# Configuring and Managing Alerts

Last Updated On: 25 Aug 2026

## Overview

DEX Alerts help IT teams detect and respond to user-impacting device issues before they become support escalations. You can create alert profiles for built-in DEX metrics, use sensor fields as alert inputs, combine multiple conditions with criteria patterns, and customize alert notifications for the people who need to act on them.

Use DEX Alerts when you want to:

- Monitor built-in performance and experience metrics such as CPU, memory, storage, battery, and similar endpoint health signals
- Trigger alerts from sensor fields that collect custom device data
- Define advanced multi-condition logic with criteria patterns such as **(1 AND 2)** or **((1 AND 2) OR 3)**
- Customize notification subjects and message content with alert variables
- Draft and refine alert profiles with Zia by using natural language prompts

**Note:** Alert Profiles currently support Windows devices in the live Alerts console.

## How Alerts Work

The alert lifecycle typically follows these steps:

1. Create an alert profile and define one or more alert conditions.
2. Select the metric or sensor field to evaluate and configure the threshold, aggregation, and evaluation window.
3. If the profile uses multiple conditions, define the criteria pattern that controls how those conditions are evaluated together.
4. Configure how often the profile is evaluated and how alert notifications should be handled.
5. Deploy the alert profile to the required devices.
6. When the configured criteria are met, DEX generates an alert and notifies the configured recipients.

## Create an Alert Profile

To create a new alert profile:

1. Go to **DEX > Alerts**.
2. Open the **Alert Profiles** tab.
3. Click **Create Alert Profile**.
4. Enter a profile name and, if required, add a description.
5. Add one or more alert conditions.
6. Configure the trigger behavior, monitoring interval, cool off period, priority, and notification settings.
7. Save the profile and deploy it to the required devices.

![Create alert profile builder](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/dex/dex-alerts-create-alert-profile-20260824.png)

## Metrics and Sensor Fields

Each alert condition starts with a metric selection. DEX Alerts support both built-in metrics and sensor fields.

- **Built-in metrics** are the standard DEX metrics available in the alert builder.
- **Sensor Fields** let you use values collected by sensors as alert inputs.

To use a sensor field in an alert:

1. Create the required sensor and deploy it so the field begins returning values.
2. Open the alert profile builder and add a condition.
3. Open the metric picker and expand **Sensor Fields**.
4. Select the required field and define the evaluation rule.

See [Sensors](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/dex/custom-data-collector.html) for the sensor creation workflow.

**Note:** If the value you want to monitor is not available in the predefined alert variables, create a sensor from within the **Alerts** screen, deploy it, and then use the returned field under **Sensor Fields** in the alert condition builder.

![Sensor fields in the alert metric picker](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/dex/dex-alerts-sensor-fields-picker-20260824.png)

## Criteria Patterns

When you add more than one condition to an alert profile, you can define how those conditions are evaluated together by using a criteria pattern.

Common examples include:

- **(1 AND 2)** to trigger only when both conditions are true
- **(1 OR 2)** to trigger when either condition is true
- **((1 AND 2) OR 3)** to mix strict and fallback conditions in a single alert profile

Use parentheses whenever you want to control precedence across more complex rules.

## Alert Trigger Behavior

After defining the alert conditions, configure when the alert should be raised.

- Use the alert category and trigger options to decide whether the profile should notify for individual device events or only when a defined number of endpoints meet the criteria.
- Set the **Monitoring Interval** to control how often DEX evaluates the alert profile.
- Set the **Cool Off Period** to reduce noisy repeat notifications after an alert is generated.
- Choose the required priority so teams can triage alerts correctly.

## Notifications and Actions

You can enable notifications directly from the alert profile and define the recipients who should receive them.

Use **Recustomize** in the notification section to edit the notification subject and body. While editing the notification template, type **$** or use the Variables panel to insert supported alert variables.

To use a variable:

1. Open an alert profile and enable notifications.
2. Click **Recustomize** in the notification section.
3. Edit the subject or message body.
4. Type **$** or choose a value from the Variables panel.
5. Save the notification template and then save the alert profile.

