# Notification Settings: A Complete Guide to Smart Alerts

## Introduction

The Notification Settings page is the core of TendersAlerts — this is where you control exactly which tenders reach you and which don't. Instead of manually tracking hundreds of tenders, you define precise filters and let the platform deliver matching opportunities to your inbox automatically.

## What is the Notification Settings Page?

This page lets you create **multiple alert preference groups**, each defining:

- **Platform**: The government platform to monitor (Etimad, Forsa...)
- **Activity, Region, Agency**: Sector and geographic scope
- **Keywords**: Include or exclude specific terms
- **Alert Type**: New tenders, reactivations, or award announcements
- **Delivery Method**: Detailed (per tender) or daily digest

## Creating a Notification

Click **"Add New Alert Preferences"** in the toolbar. The following form will appear:

## Form Fields in Detail

### Platform

Select the government platform to source tenders from. This choice affects which filters are available — some platforms don't support region or agency filters.

### Email Notifications

Controls **how** alerts are delivered:

- **Detailed Notifications**: A separate email for each new tender matching your preferences — ideal for immediate monitoring
- **Daily Digest**: One email per day summarizing all new matching tenders — ideal for those who prefer a consolidated review

### Activity

Select the tender activity or sector (e.g., IT, Construction, Healthcare). Sub-activities can be selected from the advanced options after choosing a main activity.

Leave empty to receive tenders from all activities:

### Region

Limit alerts to a specific geographic region. Specific cities can then be selected from the advanced options.

Leave empty to receive alerts from all regions:

### Issuing Agency

Supports selecting **one or more agencies** simultaneously — very useful when targeting a specific ministry or authority.

Leave empty to receive tenders from all agencies:

> **Important**: At least **one** of Activity, Region, or Agency must be filled — they cannot all be left empty. Any combination of the three can be set to narrow the scope.



## Notification Types

One of the most powerful features of advanced notifications is the ability to specify **when** you want to be alerted. You can select **one, two, or all three** types simultaneously — at least one must always be selected:

### New Tenders

Get alerted as soon as a new tender matching your preferences is published. This is the essential option recommended for everyone.

### Reactivation

Some tenders close and then reopen. This option notifies you when they do — useful if you missed the first opportunity. Can be enabled alongside New Tenders at the same time.

### Awarding

Get notified when an award decision is announced for any tender matching your preferences — useful for monitoring competitors and tracking market outcomes.

### Enabling All Three Together

You can enable all three types at once for full lifecycle coverage — publication, reopening, and awarding.

> **Important**: At least one type must be selected — the notification cannot be saved with none checked.



## Advanced Options

Clicking "Show Advanced Options" reveals three additional fields: **Sub-Activities**, **Cities**, and **Keywords**.

### Sub-Activities

This field only appears **after** selecting a main activity and enabling advanced options. It allows you to select **multiple sub-activities** within the main activity to narrow your alerts with greater precision.

> Leave sub-activities empty to receive alerts for all sub-activities within the selected main activity.



### Cities

This field only appears **after** selecting a region and enabling advanced options. It allows you to select **multiple cities** within the region to focus on a more specific geographic scope.

> Leave cities empty to receive tenders from all cities within the selected region.



### Include & Exclude Keywords

- **Include Keywords**: A tender will only reach you if its title or description contains **at least one** of these words. Example: add "maintenance" and "networks" to only receive IT maintenance and networking tenders.
- **Exclude Keywords**: Any tender containing one of these words **will not reach you**, even if it matches all other filters. Example: add "cleaning" to exclude janitorial tenders from your results.

**Tip**: You can import a pre-prepared keyword list from a file or copy them with one click. See [Advanced Search](/en/knowledge/advanced-search) for more on keyword matching logic.

## The Targeting Indicator

On the right side of the form, a meter shows the **quality of your targeting** based on the number of expected tenders with your current filters:

StatusMeaning**Too Narrow**Filters are too restrictive — almost no tenders will reach you. Broaden keywords or remove filters**Good Targeting**Perfect balance — relevant tenders will reach you without overwhelming you**Too Wide**Filters are too open — you'll receive very high volumes that may not be relevantAlways monitor this indicator while adjusting filters before saving.

