{"id":4767,"date":"2026-04-08T14:15:03","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T18:15:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/?page_id=4767"},"modified":"2026-04-08T14:15:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T18:15:03","slug":"redcap-alerts-notifications","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/guides-how-tos\/redcap-surveys-guide\/redcap-alerts-notifications\/","title":{"rendered":"REDCap Alerts &amp; Notifications"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"in-page-tabs\"><ul id=\"menu-redcap\" class=\"menu nav nav-tabs\"><li id=\"menu-item-4437\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/uch-redcap-user-agreement\/\">REDCap User Agreement<\/a><\/li><li id=\"menu-item-4440\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/redcap-fees\/\">REDCap Fees<\/a><\/li><li id=\"menu-item-4438\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/redcap-usage\/\">REDCap Usage<\/a><\/li><li id=\"menu-item-4441\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/redcap-account-request\/\">REDCap Account Request<\/a><\/li><li id=\"menu-item-4446\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children dropdown\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/redcap-login-issues\/\" class=\"dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\">REDCap Login Issues<b class=\"caret\"><\/b><\/a>\n<ul class=\"dropdown-menu\">\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-4447\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/redcap-login-issues\/uchc-user\/\">REDCap Login Help for UConn Health Users<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-4448\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/redcap-login-issues\/external-user\/\">UConn &amp; External Users Login Issues<\/a><\/li><!--.dropdown-->\n<\/ul>\n<\/li><li id=\"menu-item-4443\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/guides-how-tos\/\">REDCap Guides &amp; How-to<\/a><\/li><li id=\"menu-item-4920\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/data-management\/\">Data Management<\/a><\/li><li id=\"menu-item-4449\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children dropdown\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/scheduled-maintenance\/\" class=\"dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\">REDCap Maintenance<b class=\"caret\"><\/b><\/a>\n<ul class=\"dropdown-menu\">\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-4678\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/scheduled-maintenance\/\">REDCap Maintenance<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-4450\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/scheduled-maintenance\/new-features-improvements\/\">REDCap Upgrade Details<\/a><\/li><!--.dropdown-->\n<\/ul>\n<\/li><li id=\"menu-item-4442\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/redcap-training\/\">REDCap Training Center<\/a><\/li><li id=\"menu-item-4451\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/redcap-systems\/\">REDCap Systems<\/a><\/li><li id=\"menu-item-4453\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/citing-redcap\/\">Citing REDCap<\/a><\/li><li id=\"menu-item-4455\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/redcap_news\/\">REDCap News You Can Use<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div id=\"top\" class=\"redcap-alerts-guide\" style=\"max-width: 1100px;margin: 0 auto;line-height: 1.7;color: #1f2937\">\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.08em;margin-top: 0\"><strong>Deep-Dive Guide for Automated Notifications and Data-Triggered Messaging<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Alerts &amp; Notifications allow REDCap to send automated emails or notifications when specific data conditions are met. Unlike Automated Survey Invitations (ASIs), Alerts are not limited to survey invitations and can support a much wider range of workflows.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background: #f8fafc;border: 1px solid #cbd5e1;padding: 16px 18px;margin: 24px 0;border-radius: 6px\">\n<h2 style=\"margin-top: 0;font-size: 1.15em\">Alerts &amp; Notifications vs. ASIs<\/h2>\n<table style=\"width: 100%;border-collapse: collapse;margin-top: 12px\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"border: 1px solid #d1d5db;padding: 10px;background: #f3f4f6;text-align: left\">Feature<\/th>\n<th style=\"border: 1px solid #d1d5db;padding: 10px;background: #f3f4f6;text-align: left\">Alerts &amp; Notifications<\/th>\n<th style=\"border: 1px solid #d1d5db;padding: 10px;background: #f3f4f6;text-align: left\">ASI<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #d1d5db;padding: 10px\"><strong>Primary purpose<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #d1d5db;padding: 10px\">Send automated emails or notifications based on data conditions<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #d1d5db;padding: 10px\">Send survey invitations automatically<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #d1d5db;padding: 10px\"><strong>Requires a survey?