How to Use Document Alerts in Workalizer
Document Alerts in Workalizer let you get notified when specific actions happen on important Google Drive documents—such as edits, copies, downloads, sharing, or publishing. You define which documents to monitor and which triggers to use; then you review triggered alerts in the Document Alerts Table and spot trends in the Alerts Summary Chart. This guide covers what Document Alerts are, who they are for, use cases (financial, project, client, and other sensitive docs), how to configure and manage them, and how to use the alerts view.
Who Benefits
- Compliance and Security teams: To monitor access to sensitive or regulated documents and keep an auditable record of who did what and when.
- Managers and Project Leads: To stay informed about changes to key project or client deliverables without watching every file manually.
- Finance and Legal: To track activity on financial reports, contracts, and other high-impact documents.
- Admins: To configure alert rules, manage exceptions (e.g. exclude document owner), and review alert volume and patterns.
What Are Document Alerts?
Document Alerts are configurable rules that trigger when certain actions occur on chosen Drive documents. You decide:
- Which documents to monitor (e.g. by title, ID, or selection).
- Which actions to watch: edit, copy, download, share, and publish.
- Exceptions (e.g. do not alert when the document owner performs the action).
When a user performs one of the monitored actions on a monitored document, Workalizer records an alert. You then review alerts in the Document Alerts area (/doc-alerts/): the Document Alerts Table lists each triggered event with details, and the Alerts Summary Chart shows alert counts over time so you can spot trends and peaks.
Use Cases for Document Alerts
Document Alerts are useful whenever you need oversight on specific files or categories of documents. Typical use cases include:
Financial Documents
Monitor budgets, forecasts, financial reports, and payroll-related files so that edits, downloads, or sharing are visible. Use alerts to:
- See when financial documents are modified or exported.
- Detect unexpected sharing or downloads before or after close periods.
- Support audit trails for finance and external auditors.
Project and Deliverable Documents
Track activity on project plans, statements of work, deliverables, and key project docs so project and delivery leads stay informed without opening every file. Use alerts to:
- Know when critical project documents are edited or shared.
- Follow collaboration and handoffs on high-visibility projects.
- Spot unauthorized or off-process changes early.
Client and Partner Documents
Watch client-facing proposals, contracts, and partner agreements to protect confidentiality and ensure only appropriate sharing. Use alerts to:
- See when client or partner docs are shared externally or downloaded.
- Maintain accountability on who accessed or changed what.
- Support client and contractual compliance requirements.
Confidential, Legal, and HR Documents
Monitor confidential memos, legal agreements, HR policies, and personal data–related files to support privacy and compliance. Use alerts to:
- Track access and changes to sensitive or restricted content.
- Investigate incidents (e.g. unexpected sharing or downloads).
- Build an auditable record for legal or HR reviews.
Board, Executive, and Strategy Documents
Keep oversight on board packs, exec summaries, and strategy decks so that distribution and edits are visible. Use alerts to:
- Know when high-level materials are edited, copied, or shared.
- Balance transparency with control over who sees strategic content.
IP and Proprietary Content
Protect product specs, designs, and proprietary templates by alerting on copy, download, or share. Use alerts to:
- Detect potential leakage or off-policy use of IP.
- Support IP and confidentiality policies with concrete event data.
How to Access and What You’ll See
Go to /doc-alerts/. You’ll see two main areas:
- Document Alerts Configuration (config tab): Create and manage alert rules. You define which documents and which actions (edit, copy, download, share, publish) trigger an alert, and set exceptions (e.g. exclude document owner). Rules can be enabled, disabled, edited, or deleted.
- Document Alerts (alerts tab): Document Alerts Table—search, filter, and review each triggered alert (who, what document, what action, when). Alerts Summary Chart—bar chart of alert count by time period; filter by document title/ID, trigger type, and period to see trends and peak activity.
Configuring a Document Alert
In the Document Alerts Configuration section, use the option to add or edit an alert. In the configuration modal you can:
- Choose which documents the rule applies to (e.g. by document title or ID, or by selecting specific files).
- Select triggers: Edit, Copy, Download, Share, Publish—one or more per rule.
- Set exceptions: For example, exclude the document owner so that normal editing by the owner does not generate alerts.
Save the configuration; from then on, matching actions on matching documents will create alerts that appear in the Document Alerts Table and feed into the Alerts Summary Chart. You can disable a rule without deleting it, or delete it when it’s no longer needed.
Using the Document Alerts Table and Summary Chart
Document Alerts Table: Lists all triggered alerts. Use search and filters to find events by document, user, action type, or time. Each row typically shows what happened, on which document, by whom, and when—giving you a central, auditable log for compliance and investigation. Use it to monitor usage of sensitive docs, spot unusual activity, and understand team document workflows.
Alerts Summary Chart: Shows the count of document alerts over time (e.g. by day or week). Filter by document title/ID, trigger source (edit, copy, download, share, publish), and period to see trends, peak times, and the impact of new rules or process changes. Helps with capacity planning for alert review and proactive oversight.
Step-by-Step: From Setup to Review
- Open Document Alerts: Go to /doc-alerts/ and open the Document Alerts Configuration tab.
- Create an alert rule: Add a new configuration. In the modal, specify which documents to monitor (e.g. financial reports, project folder, or docs whose title contains "Client").
- Choose triggers and exceptions: Select the actions that should trigger an alert (edit, copy, download, share, publish) and set exceptions (e.g. exclude document owner). Save.
- Review triggered alerts: Switch to the Document Alerts tab. Use the Document Alerts Table to search and filter by document, user, action, or date. Click through to Drive item details where available for more context.
- Analyze trends: Use the Alerts Summary Chart with filters (document, trigger type, period) to see when alerts spike and adjust rules or processes as needed.