## The Notifications Table

After creating your notification groups, they appear in a table showing for each row:

- **Actions**: Edit settings or share with another user
- **Filters**: Selected agency, activity, and region
- **Keywords**: Include and exclude keywords
- **Email Notification Type**: Detailed or daily digest, with a quick toggle

You can activate and deactivate any notification group directly from the table without editing it.

## Sharing Notifications

You can share any notification group with another user on your team using the **Share** button (share icon) in the actions column. See [Sharing Tenders](/en/knowledge/tender-sharing) for more.

## Practical Examples

### Example 1: Track IT Tenders in Riyadh

**Goal**: Get alerts for network and computer maintenance tenders in Riyadh

**Steps**:

- Click "Add New Alert Preferences"
- Select Platform: Etimad
- Select Activity: Information Technology
- Select Region: Riyadh
- Enable "Detailed Notifications"
- Click "Show Advanced Options"
- Add to Include: "maintenance", "networks", "computer"
- Check the indicator — confirm "Good Targeting" appears
- Click "Save and Activate"

### Example 2: Monitor a Competitor's Awards

**Goal**: Know when a competitor wins tenders in your sector

**Steps**:

- Create a new preference for the same activity and region
- In Notification Types, enable **Awarding** only
- Optionally: select the specific agency you're targeting
- Save and use the daily digest instead of detailed to bundle awards together

### Example 3: Broad Alert for a Consultant Covering Multiple Sectors

**Goal**: Track consulting tenders across all regions

**Steps**:

- Create a preference with Activity: "Consulting Services" — leave Region and Agency empty
- Enable both Detailed and Daily Digest
- Don't add keywords to receive everything in this activity
- Check the indicator — it will show Wide, which is acceptable for full coverage

## Tips for Effective Use

### 1. Create Multiple Groups, Not One Complex One

Instead of one notification group with complex filters, create specialized groups — one per activity or region. This gives you independent control to enable/disable each sector separately.

### 2. Use Daily Digest for Broad Sectors

If your sector produces many tenders daily, use the daily digest to bundle them into one email rather than flooding your inbox.

### 3. Test Keywords in [Advanced Search](/en/knowledge/advanced-search) First

Before adding keywords to your alert, test them in the [Tenders Table](/en/knowledge/tenders-data) using Advanced Search to see exactly which tenders they will match.

### 4. Watch the Targeting Indicator

Good targeting means you'll get valuable, relevant alerts. Too wide means many emails you won't benefit from.

### 5. Enable Reactivation for Important Tenders

If you missed a tender, enable the Reactivation option in your alert to be notified if it reopens.

## Integration with Other Features

- **[Advanced Search](/en/knowledge/advanced-search)**: Test your keywords here before adding them to an alert
- **[Filters](/en/knowledge/listing-filters)**: The same activity, region, and agency filter logic applies here
- **[Tenders Table](/en/knowledge/tenders-data)**: Your matched tenders appear in "Your Tenders" once alerts are active
- **[Sharing](/en/knowledge/tender-sharing)**: Share notification preferences with your team

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How many notification groups can I create?

This depends on your subscription plan. Paid plans allow more groups.

### Can I pause a notification without deleting it?

Yes, from the main table you can toggle off "Detailed Notifications" or "Daily Digest" for any row directly without opening the edit form.

### Why am I not receiving alerts despite my settings?

Check: (1) the toggle is enabled in the table, (2) include keywords aren't too narrow — review the targeting indicator, (3) your email address is verified.

### Can I import keywords from a file?

Yes, the "Import" button in the keywords section allows uploading a pre-prepared keyword list.

### What's the difference between Detailed and Daily Digest?

**Detailed**: An immediate email for each tender — ideal for real-time tracking.
**Daily Digest**: One morning email summarizing yesterday's tenders — ideal for those who check email once a day.

## Conclusion

Notification Settings in TendersAlerts give you:

- **Precise alerts** — only the tenders that matter to you
- **Full flexibility** to define activity, region, agency, and keywords
- **Timing control** through new, reactivation, and awarding options
- **A smart indicator** to help calibrate your settings before saving