<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #d1d5db;padding: 10px\">No<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #d1d5db;padding: 10px\">Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #d1d5db;padding: 10px\"><strong>Typical use<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #d1d5db;padding: 10px\">Notify staff, participants, or external recipients<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #d1d5db;padding: 10px\">Deliver survey links<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #d1d5db;padding: 10px\"><strong>Logic-based?<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #d1d5db;padding: 10px\">Yes<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #d1d5db;padding: 10px\">Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #d1d5db;padding: 10px\"><strong>Best for<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #d1d5db;padding: 10px\">Workflow notifications, conditional messaging, reminders, operational alerts<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #d1d5db;padding: 10px\">Follow-up surveys and scheduled invitation workflows<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div style=\"background: #eff6ff;border-left: 6px solid #2563eb;padding: 12px 14px;margin: 16px 0 0 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Simple rule:<\/strong> Use <strong>ASI<\/strong> to send survey invitations. Use <strong>Alerts &amp; Notifications<\/strong> for broader automated communication workflows.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"background: #eff6ff;border-left: 6px solid #2563eb;padding: 14px 16px;margin: 22px 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Core Principle:<\/strong> Alerts are triggered when specified conditions become true. They are best used when a study needs automated communication beyond basic survey invitations.<\/div>\n<div style=\"background: #fff7ed;border-left: 6px solid #ea580c;padding: 14px 16px;margin: 16px 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Important:<\/strong> Alerts can fire more than once if they are not configured carefully. Always define the triggering conditions, timing, and repeat behavior intentionally.<\/div>\n<div style=\"background: #f0f9ff;border: 1px solid #bae6fd;padding: 16px 18px;margin: 24px 0;border-radius: 6px\">\n<h2 style=\"margin-top: 0;font-size: 1.2em\">On this page<\/h2>\n<ul style=\"margin: 0;padding-left: 20px\">\n<li><a href=\"#when\">When to Use Alerts<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#how\">How Alerts Work<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#logic\">Using Conditional Logic<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#timing\">Timing &amp; Scheduling<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#examples\">Common Use Cases<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#mistakes\">Common Mistakes<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#checklist\">Quick Setup Checklist<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<hr style=\"margin: 30px 0;border: 0;border-top: 1px solid #d1d5db\" \/>\n<h2 id=\"when\" style=\"background: #329EB8;color: white;padding: 12px 16px;border-radius: 6px\">When to Use Alerts<\/h2>\n<p>Alerts are useful when you need REDCap to send emails or notifications automatically based on data activity or specific responses.<\/p>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 20px\">\n<li>Notify study staff when a participant meets criteria<\/li>\n<li>Send confirmation emails after a workflow step is completed<\/li>\n<li>Alert a team when data are missing or incomplete<\/li>\n<li>Notify someone when a concerning response is entered<\/li>\n<li>Send reminders or internal operational notifications<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"background: #f0fdf4;border-left: 6px solid #16a34a;padding: 12px 14px;margin: 16px 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Best Practice:<\/strong> Use Alerts for internal workflows, operational notifications, or conditional messaging. Do not use them as a substitute for ASIs when the goal is to manage survey invitation workflows.