If you’re in sales, recruiting, or just trying to keep tabs on your target companies, you know you can’t watch LinkedIn all day. That’s where lead alerts in LinkedIn Sales Navigator come in. Set up right, they’ll tell you when something genuinely worth your time happens. But if you just use the defaults, you’re going to drown in noise and miss the good stuff. This guide is for anyone who wants to actually use Sales Navigator alerts without getting buried by them.
Why Bother With Lead Alerts Anyway?
Let’s be real: most sales tools promise to “surface insights” and “help you engage at the right time.” Half the time, you just end up with more notifications and less clarity.
But when you do get a useful alert—like a prospect changing jobs, or a target account making a big hire—you get a shot at reaching out with something actually relevant. Done right, lead alerts can help you:
- Catch buying signals before your competitors do
- Stay top of mind with leads (without being creepy)
- Spend less time trawling LinkedIn for updates
The trick is setting them up so you only hear about what actually matters. Let’s get into it.
Step 1: Decide What You Actually Want to Know
Before you touch any settings, get clear on what you care about. Not every alert is worth your time.
Some real signals that are usually worth an alert: - Someone changes jobs or gets promoted - A lead viewed your profile (yep, it’s still a thing) - A company raises funding, hits a hiring spree, or announces layoffs - Leads post or share content related to your solution
Signals that are usually noise: - Every time a lead likes a post (way too frequent) - Random work anniversaries (unless you’re genuinely close) - “Happy birthday” notifications (this isn’t Facebook)
Pro Tip: If you’re managing a big book, focus on alerts that flag change—job moves, new roles, big company news. Ignore the fluff.
Step 2: Add the Right Leads and Accounts
Alerts are only as good as the list they’re watching. Don’t just import every contact you’ve ever spoken to.
- Leads: These are individual people you want to track—ideal buyers, key decision-makers, or warm prospects.
- Accounts: These are target companies you’re actively chasing or need to keep tabs on.
Keep your lists tight. If you add your entire industry, you’ll get so many alerts you’ll stop reading them. Aim for: - 25–100 high-value leads - 10–50 target accounts
More than that? Split your lists out by campaign or territory so you don’t lose sight of the important stuff.
How to Add: - Use Sales Navigator’s search to filter by title, function, geography, company size, etc. - Save leads/accounts as you go—don’t just “view” them. - Clean up your lists every couple of months. People move on, priorities change.
Step 3: Set Up and Customize Your Alerts
Now the meat and potatoes. Sales Navigator has a bunch of preset alerts, but you can (and should) tune them.
Where to Find Alert Settings
- Go to your Sales Navigator homepage.
- Click the “Alerts” tab in the left sidebar or top menu (label moves around, but it’s there).
- Click the “Settings” or gear icon. Here’s where you control what shows up.
Types of Alerts You Can Get
For Leads: - Job changes, promotions, anniversaries - Viewed your profile - Shared/post content - Mentioned in the news
For Accounts: - Company news (funding, layoffs, new hires) - New decision makers added - Hiring trends - Company posts
Customizing Alerts (What to Keep/What to Nix)
- Turn off “likes a post” and “work anniversary” alerts unless you have a real reason.
- Keep “job change,” “profile view,” “company news,” and “decision-maker added.”
- For content sharing, only keep if you’re in a relationship-building phase. Otherwise, skip it.
You can also control how you receive alerts: - In Sales Navigator only - Email digests (daily/weekly) - Push notifications (mobile app)
Pro Tip: Start with in-app alerts only. If you’re actually using Sales Navigator, you’ll see them. Only add email or push if you find yourself missing things.
Step 4: Set Up Smart Filters on Your Alert Feed
Once you’ve got alerts coming in, you’ll notice the feed can still get pretty busy. Use the filter bar at the top of your Alerts page.
- Filter by “Leads” vs. “Accounts” to focus your view.
- Use the “Type” filter to see only job changes, only company news, etc.
- Mark alerts as “read” or “important” so you can scan faster next time.
If you’re managing multiple territories or teams, use tags or custom lists to break up the noise.
What to Ignore: Don’t waste time on “all activity”—it’s a firehose. Stick to filtered views that match your priorities.
Step 5: Take Action—Don’t Let Alerts Rot
Alerts are worthless if you don’t actually follow up. Build a quick habit:
- Scan your alerts once a day (or every other day—don’t let it pile up).
- For each signal, ask: “Is this a genuine reason to reach out?”
- If yes, draft a short, relevant message. (“Saw you just joined Acme Corp—congrats! Curious what you’re focused on in your new role?”)
- If no, move on. Don’t force the outreach.
- Log key actions in your CRM (if you’re using one), so you don’t lose track.
Don’t treat alerts as a to-do list. They’re prompts, not orders. Quality beats speed every time.
Step 6: Audit and Adjust Your Alerts Regularly
Even if you set things up perfectly, the signal-to-noise ratio changes as your lists and priorities shift. Every month or two:
- Prune dead leads and closed accounts.
- Review which alerts you’re actually using.
- Turn off any alerts you always skip.
- Add new leads/accounts as your pipeline changes.
Pro Tip: If you find yourself ignoring most alerts, your setup is broken. Dial it back and focus on the signals that actually get you results.
What Actually Works (and What Doesn’t)
What Works
- Job change alerts: Still the best icebreaker. People are unusually open to new conversations when starting a new role.
- Decision-maker added: Good for multi-threading (reaching out to more than one contact at a company).
- Company news (funding, layoffs, big hires): Great context for timely outreach.
What Doesn’t
- Work anniversaries and birthdays: Feels canned. Most people ignore these messages.
- Content likes/re-shares: Too frequent to be useful. Only matters if you have a strong relationship and want a reason to stay top of mind.
- Spraying every alert with the same message: Don’t be that person. Tailor your outreach, or don’t bother.
Quick Troubleshooting: Why Aren’t You Getting Good Alerts?
- List too broad: Narrow your leads/accounts to high-priority targets only.
- Wrong settings: Check your alert preferences. You might have accidentally disabled key alert types.
- Not logging in: In-app alerts don’t do much if you never check Sales Navigator. Set a reminder if you need to.
- Too much noise: Go back and turn off all but the essential alert types.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
Lead alerts in Sales Navigator can cut through the noise, but only if you set them up with a clear goal and keep things lean. Don’t try to track everything; focus on the few signals that actually move the needle. If your alerts feed feels overwhelming, that’s a sign to prune, not add more.
Keep tweaking your setup as your targets and priorities change. The goal isn’t to be the first to say “happy work anniversary.” It’s to spot real moments when your outreach is actually welcome.
Keep it simple, stay curious, and don’t let the tool run you.