Managing SharePoint Alerts using PnP PowerShell

SharePoint Alerts help users stay informed about changes in lists, libraries, and documents. With PnP PowerShell, administrators can manage alerts efficiently, including creating, retrieving, updating, and deleting alerts in bulk.

This guide covers:

Understanding SharePoint Alerts
Managing Alerts using PnP PowerShell
Automating Alert Management in Bulk

Prerequisites

✅ Install PnP PowerShell

Install-Module -Name PnP.PowerShell -Force -AllowClobber

Connect to SharePoint Online

Connect-PnPOnline -Url "https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com" -Interactive

Admin or Site Owner permissions

Step 1: Retrieve Existing Alerts

To list all alerts for the current user in a SharePoint site:

Get-PnPAlert

🔹 This returns all alerts created by the logged-in user.

To get alerts for a specific user:

Get-PnPAlert -User "user@domain.com"

Step 2: Create a New Alert

To create an alert for a user on a specific list or library:

New-PnPAlert -List "Documents" -User "user@domain.com" -Title "Document Updates" -DeliveryMethod Email -EventType All -Frequency Daily

Parameters:

-List → Name of the SharePoint list or library
-User → Email of the user receiving the alert
-Title → Name of the alert
-DeliveryMethod → Email or SMS
-EventType → All, AddObject, ModifyObject, DeleteObject
-Frequency → Immediate, Daily, Weekly

This creates an alert for all document changes, sending a daily email update.

Step 3: Create Alerts in Bulk (CSV Method)

If you need to assign alerts to multiple users, create a CSV file (Alerts.csv) with:

ListName	UserEmail	AlertTitle	Frequency
Documents	user1@domain.com	Document Updates	Daily
Tasks	user2@domain.com	Task Notifications	Weekly

Run the Bulk Script

$alerts = Import-Csv -Path "C:\Alerts.csv"

foreach ($alert in $alerts) {
    try {
        New-PnPAlert -List $alert.ListName -User $alert.UserEmail -Title $alert.AlertTitle -DeliveryMethod Email -EventType All -Frequency $alert.Frequency
        Write-Host "Alert '$($alert.AlertTitle)' created for $($alert.UserEmail)" -ForegroundColor Green
    }
    catch {
        Write-Host "Failed to create alert for $($alert.UserEmail): $_" -ForegroundColor Red
    }
}

Automates creating alerts for multiple users in different lists.

Step 4: Update an Existing Alert

To modify an existing alert:

Set-PnPAlert -Identity "Document Updates" -List "Documents" -Frequency Weekly

🔹 This changes the alert frequency to weekly.

Step 5: Delete Alerts

To remove a specific alert:

Remove-PnPAlert -Identity "Document Updates"

🔹 Deletes the “Document Updates” alert for the logged-in user.

To delete all alerts for a user:

Get-PnPAlert -User "user@domain.com" | Remove-PnPAlert

Removes all alerts assigned to a specific user.

Delete Alerts in Bulk (CSV Method)

Use a CSV file (RemoveAlerts.csv):

UserEmail	ListName	AlertTitle
user1@domain.com	Documents	Document Updates
user2@domain.com	Tasks	Task Notifications

Run the script:

$alertsToRemove = Import-Csv -Path "C:\RemoveAlerts.csv"

foreach ($alert in $alertsToRemove) {
    try {
        $userAlerts = Get-PnPAlert -User $alert.UserEmail | Where-Object { $_.Title -eq $alert.AlertTitle -and $_.List -eq $alert.ListName }
        if ($userAlerts) {
            $userAlerts | Remove-PnPAlert
            Write-Host "Alert '$($alert.AlertTitle)' removed from $($alert.UserEmail)" -ForegroundColor Yellow
        } else {
            Write-Host "No matching alert found for $($alert.UserEmail)" -ForegroundColor Red
        }
    }
    catch {
        Write-Host "Error removing alert for $($alert.UserEmail): $_" -ForegroundColor Red
    }
}

Deletes multiple alerts from different lists for different users.

Step 6: Automate with Task Scheduler

1️⃣ Open Task Scheduler
2️⃣ Click Create Basic Task
3️⃣ Set Trigger: Daily/Weekly
4️⃣ Set Action: Start a Program
5️⃣ In Program/script, enter:

-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:\YourScriptPath\ManageAlerts.ps1"

6️⃣ Click Finish

This automates alert creation, updates, or deletions at regular intervals.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

1. User Not Found Error

Ensure the user exists in SharePoint.
Check if the email format is correct.

2. Alert Not Found Error

Run Get-PnPAlert to list alerts and verify names.

3. Connection Issues

Ensure you are connected with Connect-PnPOnline.
Run scripts as an administrator.