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: right;margin-top: 14px\"><a href=\"#top\" style=\"background: #eef6f8;color: #1f2937;padding: 6px 12px;text-decoration: none;border-radius: 20px;font-size: 0.95em\">Back to top \u2191<\/a><\/div>\n<hr style=\"margin: 30px 0;border: 0;border-top: 1px solid #d1d5db\" \/>\n<h2 id=\"how\" style=\"background: #329EB8;color: white;padding: 12px 16px;border-radius: 6px\">How Alerts Work<\/h2>\n<p>An Alert is evaluated when data are saved or updated. If the logic evaluates to true, REDCap can send the notification immediately or according to the schedule you define.<\/p>\n<ol style=\"padding-left: 20px\">\n<li>Data are entered or updated<\/li>\n<li>Alert logic is evaluated<\/li>\n<li>If the logic is true, REDCap schedules or sends the alert<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Depending on configuration, an alert may send:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 20px\">\n<li>Immediately<\/li>\n<li>After a delay<\/li>\n<li>More than once<\/li>\n<li>Only once per record<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"background: #eff6ff;border-left: 6px solid #2563eb;padding: 12px 14px;margin: 16px 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Key Concept:<\/strong> Alerts are driven by <strong>data state<\/strong> and <strong>logic<\/strong>, not just by survey completion.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: right;margin-top: 14px\"><a href=\"#top\" style=\"background: #eef6f8;color: #1f2937;padding: 6px 12px;text-decoration: none;border-radius: 20px;font-size: 0.95em\">Back to top \u2191<\/a><\/div>\n<hr style=\"margin: 30px 0;border: 0;border-top: 1px solid #d1d5db\" \/>\n<h2 id=\"logic\" style=\"background: #329EB8;color: white;padding: 12px 16px;border-radius: 6px\">Using Conditional Logic<\/h2>\n<p>Alerts use logic similar to branching logic. The alert is triggered only when the condition becomes true.<\/p>\n<p>Examples:<\/p>\n<div style=\"background: #f9fafb;border: 1px solid #e5e7eb;padding: 14px 16px;border-radius: 6px;margin: 16px 0\"><code>[consent_complete] = 2<\/code><br \/>\n<code>[score] &gt; 10<\/code><br \/>\n<code>[visit_date] &lt;&gt; \"\"<\/code><\/div>\n<div style=\"background: #fff7ed;border-left: 6px solid #ea580c;padding: 12px 14px;margin: 16px 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Important:<\/strong> Poorly written logic is one of the most common causes of alert errors, duplicate emails, and unintended notifications.<\/div>\n<div style=\"background: #f0fdf4;border-left: 6px solid #16a34a;padding: 12px 14px;margin: 16px 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Best Practice:<\/strong> Test your alert logic first in a report, Data Quality rule, or test record workflow before activating the alert.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: right;margin-top: 14px\"><a href=\"#top\" style=\"background: #eef6f8;color: #1f2937;padding: 6px 12px;text-decoration: none;border-radius: 20px;font-size: 0.95em\">Back to top \u2191<\/a><\/div>\n<hr style=\"margin: 30px 0;border: 0;border-top: 1px solid #d1d5db\" \/>\n<h2 id=\"timing\" style=\"background: #329EB8;color: white;padding: 12px 16px;border-radius: 6px\">Timing &amp; Scheduling<\/h2>\n<p>Alerts can be configured to send immediately or after a delay. Some workflows may also allow recurring or repeated sends, depending on how the alert is defined.<\/p>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 20px\">\n<li><strong>Immediate:<\/strong> sends as soon as the logic becomes true<\/li>\n<li><strong>Delayed:<\/strong> sends after a specified amount of time<\/li>\n<li><strong>Repeated:<\/strong> may send again if conditions remain true and repeat settings allow it<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"background: #fff7ed;border-left: 6px solid #ea580c;padding: 12px 14px;margin: 16px 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Important:<\/strong> Repeating alerts can generate unintended duplicate emails if the record continues to meet the same condition over time.<\/div>\n<div style=\"background: #f0fdf4;border-left: 6px solid #16a34a;padding: 12px 14px;margin: 16px 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Best Practice:<\/strong> When the alert is meant to happen only once, explicitly configure it to send once per record or include a field that prevents repeated triggering.