If you’re drowning in competitor news but missing the stuff that actually matters, you’re not alone. Setting up custom alerts in Klue can help you cut through the noise—if you do it right. This guide is for anyone who wants to catch critical competitor moves (product launches, leadership changes, pricing shifts) without becoming a slave to notifications.
Below, you’ll get step-by-step instructions, real-world tips, and a few warnings about what not to do. Let’s make Klue work for you, not the other way around.
What Are Custom Alerts in Klue, and Why Should You Bother?
First, a quick refresher. Klue is a competitive intelligence platform that pulls in data from across the web and your own team. Custom alerts let you set up notifications when something changes with your tracked competitors—think of it as a watchdog that only barks when something actually matters.
Why use them? - Stay ahead of product launches, pricing changes, or new sales collateral. - Catch news or updates before your boss does. - Avoid the firehose effect: no more endless “FYI” emails or Slack noise.
But here’s the thing: if you set up alerts badly, you’ll just trade one pile of junk for another. The goal is quality, not quantity.
Step 1: Decide What You Actually Want to Know
Don’t just turn on every alert and hope for the best. That’s a recipe for alert fatigue. Instead, ask yourself:
- What info is critical for my team? (Product launches? Pricing updates? New hires?)
- Who needs to see these updates? (Sales? Product? Just you?)
- How often do you need to be notified? (Instantly? Daily? Weekly?)
Pro Tip: Talk to your stakeholders before you set up anything. There’s no point in pinging the whole sales team every time your competitor posts a blog.
Step 2: Set Up Your Competitors in Klue
If you haven’t already tracked your competitors in Klue, do it now. Here’s the basic process:
- Log in to Klue.
- Go to your dashboard.
- Find the “Competitors” section (usually on the left nav).
- Add competitors by name, domain, or importing a list.
Don’t try to track every company in your industry. Focus on the 3–5 that actually impact your deals or strategy.
Step 3: Understand What Triggers an Alert
Klue lets you set up alerts based on several triggers. These might include:
- News mentions (when your competitor is mentioned in the press)
- Website changes (home page, pricing page, product updates)
- Document uploads (when someone adds new competitive intel)
- Internal discussions or commentary
- Custom tags or topics (if your team uses them)
What works: Alerts for major website changes, pricing page edits, and significant news. What doesn’t: Alerts for every blog post, social media mention, or minor team comment. You’ll drown.
Step 4: Create Your Custom Alerts
Here’s the meat and potatoes.
4.1: Go to the Alerts/Notifications Section
- Navigate to the “Settings” (usually in the top right, often under your profile pic).
- Find “Alerts,” “Notifications,” or “Custom Alerts.” The naming might change, but it’s in Settings.
4.2: Choose Your Competitor(s) and Trigger(s)
- Select the competitors you care about.
- Pick your triggers: news, web changes, uploads, etc.
- You can often filter even further (e.g., only changes to the “Pricing” page).
4.3: Set Your Delivery Method
- Email: Good for summary alerts, but inboxes are crowded.
- Slack/MS Teams: Great if your team lives there, but beware of notification fatigue.
- In-app: Useful for power users who are in Klue all day.
Pro Tip: Start with a daily or weekly digest, not instant notifications. You can always dial it up later.
4.4: Fine-Tune with Keywords or Tags
- Add keywords (like “launch,” “price,” “executive,” “funding”) to filter for the juicy stuff.
- Some orgs create tags for big topics—use these to narrow alerts further.
What to ignore: Don’t try to build the perfect filter on Day 1. It’s better to start simple and adjust.
Step 5: Test (and Tweak) Before You Roll Out
This is where most folks mess up. Don’t set it and forget it.
- Trigger a few test alerts (change a dummy competitor page, upload a test doc).
- Make sure the right people get notified, and that the alerts are clear.
- Check for alert overload—are you getting too many? Not enough?
- Ask for feedback from anyone receiving the alerts.
Reality check: You will not get this perfect the first time. Expect to tweak your settings a few times in the first month.
Step 6: Share Alerts (But Don’t Spam)
Now that your alerts are working, decide who actually needs them.
- Share with teams or individuals based on need to know, not nice to know.
- For sales, focus on battlecards or major product/feature updates.
- For product, highlight roadmap changes or tech releases.
- For execs, stick to big-picture: funding rounds, leadership changes, major pivots.
Pro Tip: Set expectations. Tell people what they’ll be getting and why it matters. Otherwise, they’ll start ignoring everything—including the important stuff.
Step 7: Review and Adjust Regularly
Competitive landscapes shift. So should your alerts.
- Once a month, review what’s coming in:
- Are you missing anything important?
- Is anyone complaining about noise?
- Remove triggers for sources that are just noise (e.g., competitors’ “thought leadership” blogs).
- Add new keywords or triggers as your priorities change.
What to ignore: Vanity alerts (e.g., every time a competitor tweets a meme). Stay focused on what moves the needle.
Troubleshooting: Common Alert Pitfalls (and How to Dodge Them)
- Too many alerts? Cut back on broad triggers. Use keywords or limit to only big changes.
- Not getting anything? Loosen your filters or check if your tracked competitors are actually active.
- Alerts going to spam? Whitelist Klue’s email addresses or use a dedicated Slack channel.
- Missed a big update? Review your triggers and make sure you’re tracking the right web pages or keywords.
Honest take: Klue’s alert system is powerful if you keep it simple and focused. The more you try to automate, the more likely you’ll miss real nuance—so don’t rely on it for everything.
Extra Tips for Staying Sane
- Don’t try to be omniscient. You’ll never catch every move. Aim for “better, not perfect.”
- Keep a feedback loop with your team. If folks stop reading the alerts, ask why.
- Use Klue’s analytics. See which alerts get engagement—and which are ignored.
Wrapping Up
Custom alerts in Klue are about working smarter, not just getting more “intel.” Start with the basics, focus on what truly matters, and don’t be afraid to iterate. Remember: the best competitive advantage is not knowing everything—it’s acting on the right things, at the right time.
Go slow. Adjust often. And never let a tool make your life more complicated than it needs to be.