> ## 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.

# Smart Alerts: Instant Booking and Release Notifications

> Set name-based watchers to receive instant notifications when a person is booked, released, or has a bond change across Georgia counties.

Manually refreshing a county roster to check whether a specific person has been booked or released is time-consuming and easy to miss. Smart Alerts automate that monitoring for you — you define the names you care about, and DocketStream watches every covered county on your behalf, notifying you the moment a matching booking, release, or bond change is detected. Whether you're a bail bondsman, attorney, journalist, or concerned family member, Smart Alerts keep you informed without keeping you glued to a screen.

## How Watchers Work

A **watcher** is a saved name-based monitor. When you create a watcher, DocketStream continuously scans all covered Georgia counties (and North Carolina facilities) for roster events that match the name you provided. The moment a match is detected during a roster refresh cycle, DocketStream fires an instant notification to your configured delivery method.

Watchers run silently in the background — you don't need to have the DocketStream app open to receive alerts.

## Creating a Watcher

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Alerts Dashboard">
    Click **Alerts** in the top navigation bar to open your Smart Alerts dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click New Watcher">
    Select **New Watcher** in the upper-right corner of the Alerts dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter the Name to Monitor">
    Type the full legal name of the individual you want to watch. See the tip below for guidance on name formatting.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select a Notification Method">
    Choose **Email** as your notification delivery method and confirm the address you want alerts sent to. Additional notification channels may be available depending on your plan.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save the Watcher">
    Click **Save**. Your new watcher is immediately active and begins monitoring on the next roster refresh cycle.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Watcher Limits by Plan

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Starter — $29/mo" icon="star">
    Create up to **5 active watchers**. Ideal for individuals monitoring a small set of names across covered counties.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Professional — $79/mo" icon="rocket">
    Create **unlimited watchers** with no cap. Includes CSV exports of alert history. Designed for high-volume monitoring workflows.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Note>
  Enterprise plan customers receive API and webhook access for programmatic alert delivery. Contact [support@docketstream.org](mailto:support@docketstream.org) to discuss Enterprise pricing.
</Note>

## Notification Events

Each watcher monitors for three distinct event types:

<Accordion title="Booking — New Arrest Detected">
  Triggered when a new booking record appears on a county roster that matches your watcher's name. The notification includes the county, booking date, charge(s), and bond amount if set.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Release — Individual Released from Custody">
  Triggered when a roster record matching your watcher transitions to a **Released** status. The notification includes the county and the time of the status change.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Bond Change — Bond Amount Updated">
  Triggered when the bond amount on an active booking matching your watcher is modified — either increased, decreased, or set for the first time after the initial booking.
</Accordion>

## Managing Your Watchers

From the **Alerts** dashboard you can take the following actions on any existing watcher:

| Action     | How To                                                                                        |
| ---------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Edit**   | Click the pencil icon next to a watcher to update the monitored name or notification settings |
| **Pause**  | Toggle the watcher to **Paused** to temporarily stop monitoring without deleting the watcher  |
| **Delete** | Click the trash icon to permanently remove a watcher and stop all associated notifications    |

Your alert history — a log of all past notifications fired by each watcher — is available in the **Alert History** tab of the Alerts dashboard. Professional plan subscribers can export this history as a CSV file.

## Tips for Best Results

<Tip>
  Use the individual's **full legal name** exactly as it appears on official records. Nicknames or abbreviations may reduce match accuracy. If you're unsure of the exact name spelling, run a quick search in the Roster or Courts tab first to confirm the name as it appears in DocketStream's dataset.
</Tip>

<Tip>
  If you need to monitor more than five individuals regularly, upgrade to the **Professional plan** for unlimited watchers. The Professional plan also unlocks CSV exports, making it easy to incorporate alert history into external reporting workflows.
</Tip>

<Note>
  Smart Alert notifications are sent as soon as DocketStream detects a match during a roster refresh. Because rosters refresh every 30–60 minutes, there may be a delay of up to one refresh cycle between a real-world booking event and your notification. For time-critical situations, use the **Sync Now** button on the relevant county's roster panel to trigger an immediate data pull.
</Note>