latest answer produced one table, the picker suggests it. Earlier tables from the chat are listed under Earlier in this chat.
- Set the rule, check the preview, choose who to notify, and select Create alert.
When the form opens, Better Analyst first confirms it can refresh the table on its own. This can take a moment.
Ask for at least 90 days of data. The preview uses it to show how often the alert would have fired.
When a Table Can't Be Watched
If the table has no date column, or Better Analyst can't refresh it, the alert form explains why and offers Build a table to watch. The chat rebuilds that result as a dated table; then select Create alert again and choose the new table.
If the chat was moved from your personal workspace to a team, tables fetched before the move used your personal data sources. Select Fetch it again so the chat fetches the same data with the team's source, then choose the new table.
Create an Alert from a Data Flow
- Open a saved flow from Data Flows.
- Select Add alert.
- Set the rule and who to notify, then select Create alert.
The alert watches the table the flow delivers and checks after each successful run of the flow, whether the run was scheduled or started with Run now. See Data Flows.
The flow needs at least one successful run before you can add an alert. If it hasn't run yet, select Run now first. Add alert isn't available for Free one-off test deliveries, since they aren't saved flows.
The Alert Form
The form has these parts:
| Field | What it sets |
|---|---|
| Watch | The metric: a column and how to combine it (Total, Average, Minimum, Maximum, Count, or Distinct count), or Number of rows |
| Date column and Per | Which column dates each row, and whether the metric is measured per day, week, or month |
| Alert when it | The condition: crosses a threshold, changes by a percentage, changes by an amount, or has no data |
| Split by (optional) | Check each value of a column separately, such as each region or campaign |
| Only rows where (optional) | Filters that limit which rows count toward the metric |
| Name | Suggested from the rule; you can change it |
| Notify | Email, and in team workspaces, teammates and a Slack channel |
| When it checks | The check time, time zone, and how long to wait for late data |
The preview next to the form updates as you change the rule. See Conditions and preview, When alerts check, and Delivery.
If your plan doesn't include alerts, you can still set one up and see its preview. Selecting Create alert offers an upgrade. If you've reached your plan's active alert limit, pause or delete another alert first, or upgrade.