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: right;margin-top: 14px\"><a href=\"#top\" style=\"background: #eef6f8;color: #1f2937;padding: 6px 12px;text-decoration: none;border-radius: 20px;font-size: 0.95em\">Back to top \u2191<\/a><\/div>\n<hr style=\"margin: 30px 0;border: 0;border-top: 1px solid #d1d5db\" \/>\n<h2 id=\"examples\" style=\"background: #329EB8;color: white;padding: 12px 16px;border-radius: 6px\">Common Use Cases<\/h2>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 20px\">\n<li>Email staff when a participant is eligible for the next step<\/li>\n<li>Notify a coordinator when consent is completed<\/li>\n<li>Alert a PI or study team when a high-risk response is entered<\/li>\n<li>Send a reminder when required follow-up data are missing<\/li>\n<li>Notify an external recipient when a PDF or workflow artifact is ready<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"background: #eff6ff;border-left: 6px solid #2563eb;padding: 12px 14px;margin: 16px 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Design Tip:<\/strong> Alerts are often most useful when they support study operations behind the scenes rather than when they are visible to participants.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: right;margin-top: 14px\"><a href=\"#top\" style=\"background: #eef6f8;color: #1f2937;padding: 6px 12px;text-decoration: none;border-radius: 20px;font-size: 0.95em\">Back to top \u2191<\/a><\/div>\n<hr style=\"margin: 30px 0;border: 0;border-top: 1px solid #d1d5db\" \/>\n<h2 id=\"mistakes\" style=\"background: #329EB8;color: white;padding: 12px 16px;border-radius: 6px\">Common Mistakes<\/h2>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 20px\">\n<li>Using Alerts instead of ASIs to manage survey invitations<\/li>\n<li>Not limiting the alert to send once when appropriate<\/li>\n<li>Using overly broad or incomplete logic<\/li>\n<li>Sending alerts to the wrong recipient field<\/li>\n<li>Not testing the workflow before production use<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"background: #fef2f2;border-left: 6px solid #dc2626;padding: 12px 14px;margin: 16px 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Common Mistake:<\/strong> If your real goal is \u201csend a follow-up survey automatically,\u201d that is usually an ASI workflow\u2014not an Alert workflow.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: right;margin-top: 14px\"><a href=\"#top\" style=\"background: #eef6f8;color: #1f2937;padding: 6px 12px;text-decoration: none;border-radius: 20px;font-size: 0.95em\">Back to top \u2191<\/a><\/div>\n<hr style=\"margin: 30px 0;border: 0;border-top: 1px solid #d1d5db\" \/>\n<h2 id=\"checklist\" style=\"background: #16a34a;color: white;padding: 12px 16px;border-radius: 6px\">Quick Setup Checklist<\/h2>\n<div style=\"background: #f0fdf4;border: 1px solid #16a34a;padding: 14px;border-radius: 6px\">\n<ul style=\"margin: 0;padding-left: 20px\">\n<li>Define the exact event or condition that should trigger the alert<\/li>\n<li>Confirm the correct recipient email field or address<\/li>\n<li>Set the timing intentionally: immediate, delayed, or repeated<\/li>\n<li>Prevent duplicates by limiting sends when appropriate<\/li>\n<li>Test the alert in Development with realistic records<\/li>\n<li>Validate the message content and recipients before using real data<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"background: #eff6ff;border-left: 6px solid #2563eb;padding: 12px 14px;margin: 16px 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Final Takeaway:<\/strong> Alerts &amp; Notifications are best used when you need REDCap to automatically notify the right person at the right time based on the right data condition.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: right;margin-top: 14px\"><a href=\"#top\" style=\"background: #eef6f8;color: #1f2937;padding: 6px 12px;text-decoration: none;border-radius: 20px;font-size: 0.95em\">Back to top \u2191<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>REDCap User AgreementREDCap FeesREDCap UsageREDCap Account RequestREDCap Login Issues REDCap Login Help for UConn Health Users UConn &amp; External Users Login Issues REDCap Guides &amp; How-toData ManagementREDCap Maintenance REDCap Maintenance REDCap Upgrade Details REDCap Training CenterREDCap SystemsCiting REDCapREDCap News You Can Use Deep-Dive Guide for Automated Notifications and Data-Triggered Messaging Alerts &amp; Notifications allow REDCap [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4679,"featured_media":0,"parent":4750,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-29 08:04:44","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4767"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4679"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4767"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4767\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4768,"href":"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4767\/revisions\/4768"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}