Custom alerts in Google Analytics are a powerful feature that allows you to monitor your website's performance and be notified when specific conditions are met. This can help you quickly respond to unusual changes in your data, such as a sudden drop in traffic or a spike in conversions. In this section, we will cover how to set up custom alerts, the types of alerts you can create, and practical examples to help you get started.

1. Custom Alerts: Notifications triggered by specific conditions in your Google Analytics data.
2. Alert Conditions: Criteria that must be met for the alert to be triggered.
3. Alert Frequency: How often Google Analytics checks your data to see if the alert conditions are met.
4. Notification Methods: Ways in which you can be notified about the alert (e.g., email, SMS).

1. Log in to your Google Analytics account.
2. Navigate to the desired view where you want to set up the alert.
3. Click on the Admin tab at the bottom left of the interface.
4. In the View column, click on Custom Alerts.

1. Click on the + New Alert button.
2. Fill in the alert details:
   • Alert Name: Give your alert a descriptive name.
   • Apply to Views: Select the views to which this alert should apply.
   • Period: Choose how often you want the alert to be checked (Day, Week, Month).
   • Send me an email when this alert triggers: Check this box if you want to receive email notifications. You can also add additional email addresses.
   • Mobile phone: Optionally, enter a phone number to receive SMS notifications.

1. This applies to: Select the dimension you want to monitor (e.g., All Traffic, Specific Segment).
2. Alert me when: Choose the metric you want to monitor (e.g., Sessions, Bounce Rate).
3. Condition: Select the condition that will trigger the alert (e.g., Greater than, Less than).
4. Value: Enter the threshold value for the condition.

Let's set up an alert to notify you if your website's sessions drop by more than 20% compared to the previous day.

1. Alert Name: Traffic Drop Alert
2. Apply to Views: All Web Site Data
3. Period: Day
4. Send me an email when this alert triggers: Check this box and enter your email.
5. This applies to: All Traffic
6. Alert me when: Sessions
7. Condition: % decreases by more than
8. Value: 20

1. After setting the conditions, click on the Save Alert button.

• Alert Name: High Bounce Rate Alert
• Apply to Views: All Web Site Data
• Period: Day
• Send me an email when this alert triggers: Check this box and enter your email.
• This applies to: All Traffic
• Alert me when: Bounce Rate
• Condition: Is greater than
• Value: 70

• Alert Name: Conversion Spike Alert
• Apply to Views: All Web Site Data
• Period: Day
• Send me an email when this alert triggers: Check this box and enter your email.
• This applies to: All Traffic
• Alert me when: Goal Completions
• Condition: % increases by more than
• Value: 50

• Setting Unrealistic Thresholds: Ensure that the thresholds you set for alerts are realistic and based on historical data.
• Overloading with Alerts: Avoid setting too many alerts, as this can lead to alert fatigue. Focus on the most critical metrics.
• Ignoring Alerts: Make sure to act on the alerts you receive. Regularly review and adjust your alerts as needed.

Custom alerts in Google Analytics are a valuable tool for monitoring your website's performance and quickly responding to significant changes. By setting up alerts for key metrics, you can stay informed and take timely action to optimize your site. In the next module, we will delve into advanced tracking techniques, including event tracking and enhanced eCommerce tracking.