Create a rule to get notified for new process descriptions

Documents like process descriptions, work and/or test instructions in a SharePoint quality management system are stored in document libraries. You can use another Microsoft online service; Power Automate to create rules for documents in libraries. Here you create a rule to get notified by email about a new document, in this case a new process description.

If you want to get notified on a new process description, you set up a rule in the document library. Ignore “Alert me” and “Manage my alerts” – Microsoft will remove this in the coming months.

In this screenshot you see a SharePoint document library named “Processes” and two documents, process descriptions – from the command bar menu “Automate” and “Rules” are selected — Screenshot 1 - Automate menu from the SharePoint libraries command bar

Ones your notification is created, you can turn your rules off or on. When turned on, you will immediately receive an e-mail when a new process description is created.

This image is a screenshot of the dialog “Manage rules” in SharePoint Online, where you can switch rules for documents in the library on or off, there´s also a bottom to create a new rule — Screenshot 2 - Manage rules dialog where you switch your rules on or off

The email includes a link to the properties of the new document. And from the document properties you can click on the document library, in this case “Processes”.

Weekly summary of new documents

While documentation for operations (processes, work instructions, etc.) is not changed very frequently, reports and records (production results, audit reports, error analyses) often undergo much more frequent updates. In such cases, a compilation of new and modified documents from the past week is more practical than receiving an email notification for each individual document.

This was/is possible using SharePoint Alerts, but Microsoft is retiring the SharePoint Alerts and will completely remove them by July 2026 ³. You´ll need to build your own Power Automate Flow for a weekly summary of documents in a SharePoint library.

This screenshot shows Power Automate flow designer in a browser, left hand there´s list of action that you can add to the flow, right hand you can see the 4-steps chart of an SharePoint notification flow — Screenshot 4 – Power Automate flow designer with the chart of a SharePoint notification flow

Retired Alert me feature was much more comfortable – easier to set up.

The screenshot shows a dialog with multiple choice for change types and when to send an email after documents in SharePoint were changed using the retired SharePoint Alert me feature — Screenshot 5 – Retired classic SharePoint Alert me feature dialog

There´s some feedback from the SharePoint user community wishing more options for the “new” SharePoint notification feature ⁴. If you want – vote for it. Power Automate Ideas need at least 50 votes before they are reviewed by the product team ⁵.

Links

Microsoft Support Article to create a rule in SharePoint libraries or lists - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-a-rule-to-automate-a-list-or-library-151ea008-7fa6-409b-b0bd-b04a3b3cacd5
PDF document from the International Organization for Standardization about documents required for ISO 9001:2015 - https://www.iso.org/files/live/sites/isoorg/files/archive/pdf/en/documented_information.pdf
Microsoft 365 admin, Message center Message ID MC1072889 "SharePoint Alerts retirement" - https://admin.microsoft.com/AdminPortal/home#/MessageCenter/:/messages/MC1072889
Feedback von SharePoint users wishing a new option to the alert settings - https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/idea/4105a73b-3c97-ef11-95f5-6045bdbc7c39
Microsoft official blog post about how ideas will be handled - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/blog/power-automate/new-ways-to-share-power-automate-ideas/