Create an alert or subscribe to an RSS Feed

Do you want to know when your team creates a new document or when someone changes a document that you created? You can choose from several different ways to stay updated on changes.

In this article

Overview

Create an alert for a list or library

Create an alert for a folder, file, or list item

Subscribe to an RSS Feed for a list or library

Subscribe to an RSS Feed for a view

Overview

If you want to stay up-to-date on changes to documents and list items, you have two options. You can receive updates as e-mail alerts, if your site is set up to send alerts, or as RSS Feeds, if you have access to an RSS reader.

Both alerts and RSS Feeds inform you about updates, and both allow you to customize how much information you receive. They differ in how you receive the updates.

Alerts come in e-mail, at the interval you specify, and let you know when specific items change. For example, if you want to know each time someone adds new files to a library, you can create an alert for yourself or even for a co-worker.

RSS Feeds come at periodic intervals, and appear in an RSS reader, where you might already manage subscriptions to other types of information, such as news. There are several types of readers, including stand-alone readers, some browsers, and some e-mail programs.

Alerts

Alerts can be set up for different types of information, so that you can learn about the changes you are most interested in. You can set up an alert for a list, library, folder, file, or list item. For example, you can set up an alert for a folder in a library, without receiving alerts when changes occur to the rest of the library.

You can set up alerts for different types of changes, ranging from every single change to only changes that occur to the files you created. Alerts appear as messages in your e-mail inbox.

RSS Feeds

RSS Feeds appear in an RSS reader with updates and subscriptions from other sites. RSS is a technology that enables you to receive updates in a standardized format from several sites at once.

You can view and subscribe to RSS Feeds for a list or library, or even a view where you have filtered the information or customized the columns.

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Create an alert for a list or library

1. If the list or library is not already open, click its name on the Quick Launch.

   If the name of your list or library does not appear, click View All Site Content, and then click the name of your list or library.

2. On the Actions menu , click Alert Me.

3. On the New Alert page, in the Alert Title section, change the title for the alert if you want.

   The title appears in the subject line of the alert e-mail message and is also used for managing alerts.

4. In the Send Alerts To section, verify that your contact information is correct.

   Tip: If you have permission to manage alerts, you can also create an alert for another person by typing his or her information into the Users box.

5. If the Change Type section is available, choose the types of changes that you want to be notified about. For example, you can receive alerts about all changes or only when items are deleted.

6. In the Send Alerts for These Changes section, specify whether you want to be alerted for all types of changes, or for specific changes, such as when anything changes or only when someone changes an item that you created or recently changed.

7. In the When to Send Alerts section, choose how frequently you want to receive the alerts, such as immediately or in a daily or weekly summary, and at what days or times.

8. Click OK.

Note: Depending on how your site and servers are set up, the person you created an alert for may receive an e-mail message that confirms that you created an alert. The alert e-mail message may provide links to the list or library, alert settings, the name of the person who created the alert, a mobile view, and other information and commands.

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Create an alert for a folder, file, or list item

1. If the list or library is not already open, click its name on the Quick Launch.

   If the name of your list or library does not appear, click View All Site Content, and then click the name of your list or library.

2. Point to the item for which you want to create an alert, click the arrow that appears, and then click Alert Me.

   In some views, such as a view of items in a calendar, you may need to click the item, and then click Alert Me.

3. On the New Alert page, in the Alert Title section, change the title for the alert if you want.

   The title appears in the subject line of the alert e-mail message and is also used for managing alerts.

4. In the Send Alerts To section verify that your contact information is correct.

   Tip: If you have permission to manage alerts, you can create an alert for another person by typing his or her information into the Users box.

5. If the Change Type section is available, choose the types of changes that you want to be notified about. For example, you can receive alerts about all changes or only when items are deleted.

6. In the Send Alerts for These Changes section, specify whether you want to be alerted for all types of changes, or for specific changes, such as when anything changes or only when someone changes an item that you created or recently changed.

7. In the When to Send Alerts section, choose how frequently you want to receive the alerts, such as immediately or in a daily or weekly summary, and at what days or times.

8. Click OK.

Note: Depending on how your site and servers are set up, the person you created an alert for may receive an e-mail message that confirms that you created an alert. The alert e-mail message may provide links to the list or library, alert settings, the name of the person who created the alert, a mobile view, and other information and commands.

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Subscribe to an RSS Feed for a list or library

Note: Depending on your browser or how your system is set up, this procedure may not be available or the steps may differ. For more information, see your site owner or administrator.

1. If the list or library is not already open, click its name on the Quick Launch.

   If the name of your list or library does not appear, click View All Site Content, and then click the name of your list or library.

   Tip: If your Web browser enables you to subscribe to a view, an RSS toolbar button may become enabled at this point. If so, you may be able to click it to subscribe directly to the list or library. If this feature is not available in your browser, then you can follow the steps in the rest of this procedure.

2. On the Actions menu , click View RSS Feed.

   The Feed appears in a browser window.

3. On the page that appears, follow the instructions for how to subscribe to the Feed. For example, you be may see the text Subscribe to this feed.

4. Follow any additional instructions in your RSS reader, browser, or e-mail program.

Note: If subscribing to the feed by using the subscription link doesn't work for your reader, follow the instructions in your RSS reader to copy and paste the URL of the feed into your reader.

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Subscribe to an RSS Feed for a view

If you have permission to modify a view, you can subscribe to an RSS Feed for a particular view. This enables you to receive updates on changes that occur to information that appears only in that view.

Some Web browsers enable you to subscribe to a view by clicking an RSS button in the browser toolbar.

1. If the list or library is not already open, click its name on the Quick Launch.

   If the name of your list or library does not appear, click View All Site Content, and then click the name of your list or library.

2. Open the view that you want to subscribe to.

   Tip: If your Web browser enables you to subscribe to a view, an RSS toolbar button may become enabled at this point. If so, you may be able to click it to subscribe directly to the view. If this feature is not available, then you can follow the steps in the rest of this procedure.

3. On the View menu , click Modify this View.

   Note: If Modify this View does not appear on the View menu, you do not have permission to edit the view and therefore you cannot use this method to subscribe to the RSS Feed of the view. Try subscribing to the view from the Actions menu or from a Web browser.

4. In the Name section, click the RSS button .

5. On the page that appears, click Subscribe to this feed.

6. Follow any additional instructions in your RSS reader, browser, or e-mail program.

Note: If subscribing to the feed by using the subscription link doesn't work for your reader, follow the instructions in your RSS reader to copy and paste the URL of the feed into your reader.

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