PRTG Manual: Notification Triggers Settings
You can use changes in a sensor's status or in the sensor's data to trigger notifications.
Notification Triggers Tab
Although sensors activate notification triggers, you can set notification triggers in the settings of objects that are higher in the object hierarchy. This allows you to use the inheritance of settings to define notification triggers for multiple sensors. Objects that inherit notification triggers show them on the Notification Triggers tab.
For more information, see section Triggers That Can Be Inherited from Parent Objects.
You can also define notification triggers in libraries. If a sensor is in a library that has notification triggers, the sensor shows them on the Notification Triggers tab.
For more information, see section Triggers That Are Defined in Libraries.
You can also directly edit notification templates on the Notification Triggers tab. To do so, click 
next to name of a notification template.
You must take the following four steps to set up and use notifications:
- Check and set up the notification delivery settings if you use PRTG Network Monitor. These settings define how PRTG sends messages.
- Check and set up notification contacts for the user accounts. These contacts define the recipients to which PRTG sends notifications.
- Check and set up several notification templates. These templates define the notification methods and their content.
You can also check or edit notification templates via the Notification Triggers tab. For more information, see section Notification Triggers Settings. - Check and set up notification triggers settings for objects. These triggers define when PRTG sends notifications.
Usually, there are three successive attempts to deliver a notification. If all of these attempts fail, the notification is lost. To never miss a notification, we recommend that you always set up at least two notifications with different notification methods for a notification trigger, for example, one email notification and one SMS notification. If delivery via email fails, PRTG can still notify you via smartphone as a fallback. For example, use the latency setting of a state trigger to choose a notification with a different notification method than in the first trigger condition, or set up a second trigger with a different notification method for the corresponding object.
For a detailed step-by-step guide, see the Paessler website: How to set up notifications via the PRTG web interface.
Custom notification scripts are also available in the PRTG Sensor Hub.
Select the Notification Triggers tab of an object to add or edit notification triggers. You can set up one or more of the following notification triggers:
Different options are available for every notification trigger. You see the Type of notification trigger and the notification Rule that the sensor executes once it activates a notification trigger.
Which notification triggers are available on the Notification Triggers tab depends on the kind of object you select.
The state trigger performs a notification when a sensor changes its status. Hover over 
and select Add State Trigger from the menu to add a new state trigger or click 
next to a state trigger to change it.
Add State Trigger
PRTG includes a state trigger for the root group by default. This notification trigger performs the notification Email and push notification to admin if any sensor is in the Down status for at least 10 minutes.
Setting |
Description |
|---|---|
When sensor state is [...] |
Select the status that triggers a notification:
|
for at least [...] seconds, |
Enter the time in seconds that PRTG waits before it sends a notification (latency). This can avoid false alarms if, for example, a sensor changes to the Down status for only a few seconds. Enter an integer.
|
perform [...] |
Select the notification that PRTG sends if the sensor is in the selected status and if the defined latency is over. You see all notification templates that you have defined under Setup | Account Settings | Notification Templates. Use the search box to filter for notification templates. You can also select no notification to not send a notification in this case.
|
When sensor state is [...] for at least [...] seconds |
Enter the escalation latency in seconds that PRTG waits before it sends an escalation notification. Use this to automatically escalate a notification if a problem exists for a longer time. Enter an integer.
|
perform [...] |
Select the notification that PRTG sends if the sensor is still in the selected status and if the defined escalation latency is over. You see all notification templates that you have defined under Setup | Account Settings | Notification Templates. Use the search box to filter for notification templates. You can also select no notification to not send a notification in this case.
|
and repeat every [...] minutes |
Enter the interval in minutes after which PRTG sends the escalation notification again. Enter an integer.
|
When sensor state is no longer [...] , perform [...] |
Select the notification that PRTG sends if the sensor is no longer in the selected status and if the defined latency is over. You see all notification templates that you have defined under Setup | Account Settings | Notification Templates. Use the search box to filter for notification templates. You can also select no notification to not send a notification in this case.
|
Click 
to save your settings or click 
to undo your changes.
The speed trigger performs a notification if the speed that a sensor monitors changes. Hover over and select Add Speed Trigger from the menu to add a new speed trigger or click next to a speed trigger to change it.
