Create and Manage Alerts

  • Updated on Jul 28, 2025
  • 3 minute(s) read
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You can set up alerts to display information to requesters based on particular words and phrases in their requests. This can help route requesters to the information they're looking for before they make requests, saving time for everyone. For example, you can set up an alert for the phrase "birth certificate" which will direct requesters to the agency responsible for birth certificates.

Who can use this feature?

Admins

Alerts

You can set an alert to be triggered by one or more words and phrases. The alert will trigger partial matches as well. For instance, "deed" would trigger an alert if the words "deed", "deeds", and "deeded" are in the request, as well as on the word "indeed."

Create an Alert

  1. Log in to the portal

  2. Click Alerts on the Admin drop-down menu The Alerts option is highlighted on the Admin drop-down menu.

  3. Click the Create Alert button The rectangular, blue Create Alert button is highlighted to the right-hand side filter options.

  4. Enter the Keywords you would like to trigger the alert, separated by a vertical bar | (usually found on the same key as \) On the Create Alert pop-up window, a text entry field is highlighted below the field's label of 'Keywords'.

    • Example: To trigger an alert for the words "birth," "death," and "certificate", enter 'birth|death|certificate'

  5. Enter the Alert text On the Create Alert pop-up window, a text editor is highlighted below the field's label of Text'.

    Note:

    This text will display below the request description if the associated keyword is detected.

  6. (Optional) Assign a category to the alert On the Create Alert pop-up window, the optional Assign Category drop-down menu is highlighted above the Save button. There is no category assigned.

    Note:

    Learn how to create alert categories

  7. Click the Save button The rectangular, blue Save button is highlighted below the Assign Category drop-down menu.

Update an Alert

  1. Log in to the portal

  2. Click Alerts on the Admin drop-down menu The Alerts option is highlighted on the Admin drop-down menu.

  3. Click the Edit button (pencil) next to the alert you want to edit The Edit button, a pencil icon, is highlighted in the Actions column.

  4. Update the Alert Keyword The Alert Keyword is highlighted in the table's Keywords column. The name is currently set to 'Budget|Coins|Currency'.

    Note:

    This is a required field, indicated by the asterisk ("*") next to the field's name.

  5. Edit the Alert Description The Category Description text editor is highlighted in the table's text column.

    Note:

    This is a required field, indicated by the asterisk ("*") next to the field's name

  6. (Optional) Update the alert's Category The Category drop-down menu is highlighted in the table's Category Assigned column.

  7. Click the Save button (green circle with a checkmark) next to the Category drop-down menu The Save button, a green circular icon with a check mark is highlighted next to the Alert's category.

Deactivate an Alert

To show deactivated alerts, click the toggle right below the search field. Deactivated alerts cannot be edited. If you need to edit a deactivated alert (for example to free up the name), first reactivate the alert, then deactivate it again when you are done editing

  1. Sign in to the portal

  2. Click Alerts on the Admin drop-down menu The Alerts option is highlighted on the Admin drop-down menu.

  3. Click the Archive button (file cabinet) next to the alert you want to disable The Archive button, a file cabinet icon, is highlighted in the table's action menu next to the alert.

  4. Click the OK button on the pop-up message that reads, Are you sure you want to archive this alert? The 'OK' button is selected on the pop-up message that reads 'Are you sure you want to archive this alert?'

Track Alert Views

NextRequest tracks every time that an alert is triggered by a requester. You can use these numbers to measure the effectiveness of your alerts and make updates as necessary.

  1. Sign in to the portal

  2. Click Alerts on the Admin drop-down menu The Alerts option is highlighted on the Admin drop-down menu.

  3. The Views column will show the number of times the alert was viewed The number '4' is highlighted in the views column.

    Note:

    Click on the column header to filter the list by the number of views.

Alert Categories

If your portal has a large number of alerts, categories will help you organize them into customizable groups. When you click on the Alerts sub-header, you'll now see two tabs, one for the alerts and one for categories.

Add a Category

  1. Sign in to the portal

  2. Click Alerts on the Admin drop-down menu The Alerts option is highlighted on the Admin drop-down menu.

  3. Click the Categories tab The Alerts' Categories tab is selected.

  4. Click the Create Category button The rectangular, blue Create Category button is highlighted to the right-hand side filter options.

  5. Create a Category Name in the Create Category pop-up window On the Create Category pop-up window, a text entry field is highlighted below the field's label of 'Name'.

  6. (Optional) Add a category Description On the Create Category pop-up window, a text editor is highlighted below the field's label of 'Description optional'.

  7. (Optional) Select alerts from the Attach Alerts drop-down menu to add them to the alert category On the Create Category pop-up window, the optional Attach Alerts drop-down menu is highlighted above the Save button. There are no alerts assigned.

  8. Click the Save button The rectangular, blue Save button is highlighted below the Attach Alerts drop-down menu.

Edit a Category

  1. Log in to the portal

  2. Click Alerts on the Admin drop-down menu The Alerts option is highlighted on the Admin drop-down menu.

  3. Click the Categories tab The Alerts' Categories tab is selected.

  4. Click the Edit button (pencil) next to the alert category you want to edit The Edit button, a pencil icon, is highlighted in the Actions column.

  5. If necessary, update the Category Name The Category's Name text field is highlighted in the table's name column. The name is currently set to 'Budget'.

    Note:

    This is a required field, indicated by the asterisk ("*") next to the field's title.

  6. (Optional) Update the Category Description The Category Description is highlighted in the table's description column. The field is currently has no displayed text.

  7. (Optional) Update the Alerts Attached to the category The Alerts Attached menu is highlighted in the table. There are no attached alerts.

    • Add an Alert to the category.

      1. Click on the Alerts Attached drop-down menu.

      2. Select an Alert to attach from the drop-down menu.

    • Remove an Alert from the category.

      1. Locate the Alert to remove in the Alerts Attached drop-down menu.

      2. Click the X in the upper-right corner of the alert's tile. The current alert listed is 'COVID|Disease'. Its 'X' button is highlighted to remove the template from the list.

  8. Click Save button The Save button, a green circular icon with a check mark is highlighted next to the attached alerts.

Delete a Category

Unlike alerts and other features in the admin panel, categories can be deleted instead of deactivated.

  1. Sign in to the portal

  2. Click Alerts on the Admin drop-down menu The Alerts option is highlighted on the Admin drop-down menu.

  3. Click the Categories tab The Alerts' Categories tab is selected.

  4. Click the Delete Category button (trash can) next to the category you want to remove The Delete Category button, a trashcan icon, is highlighted in the table's action menu next to the category.

  5. Click the rectangular OK button on the pop-up that reads, Are you sure you want to PERMANENTLY delete this category? The 'OK' button is selected on the pop-up message that reads 'Are you sure you want to PERMANENTLY delete this category?'

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