SharePoint Alerts Are Retiring in July 2026 - Here’s What to Do Before They Stop Working

Introduction

If you still rely on SharePoint Alerts for notifications, time is running out. Microsoft will fully retire SharePoint Alerts in July 2026. Since January 2026, creating new alerts has been blocked, and existing alerts now expire every 30 days unless renewed manually. Many organizations are unprepared for this change. Alerts have been a core SharePoint feature since the early 2000s.

This blog explains the retirement schedule, Microsoft’s recommended replacements (SharePoint Rules and Power Automate), and gives a step-by-step migration plan based on real client migrations.

The Retirement Timeline

Microsoft is retiring SharePoint Alerts in phases. Here’s how the changes have rolled out:

• July 2025: New alert creation was blocked for newly onboarded tenants.
• September 2025: New alert creation is blocked for all existing tenants.
• October 2025: Existing alerts started expiring 30 days after their first run. Users began seeing banners in SharePoint and in alert emails warning about retirement. Alerts could be manually extended for an additional 30 days, but only through direct user action.
• January 2026: Creation of new alerts is now fully blocked for every tenant. Attempting to create an alert displays a banner directing users to Rules or Power Automate.
• July 2026: Full retirement. All remaining alerts stop working permanently, with no further extensions.

Risk: The 30-day expiry of Alerts already causes unreliability. If an alert isn’t extended, notifications stop with no warning. Teams using alerts for compliance, security, or monitoring face immediate risks.

Next, it's important to understand why Microsoft is making this change.

Classic SharePoint Alerts rely on legacy infrastructure dating to SharePoint 2010 or earlier. Alerts don’t integrate with Microsoft’s modern notification tools, such as Teams, Adaptive Cards, or the Power Platform. You can’t customize emails, add logic, or route notifications. Admins lack a central way to audit or control alerts, and digest summaries are inconsistent.

Microsoft wants to shift notifications and automation to the Power Platform (primarily Power Automate and Power Fx). This fits the technology direction, but the new tools have gaps. Organizations need a clear migration plan and sometimes expert help.

With the retirement reason clear, let’s examine alternatives to SharePoint Alerts.

Option 1: SharePoint Rules (Simple Replacement)

SharePoint Rules are the direct successor to most classic alerts. They’re built into every modern SharePoint list and document library. Just open the “Automate” menu at the top. No code required; any user with Edit or Contribute permissions can create a rule.

Four triggers are available:

• When a column changes
• When a column value changes to something specific
• When a new item is created
• When an item is deleted

Rules can email notifications or move/copy files to another library. Use Rules for simple needs such as:

• “Alert the legal team when contract status changes to ‘Under Review.’”
• “Move documents to the archive when status is ‘Completed.’”

Limitations:

• No daily/weekly digests each event triggers a separate email.
• No way to monitor “all changes” you must pick a specific event.
• Not available on Site Pages libraries.
• No integration with Teams, Slack, or external apps.
• Requires Edit permission (classic Alerts needed only Read).

Option 2: Power Automate (Advanced Replacement)

For more advanced tasks, Microsoft recommends Power Automate. It can:

• Send daily/weekly digest emails summarizing all changes.
• Send notifications to Teams, Slack, or other services.
• Include conditional logic, approvals, and multi-step workflows.
• Use templates for common scenarios.

Limitations:

• Complexity: Building a digest flow requires some technical know-how.
• Governance: Flows run under the creator’s account, so management is trickier.
• Licensing: Not all M365 plans include Power Automate.
• No “convert alert to flow” button each must be rebuilt manually.

The gap: The biggest feature missing from Rules is the digest summary. Many organizations use Alerts’ daily/weekly digests for compliance or reporting. As of April 2026, Rules still don’t support this, and the community wants it. For digest needs without the complexity of Power Automate, consider third-party tools like VirtoSoftware’s Alerts & Reminders or ManageEngine M365 Manager Plus.

How to Migrate Step-by-Step Guide

Here’s a practical checklist you can use this week:

Step 1: Audit your existing alerts

• Go to each SharePoint site > Site Settings > User Alerts (admin view) to see all active alerts.
• Or use PowerShell to export all alerts across the tenant.
• Document: who set the alert, what it monitors, and notification type (immediate, daily digest, weekly digest).

Step 2: Categorize by complexity

• Simple (immediate, single event): Migrate to SharePoint Rules.
• Digest (summaries): Migrate to Power Automate or a third-party tool
• Complex (logic, multi-list, external apps): Migrate to Power Automate

Step 3: Create Rules for the simple ones

• Open the list/library > Automate > Create a rule.
• Select the trigger and recipients.
• Test it

Step 4: Build Power Automate flows for digest needs

• Use Microsoft’s template “Send a weekly digest of SharePoint list items” as a starting point.
• Customize the HTML email table and set recurrence.

Step 5: Communicate the change

• Announce: “SharePoint Alerts are being retired. Here’s what’s changing.”
• Update training/help docs.
• Set a deadline: all alerts must be migrated by June 2026 (one month before the cutoff).

What SharePoint Designs Recommends

For most organizations, a mix of Rules (for simple notifications) and Power Automate (for digests and advanced scenarios) will cover 90% of use cases. The final 10% organizations with hundreds of alerts, complex routing, or compliance needs may need a structured migration project.

We’ve helped clients migrate in 23 countries. The proven approach: audit, categorize, migrate simple alerts to Rules, and build reusable Power Automate templates for digests.

Note: Migrations usually take 1-2 weeks, depending on complexity.

SharePoint Alerts are ending, and your notification strategy needs to change. With the right plan, you can avoid last-minute chaos, keep your teams informed, and even streamline notifications going forward. Start your migration today and reach out if you need expert help.

SharePoint Designs has migrated organizations of all sizes off classic Alerts. Ready for a smooth transition? Contact us now to get started and ensure your organization is prepared before the 2026 deadline.