Add Speed Trigger
Setting |
Description |
|---|---|
When [...] channel |
Select the channel whose data PRTG uses for the speed comparison. At root, probe, group, or device level or in libraries, the following channels are available:
At sensor level, the available channels depend on the type of sensor you select.
|
is [...] |
Select the condition that triggers the notification:
|
[value] |
Enter the value to which PRTG compares the channel data. Enter an integer. |
[scale] |
Select the unit for the [value]:
|
[time] |
Select the time for the scale to create a scale per time unit:
|
for at least [...] seconds, |
Enter the time in seconds that PRTG waits before it sends a notification (latency). This can avoid false alarms if, for example, a sensor changes to the Down status for only a few seconds.. Enter an integer.
|
perform [...] |
Select the notification that PRTG sends if the defined [value], [scale], and [time] are true and the defined latency is over. You see all notification templates that you have defined under Setup | Account Settings | Notification Templates. Use the search box to filter for notification templates. You can also select no notification to not send a notification in this case.
|
When condition clears, perform [...] |
Select the notification that PRTG sends if the defined [value], [scale], and [time] are no longer true and the defined latency is over. You see all notification templates that you have defined under Setup | Account Settings | Notification Templates. Use the search box to filter for notification templates. You can also select no notification to not send a notification in this case.
|
Click to save your settings or click to undo your changes.
The volume trigger performs a notification if a sensor reaches a certain volume in a specific time. Hover over and select Add Volume Trigger from the menu to add a new volume trigger or click next to a volume trigger to change it.
Add Volume Trigger
Setting |
Description |
|---|---|
When [...] channel |
Select the channel whose data PRTG uses for the volume comparison. At root, probe, group, or device level or in libraries, the following channels are available:
At sensor level, the available channels depend on the type of sensor you select.
|
reaches [value] |
Enter the value to which PRTG compares the channel data. Enter an integer. |
[scale] |
Select the unit for the [value]:
|
per [time], |
Select the time for the scale to create a scale per time unit:
|
perform [...] |
Select the notification that PRTG sends if the defined [value], [scale], and [time] are true. You see all notification templates that you have defined under Setup | Account Settings | Notification Templates. Use the search box to filter for notification templates. You can also select no notification to not send a notification in this case.
|
Click to save your settings or click to undo your changes.
The threshold trigger performs a notification if a sensor reaches specific values. Hover over and select Add Threshold Trigger from the menu to add a new threshold trigger, or click next to a threshold trigger to change it.
Add Threshold Trigger
Setting |
Description |
|---|---|
When [...] channel |
Select the channel whose data PRTG uses for the threshold comparison. At root, probe, group, or device level or in libraries, the following channels are available:
At sensor level, the available channels depend on the type of sensor you select.
|
is [...] |
Select the condition that triggers the notification:
|
[value] |
Enter the value to which PRTG compares the channel data. Enter values in the smallest (base) unit that is possible, for example, in bytes, milliseconds, or percent. Enter an integer. |
for at least [...] seconds, |
Enter the time in seconds that PRTG waits before it sends a notification (latency). This can avoid false alarms if, for example, a sensor changes to the Down status for only a few seconds. Enter an integer.
|
perform [...] |
Select the notification that PRTG sends if the defined channel condition is true and the defined latency is over. You see all notification templates that you have defined under Setup | Account Settings | Notification Templates. Use the search box to filter for notification templates. You can also select no notification to not send a notification in this case.
|
When condition clears, perform [...] |
Select the notification that PRTG sends if the defined channel condition is no longer true and the defined latency is over. You see all notification templates that you have defined under Setup | Account Settings | Notification Templates. Use the search box to filter for notification templates. You can also select no notification to not send a notification in this case.
|
Click to save your settings or click to undo your changes.
Before you set up a change trigger, make sure that you enable the Trigger 'change' notification setting in the sensor's settings, otherwise PRTG never sends the notification.
Trigger 'Change' Notification
The change trigger performs a notification if a compatible sensor's value changes. Hover over and select Add Change Trigger from the menu to add a new change trigger, or click next to a change trigger to change it.
Add Change Trigger
Setting |
Description |
|---|---|
When sensor changes, perform [...] |
Select the notification that PRTG sends if a compatible sensor triggers a 'change' notification. You can enable this option in the settings of compatible sensors. You see all notification templates that you have defined under Setup | Account Settings | Notification Templates. Use the search box to filter for notification templates. You can also select no notification to not send a notification in this case.
|
Click to save your settings or click to undo your changes.
Triggers That Can Be Inherited from Parent Objects
You see a list of all notification triggers that the selected object inherits from parent objects. The list is empty and shows the message (no triggers defined) if you have not set any notification triggers for objects that are higher in the object hierarchy.
Trigger Inheritance
Setting |
Description |
|---|---|
Trigger Inheritance |
Select the notification triggers that you want to use for the selected object:
|
Triggers That Are Defined in Libraries
You see a list of all notification triggers that are set in libraries that contain the selected sensor. The list is empty and shows the message (no triggers defined) if you have not set any notification triggers in libraries that contain the selected sensor.
Triggers in Libraries
Click a notification template to change its settings. Click a library in the column Inherited from to view the library.
You cannot disable notification trigger usage from a library here. If you do not want to use notification triggers from a library for the selected sensor, open the library and remove the sensor from it or edit the notification triggers on the Notification Triggers tab of the library.
