Transition from SharePoint Alerts to Modern SharePoint Rules
For many organizations, SharePoint Alerts are a staple tool for keeping teams informed about changes to documents and lists. As SharePoint continues to evolve as a modern content management and collaboration platform, so too do the ways in which it enables teams to stay up to date.
Microsoft’s decision to retire classic SharePoint Alerts marks an important milestone, ushering in new flexibility and control with the introduction of Rules. In this post, we’ll explore what SharePoint Alerts offered, why they’re being retired, and how Rules—especially with the enhancements available in SharePoint Premium—offer a robust replacement for real-time notifications.
Retirement of SharePoint Alerts
SharePoint Alerts were a handy feature that kept you in the loop about changes in your documents, libraries, and lists. Whenever something was added, modified, or deleted, you'd get a notification via email or SMS. This was great for staying updated, but Alerts had their limitations. They were basic and didn't offer much in the way of tailored automation.
SharePoint Alerts configuration with the “Classic” SharePoint look and feel
Microsoft is saying goodbye to SharePoint Alerts as part of their efforts to modernize the platform. The goal is to simplify things and encourage all users to adopt more powerful tools. Here are a few reasons why Alerts are being retired:
Modernization: Alerts were built on older infrastructure and don't integrate well with the new SharePoint experiences.
Limited Functionality: They lack the advanced triggers and actions that modern businesses need.
Redundancy: There are other notification systems and workflow tools that do the same job, but better.
Security & Compliance: Modern solutions are better equipped to meet today's security and regulatory requirements.
The new Rules feature in SharePoint is a fantastic replacement. It's more customizable, scalable, and offers real-time notifications configured in seconds.
Introducing Rules: The Modern Replacement
Rules are SharePoint’s new way of allowing users to automate notifications and actions based on activity within lists and document libraries. Unlike the classic Alerts, Rules offer a modern user experience, integrated directly into the SharePoint interface and can easily be configured and managed by any user with permissions.
An example of configuring the new Rules feature.
Example of an email notification. Note: you can configure text to add to the body
What can you do with Rules in SharePoint?
Alert the team when a new file is added: Instantly notify an individual or team when someone uploads a document to a library. Great for keeping everyone informed about new resources or contributions.
Monitor specific metadata changes: Trigger notifications when predefined metadata fields are updated—such as changes in project status, priority level, or document owner. This enables precise tracking and immediate response to critical updates.
Receive alerts when a file is deleted: Set up a rule to notify the team or stakeholders if a file is removed, supporting compliance and data protection efforts.
Get reminders as a date approaches: Use rules to send alerts when key dates are near—like contract renewals, review deadlines, or scheduled meetings. This is especially valuable for time-sensitive projects and recurring tasks.
Example of configuring a date based rule - these options were not possible with Classic Alerts previously
Rules are designed to be easy to configure, with an intuitive UI and a no-code interface that empowers end users. You can quickly set up a new rule by selecting a trigger and defining the action—often in just a few clicks. This democratizes configuration and automation, making it accessible beyond IT and power users.
Deep Dive: How SharePoint Rules are an Improvement over Alerts
Let’s take a closer look at some of the ways Rules enhance the notification and automation experience in SharePoint:
1. Flexible Triggers and Actions
Unlike the rigid options of classic Alerts, Rules allow you to specify triggers based on almost any event in a document library or list, including:
Creation of new items or documents.
Modifications to existing items, with the ability to target specific columns or fields.
Deletion of content.
Date-based triggers, such as when a due date is approaching or has been reached.
Actions are equally flexible, ranging from sending email, notification, copying or moving a file, setting a value. Rules can be created with a conditional if statement or always upon the trigger. For example, we can always get an alert when a new file is added, or we could conditionally get an alert when a new file is created and the Created By value is not Me (Jeff Dunbar).
2. Teamwide and Group Notifications
Previously, Alerts were generally configured on an individual basis. Rules, however, make it easy to notify entire teams or Microsoft 365 Groups. This ensures that everyone who needs to be in the loop receives timely updates.
3. Modern, Intuitive UI
Setting up or managing Rules no longer requires navigating legacy menus or clunky interfaces. The new Rules experience is fully integrated into SharePoint’s modern UI, with guided steps and real-time previews.
Unlocking More with SharePoint Premium (Formerly Microsoft Syntex)
SharePoint Premium includes content processing rules allowing for three advanced options:
Move or copy a file
Set a content type
Translate a file
Move or Copy a file will allow you to route documents effortlessly to a new location when a new file is created or a certain condition is met. This only requires you to set the rule and the destination site and library.
Set a content type when a new file is added. Simply set the content type based on a predefined condition.
Create a translated copy of a document automatically. This means if someone adds a file to a document library, the rule can be setup to automatically translate it and move it to the appropriate place. Very useful in a multi-lingual environment or organizations!
SharePoint Premium includes a processing rule to automatically create a translated copy of a file.
Timeline
When are the old SharePoint Alerts going away? This is Microsoft’s timeline for phasing out classic SharePoint Alerts (current as of this writing):
From July 2025: The creation of new SharePoint Alerts will be gradually turned off for new tenants.
From September 2025: The creation of new SharePoint Alerts will be gradually turned off for all tenants.
From October 2025: Existing SharePoint Alerts will gradually expire. SharePoint Alerts will have a validity of 30 days, then will expire. Users can self-service re-enable expired SharePoint Alerts and extend their expiration for another 30 days.
From July 2026: Microsoft will remove the ability to use SharePoint Alerts; existing SharePoint Alerts cannot be extended anymore and will not work.
Learn more: SharePoint Alerts retirement - Microsoft Support
Transition Tips: Moving from Alerts to Rules
Audit Existing Alerts: Identify where classic Alerts are in use and map them to equivalent (or improved) Rules.
Train Your Users: Make sure team members are aware of the new experience, and provide guidance or documentation as needed.
Explore Premium Features: If your organization has access to SharePoint Premium, investigate the new capabilities and consider how AI and advanced automation can support your business goals.
Ready to move to Rules?
The retirement of SharePoint Alerts marks a significant moment in the platform’s evolution. While the old system served its purpose, the new Rules feature offers greater flexibility, power, and modernization. By adopting Rules, organizations ensure their teams remain informed, responsive, and connected, all while leveraging the very latest in Microsoft’s collaboration technology.
Start transitioning today! Review your current alerts and explore what Rules can do for your team, and as always, reach out to us for advice.
