Set Up Custom Alerts
Stay ahead of API issues by configuring custom alerts. Get notified via email or Slack when specific conditions are met, so you can respond to problems before they impact your users.
What You’ll Learn
By the end of this tutorial, you’ll be able to:
- Filter requests to identify specific patterns
- Save custom searches for reuse
- Create alerts based on saved searches
- Configure notification channels (Email, Slack)
- Set alert frequency and recipients
Note
This tutorial assumes you already have Treblle integrated and receiving API requests. If not, check out Monitor Your First API in 5 Minutes first.
Step 1: Filter Your Requests
The first step is to identify what you want to monitor. Treblle lets you filter requests by various criteria to pinpoint exactly what matters.
Navigate to your API’s Requests tab, then click the Filter button in the top right.
You can filter by:
Request Properties
- Method - GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.
- Response code - 200, 404, 500, etc.
- Endpoints - Specific API endpoints
- Request Parameters - Query parameters or path variables
User Information
- Device - Mobile, Desktop, Tablet
- Location - Country, city, or region
- Client App Version - Track specific app versions
Security & Compliance
- Security Threat Level - High, Medium, Low
- Compliance - Pass or Fail
Tip
Start with broad filters and narrow down. For example, filter for all 500 errors first, then add specific endpoints if needed.
Common Filter Examples
Monitor High-Threat Requests:
- Security Threat Level: High
- This catches potential security issues like SQL injection attempts or DDoS patterns
Track Slow Endpoints:
- Response Time: > 1000ms
- This helps identify performance bottlenecks
Watch Authentication Failures:
- Endpoint:
/auth/login - Response Code: 401 or 403
Monitor Production Errors:
- Response Code: 500, 502, 503, 504
- This catches server-side errors
Step 2: Save Your Search
Once you’ve configured your filters, save the search so you can reuse it and create alerts from it.
Click the Save search button at the top right of the Requests page.
Give your search a descriptive name, such as:
- “High threat level requests”
- “Monitor uptime and response times”
- “Production 500 errors”
- “Authentication failures”
- “Slow API responses”
Tip
Use clear, descriptive names that explain what the search monitors. This makes it easier to manage multiple alerts later.
Click Save Search to store your filter configuration.
Note
Saved searches appear in the Saved search dropdown on the Requests page, making them easy to access anytime.
Step 3: Create a Custom Alert
Now that you have a saved search, you can create an alert that notifies you when matching requests occur.
Navigate to My Alerts in the left sidebar, then click on the Custom alerts tab.
Click + New Custom Alert button.
Configure your alert with these settings:
Alert Name
Give your alert a clear, descriptive name (e.g., “Server Error Alert” or “High Threat Notifications”).
Type
Select “Saved Search” from the dropdown.
From saved search
Choose the saved search you created in Step 2 from the dropdown menu.
Tip
You can create multiple alerts from the same saved search with different notification settings.
Channel
Choose how you want to be notified:
- Email - Notifications sent to specified email addresses
- Slack - Messages posted to a Slack channel (requires Slack integration)
Frequency
Set how often you want to receive alerts:
- Real-time - Get notified immediately when conditions are met
- Hourly - Receive a digest once per hour
- Daily - Get a daily summary
- Weekly - Weekly digest of matching requests
Note
For critical issues like server errors or security threats, use real-time alerts. For monitoring trends, daily or weekly digests work better.
People
Select who should receive the alert notifications. You can choose:
- Yourself
- Specific team members
- Multiple recipients
Click Create alert to activate your custom alert.
Step 4: Configure Slack Notifications (Optional)
If you want to receive alerts in Slack, you’ll need to set up the Slack integration first.
Navigate to API Settings in the left sidebar, then scroll to the Slack channels section.
Click + Add channel and follow the prompts to:
- Authorize Treblle to access your Slack workspace
- Select the channel where you want notifications posted
- Configure the webhook settings
Once configured, you can select Slack as a notification channel when creating alerts.
Tip
Create dedicated Slack channels for different alert types (e.g., #api-errors, #api-security) to keep notifications organized.
Common Alert Scenarios
Here are some proven alert configurations to get you started:
Scenario 1: Production Error Monitoring
Saved Search:
- Response Code: 500, 502, 503, 504
Alert Settings:
- Name: “Production Errors”
- Frequency: Real-time
- Channel: Email + Slack
- Recipients: Engineering team
Why: Catch server errors immediately so you can respond before users are impacted.
Scenario 2: Security Threat Detection
Saved Search:
- Security Threat Level: High
Alert Settings:
- Name: “Security Threats”
- Frequency: Real-time
- Channel: Email + Slack
- Recipients: Security team
Why: Get notified of potential attacks like SQL injection attempts or DDoS patterns.
Scenario 3: Performance Degradation
Saved Search:
- Response Time: > 2000ms
Alert Settings:
- Name: “Slow API Responses”
- Frequency: Hourly
- Channel: Email
- Recipients: Performance team
Why: Track performance issues without alert fatigue from individual slow requests.
Scenario 4: Authentication Issues
Saved Search:
- Endpoint:
/auth/loginor/auth/register - Response Code: 401, 403
Alert Settings:
- Name: “Auth Failures”
- Frequency: Daily
- Channel: Email
- Recipients: Backend team
Why: Monitor authentication patterns to detect potential account security issues.
Scenario 5: API Compliance Failures
Saved Search:
- Compliance: Fail
Alert Settings:
- Name: “Compliance Issues”
- Frequency: Real-time
- Channel: Email
- Recipients: Compliance team
Why: Stay on top of GDPR, PCI DSS, or HIPAA compliance violations.
Managing Your Alerts
View Active Alerts
Navigate to My Alerts to see all your configured alerts. You’ll see:
- Alert name and type
- Last triggered time
- Number of notifications sent
- Status (active/paused)
Edit an Alert
Click on any alert to modify:
- Notification frequency
- Recipients
- Search criteria
Pause or Delete Alerts
- Pause alerts temporarily if you’re doing maintenance
- Delete alerts you no longer need
Tip
Pause alerts during planned maintenance windows to avoid unnecessary notifications.
Best Practices
Start Simple
Begin with a few critical alerts (errors, security threats) and expand gradually. Too many alerts lead to alert fatigue.
Use Descriptive Names
Clear alert names help your team understand what’s being monitored without opening the alert details.
Set Appropriate Frequencies
- Real-time: Critical issues (errors, security threats)
- Hourly: Performance monitoring
- Daily: Trend analysis, compliance checks
- Weekly: General health reports
Test Your Alerts
After creating an alert, trigger it manually to ensure notifications are working correctly.
Review Regularly
Periodically review your alerts to ensure they’re still relevant and adjust thresholds as needed.
Combine with Dashboards
Use alerts alongside custom dashboards to get both reactive notifications and proactive monitoring.
Troubleshooting
Not Receiving Notifications?
Check your email settings:
- Verify your email address in account settings
- Check spam/junk folders
- Ensure email notifications are enabled
For Slack notifications:
- Verify Slack integration is active
- Check channel permissions
- Test with a simple alert first
Too Many Alerts?
Adjust your filters:
- Make conditions more specific
- Increase frequency to hourly or daily
- Combine similar alerts into digests
Alert Not Triggering?
Verify your saved search:
- Go to Requests and load your saved search
- Confirm it returns the expected results
- Check if the filter conditions are too restrictive