![Previewing alert variables in a notification email](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/dex/dex-alerts-notification-preview-20260824.png)

### Example Template

Example subject:

**$alert.priority$ - $alert.name$ detected in $device.name$**

Example message body:

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Device Name | $device.name$ |
| Remote Office | $device.remoteoffice$ |
| Logged on Users | $device.userloggedon$ |
| Domain Name | $device.domainname$ |
| Alert Profile Name | $alert.name$ |
| Alert Priority | $alert.priority$ |
| Alert Triggered Time | $alert.triggeredtime$ |
| Alert Criteria | $alert.criteria$ |

## Alerts with Zia

Zia can help you draft alert profiles by converting a natural language request into alert conditions and profile settings.

A typical flow is:

1. Open Zia from the DEX module or from the alert creation flow.
2. Describe the alert you want to create. For example, ask Zia to monitor a built-in metric, a sensor field, or a multi-condition rule.
3. Review the generated draft and confirm the metric selection, thresholds, criteria pattern, and priority.
4. Refine the draft further if required before saving the alert profile.

### Example: Create a Boot Performance Alert with Zia

This example shows a complete Zia-assisted alert authoring flow for a built-in alert profile.

1. Open **DEX > Alerts > Alert Profiles** and launch **Ask Zia**.
2. Enter a prompt that describes the boot performance issue you want to monitor.
3. Review the generated draft and apply it to open the populated alert profile form.
4. Validate the thresholds, monitoring interval, cool off period, and priority before saving.

![Opening Ask Zia from the Alert Profiles view](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/dex/alerts_ask_zia_alert_profiles_start.webp)

![Zia generated a boot performance alert profile](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/dex/alerts_ask_zia_generated_boot_performance_alert.webp)

![Boot Performance Degradation alert profile generated from Zia](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/dex/alerts_create_alert_profile_boot_performance_degradation.webp)

### Sample Prompts

- Create an alert profile to monitor low battery health
- Create an alert profile to monitor high CPU or memory usage
- Create an alert profile to monitor slow boot time with too many startup apps
- Create an alert profile to monitor devices with low disk space
- Create an alert profile to monitor poor network latency and packet loss

### If the Required Alert Variable Is Unavailable

If the alert profile you want to create is not available in the predefined alert variables, create a sensor for that value from within the **Alerts** screen and then use the new sensor field in the alert profile.

1. Start the alert flow in Zia or in the regular alert profile builder.
2. If the requested value is unavailable, create a sensor for that value and deploy it to the required devices.
3. Return to the alert profile, open the metric picker, expand **Sensor Fields**, and select the new field.
4. Complete the remaining thresholds and save the profile.

![Zia suggesting a sensor when the alert value is unavailable](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/dex/alerts_ask_zia_battery_sensor_suggestion.webp)

![Criteria pattern in an alert profile](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/dex/dex-alerts-criteria-pattern-20260824.png)

![Creating a Battery Temperature Monitor sensor](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/dex/alerts_create_sensor_battery_temperature_monitor.webp)

![Using the new sensor field in the alert metric picker](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/dex/alerts_metric_picker_battery_temperature_sensor.webp)

Use [Ask Zia](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/dex/ask-zia.html) for additional Zia examples and prompt ideas.

## Deploy Alert Profiles

After saving an alert profile, deploy it to the devices that should be monitored. Deployment activates the monitoring logic on the target devices, allowing DEX to start evaluating the configured rules.

Before deployment, confirm that the selected devices are reporting the required built-in metric data or sensor field values.

Alert Profiles can also be used to trigger workflow deployments automatically. To set this up, enable the workflow's deployment trigger, map the required alert profile, and then deploy the workflow in Trigger mode. For the complete steps, see [Run a Workflow Automatically on an Alert (Enable Deployment Trigger)](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/dex/managing-workflows.html#enable-deployment-trigger).

## View Generated Alerts

Generated alerts are available from the Alerts view. Use this view to:

- Review the affected device and alert priority
- Understand which metric, sensor field, or combined criteria triggered the alert
- Track when the alert was generated
- Investigate the impacted endpoints and start remediation actions

## FAQ

### Can I use sensor data in an alert profile?

Yes. Sensor fields can be selected from the metric picker after the relevant sensor has been created, deployed, and starts returning values.

### Can I mix built-in metrics and sensor fields in the same profile?

Yes. You can create multi-condition profiles that combine built-in DEX metrics with sensor field based conditions and then control the evaluation with a criteria pattern.

### Can I customize alert emails?

Yes. Use the notification customization dialog to edit the subject and body and insert supported alert variables.

### Does Zia save the profile automatically?

No. Zia helps draft and refine the profile, but you should review the generated configuration before saving it.