Every dashboard widget can have its own alerts. An alert fires when the widget's value goes above or below a limit you set, and can notify people or trigger other systems. Widget alerts are separate from the company Health Checks.
Where to find widget alerts
Open the dashboard, click the widget's three-dot menu and choose Alerts. The window has two parts: Schedule (when alerts are active) and Alerts (the alert rules).
How to add an alert
Open the widget's three-dot menu and choose Alerts.
Add an alert and fill in the fields below.
Choose one or more actions (how you want to be notified).
Set the schedule if the alert should only run at certain times, for example opening hours.
Save.
Alert fields
Name: a clear label, for example "Occupancy limit reached".
Type: Min value fires when the value drops below the limit. Max value fires when the value goes above it.
Value: the limit that triggers the alert.
Reset threshold: 0 to 50 %. The alert only resets when the value has moved this far back from the limit. This stops the alert from firing again and again. Example: limit 200, reset 10 %, the alert resets at 180.
Enabled: turn the alert on or off without deleting it.
The 6 actions
Visual: an on-screen notification in the browser, with or without a sound. Good for staff watching a dashboard on an in-store screen.
Email: one or more email addresses. Use + Add email for more recipients.
SMS: a text message to a phone number, for urgent alerts.
WhatsApp: a WhatsApp message to a phone number.
Webhook: calls a web address (GET or POST). You can add several addresses and tick Do not send on reset so it only fires when the alert starts. Use it for Slack, Microsoft Teams, PagerDuty, door controllers, building systems or your own systems.
MQTT: publishes a message to a unique MQTT topic shown in the alert. Settings: Warning-at % (send an early warning before the full alert) and Status payload (the message that is sent). Your MQTT broker or device subscribes to the topic.
SMS and WhatsApp alerts may need the Use SMS Alerts or Use WhatsApp Alerts permission. See Types of user permissions.
Examples
Occupancy limit: a Max value alert on a Live Inside widget sends an MQTT message that switches on a signal or siren.
First visitor: a Min value = 1 alert on an entrance widget calls a webhook that rings a door chime.
Queue too long: a Max value alert on a Live dwell/queue widget sends a WhatsApp message to the floor manager.
Door control: a Max value alert sends a webhook POST to a door controller.
Digital signage: a webhook sends live occupancy or queue data to a screen system.
Tip: set a reset threshold of 10 to 20 % on MQTT and webhook alerts, so they do not fire repeatedly when the value hovers around the limit.
When to contact support
Contact support@vemcogroup.com if Alerts is missing from the widget menu, an action type is not available on your account, or an alert does not fire even though the value has passed the limit. Include the dashboard name, the widget and the time it should have fired.