> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.docketstream.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create and Manage Smart Alert Watchers in DocketStream

> Create, edit, pause, and delete Smart Alert watchers to monitor individuals across Georgia counties for booking, release, and bond change events.

Watchers are the core of DocketStream's Smart Alerts system. Once you create a watcher for a person's name, it runs continuously in the background — scanning every connected Georgia county for matching booking, release, and bond change events, and notifying you the moment a match is found. You don't need to run manual searches; your watchers do the work for you.

## Watcher Limits by Plan

| Plan         | Watcher Limit |
| ------------ | ------------- |
| Starter      | 5 watchers    |
| Professional | Unlimited     |
| Enterprise   | Unlimited     |

<Note>
  If you're on the Starter plan and need more than five watchers, upgrading to Professional gives you unlimited watchers along with CSV exports and priority support. See [pricing](/pricing) for details.
</Note>

***

## Create a Watcher

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Alerts">
    Click **Alerts** in the top navigation bar. This is your central hub for managing all active watchers.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click New Watcher">
    Click the **New Watcher** button in the top-right corner of the Alerts page to open the watcher creation form.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter the person's full legal name">
    Type the individual's full legal name — first and last name at minimum. Using the name exactly as it appears in official records gives you the most accurate matches.

    <Tip>
      Use the most complete legal name possible. If you only know a nickname or a partial name, results may include more false positives. For common names, consider adding a county filter in the next step to narrow your matches.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Optionally specify a county">
    If you know which Georgia county to monitor, select it from the **County** dropdown. Leave this field blank to monitor all connected counties statewide.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose your notification delivery">
    Select **Email** as your notification delivery method. Notifications are sent to the email address on your account. Enterprise users can also route notifications through webhooks — see [Alerts & Webhooks](/api/alerts-webhooks) for setup instructions.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Save">
    Click **Save** to activate the watcher. It starts running immediately and will notify you as soon as a matching event is detected during the next data refresh.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Edit a Watcher

To update a watcher's name, county, or notification settings, click the **pencil icon** next to the watcher's name in your Alerts list. Make your changes in the edit form and click **Save** to apply them.

***

## Pause a Watcher

If you need to temporarily stop receiving alerts for a specific watcher without deleting it, use the **toggle switch** to the right of the watcher name. Toggling it off pauses the watcher — it remains in your list but will not fire notifications until you re-enable it.

***

## Delete a Watcher

To permanently remove a watcher, click the **trash icon** next to its name. A confirmation prompt will appear. Click **Delete** to confirm. Deleted watchers cannot be recovered, but you can recreate them at any time.

<Warning>
  Deleting a watcher also removes its alert history from your Alerts feed. If you want to keep the history available, consider pausing the watcher instead.
</Warning>

***

## Understanding Watcher Notifications

Each notification email contains everything you need at a glance:

| Field           | Description                                               |
| --------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name**        | The matched individual's name as it appears in the record |
| **Event Type**  | Booking, Release, or Bond Change                          |
| **County**      | The Georgia county where the event was recorded           |
| **Date / Time** | Timestamp of the event                                    |
| **Record Link** | A direct link to the full record in DocketStream          |

<Note>
  Watcher notifications fire when DocketStream refreshes its data, which occurs on a **30–60 minute cadence**. Alerts are not delivered in absolute real-time but reflect the most recent available data from connected county sources.
</Note>