Alert Relay
See exactly what changed - in your flows and your Copilot Studio agents.
Alert Relay is a Power Platform connector that turns raw SharePoint version history into structured before-and-after values, readable complex-field formatting and ready-to-use HTML.
Use it inside Power Automate for detailed change emails and workflow logic, or add it as a tool in Copilot Studio agents to answer questions about changes since a date or version you choose.
Available in Power Automate and Copilot Studio. Search for "Alert Relay" in the connector picker to get started.
Availability may vary by region.
What Alert Relay does
See the actual before-and-after.
Alert Relay returns field-level previous and current values, including supported complex SharePoint fields such as people, managed metadata and lookups, so your flows and agents can act on real change details.
Explore detailed comparisonsCompare against a baseline you choose.
Compare the current item against a specific version label, date or SharePoint change token. Choose the comparison point that matters to your workflow.
Choose a comparison baselineGet ready-to-send output.
Get formatted HTML email bodies and a suggested subject for Power Automate, or structured JSON your configured Copilot Studio agent can use to explain the changes.
Explore alert HTMLAlert Relay inside Copilot Studio agents
Add Alert Relay as a tool in your Copilot Studio agent
Reading the current item tells your agent where things stand. Alert Relay supplies the previous and current field values for a comparison against a date, version or change token you choose.
Add the comparison action through the Power Platform connector picker, configure an Alert Relay connection with access to the source, and give your agent instructions such as:
“When the user asks about changes to this project item, use Alert Relay to compare it against the date or version they provide. Summarise the previous and current values for the fields that changed.”
Once the agent is configured, an example user prompt is:
“Compare this risk register item with version 3.0 and explain the changes to its risk rating, owner and target date.”
For automation through Copilot Studio agent flows, usage is billed through Copilot Studio rather than requiring a separate Power Automate licence for that agent-flow path. Your Copilot Studio entitlement and Alert Relay subscription still apply.
Microsoft's agent-flow licensing guidance
Add to a Copilot Studio agentAlert Relay inside Power Automate
Build detailed change emails and workflow logic without rebuilding SharePoint version comparison and complex-field formatting in every flow.
- Send notification emails containing previous and current values.
- Apply business rules using previous and current values from one or more columns, then branch or trigger follow-up actions.
- Reuse supported field formatting and generated HTML.
Alert Relay supplies the comparison and notification content. Your flow sends the email, posts to Teams or performs the follow-up action using the appropriate connector.
Build your first notification flowBranch your workflow on what actually changed
Use previous and current values from one or more SharePoint columns to decide which path your Power Automate flow takes.
For example, escalate when risk changes from Medium to High and the target date moves later, or request a review when an amount increases above an agreed threshold.
Alert Relay supplies the field values. You define the conditions and combine them into business rules in your flow, without building the version-history comparison yourself.
Use detailed changes in your flowWhat makes Alert Relay different from native Microsoft
Use native rules and workflow templates when they meet the job. Add Alert Relay when your flow or agent needs reusable field-level comparisons and formatted output.
| The job you're doing | Native Microsoft options | Alert Relay |
|---|---|---|
| Notify someone when an item changes | SharePoint rules and Power Automate notification flows can handle this. | Adds field-level change details to the notification your flow sends. |
| Apply business rules based on actual field changes | Column-change flags indicate whether a field changed. Rules that depend on previous values require those values to be retrieved separately. | Returns previous and current values for use in Power Automate conditions across one or more columns. For example, branch when risk changes from Medium to High and the target date moves later. |
| Show a field's previous and current values | The documented Copilot in SharePoint rule actions do not expose a field-comparison action. Custom flows can retrieve and compare history. | Returns structured previous and current field values. |
| Compare against a version, date or change token | Requires comparison logic beyond the documented rule actions. | Accepts an explicit comparison baseline for an item or file. |
| Format people, managed metadata and lookup fields | Complex fields such as people, managed metadata and lookups can be difficult to format into readable values, often requiring custom expressions and additional flow steps. | Provides readable formatting for supported complex fields. |
| Give a Copilot Studio agent comparison data | Agents can use connector tools and custom workflows. | Provides a reusable comparison tool through the connector. |
See Microsoft's documented Copilot in SharePoint rule capabilities. Comparison checked 28 September 2026; availability and capabilities can change.
Pricing
Tenant-wide pricing for SharePoint change reporting in Power Automate and Copilot Studio.
Microsoft licensing and consumption charges are separate from your Alert Relay subscription. Power Automate requires appropriate premium connector rights. Copilot Studio licensing and usage depend on your configuration.
90-day trial
AU$0
300 usage units total across the trial
Best for evaluating SharePoint comparisons in a flow or Copilot Studio agent.
- Tenant-wide trial
- See the quickstart for connection and trial setup.
- 300 usage units across the full 90 days
- Includes all Alert Relay actions
Starter
AU$319 / year
AU$290 ex GST
1,000 usage units per month
Best for smaller teams with lower-volume comparisons and workflows.
- Tenant-wide subscription
- Includes all Alert Relay actions
- Good fit for everyday comparisons and notifications
- Email support
Business
AU$869 / year
AU$790 ex GST
5,000 usage units per month
Best for organisations using comparisons across multiple flows and agents.
- Tenant-wide subscription
- Includes all Alert Relay actions
- Better fit for wider departmental use
- Email support
Enterprise
AU$2,519 / year
AU$2,290 ex GST
25,000 usage units per month
Best for larger organisations with higher comparison and workflow volumes.
- Tenant-wide subscription
- Includes all Alert Relay actions
- Higher-volume usage
Prices are in AUD. GST-inclusive prices are shown for Australian customers. Customers outside Australia may not be charged GST where applicable.
How usage units work
Each successful detailed comparison or alert HTML action uses 1 usage unit. The SharePoint token-parsing action uses 0 usage units.
How tenant-wide usage works
Usage is tenant-wide within your Microsoft Entra tenant. Usage units are shared across flows, agents and users in the tenant.
See the getting-started guide for connection and trial setup.
Also a SharePoint Alerts replacement
If you're replacing classic SharePoint Alerts following Microsoft's July 2026 retirement, Alert Relay provides a path to richer notifications with actual before-and-after values.
Alert Relay works inside Power Automate so you can replace old SharePoint Alerts with modern flows that show exactly what changed.
See a migration walkthrough | Discuss a SharePoint Alerts migration
SharePoint Alerts retirement timeline
July 2025
Microsoft began gradually turning off new SharePoint Alerts for newly onboarding tenants.
January 2026
Microsoft's timeline disabled new SharePoint Alerts for all tenants.
July 2026
Microsoft's timeline ended existing SharePoint Alerts and their extensions.
More Alert Relay screenshots
A closer look at the connector action and detailed item change output.
Changed details action
See the connector action configuration used to pull field-level SharePoint changes into a flow.
Business rule example
Use detailed change information to drive business rules and follow-up actions.
Frequently asked questions
What can I compare against?
Compare a SharePoint item or file against an earlier date, version label or SharePoint trigger/change token. Supply an explicit baseline to make the comparison period clear.
Can I use Alert Relay in a Copilot Studio agent?
Yes. Add Alert Relay as a connector tool on your configured agent, or call its action from an agent flow. Supply the source item and an explicit comparison baseline, using a connection with access to the relevant SharePoint content. See the Copilot Studio setup guide.
Does Alert Relay send the notification?
The connector returns structured change details or ready-to-use notification HTML and a suggested subject. Your Power Automate flow sends the email or performs the follow-up action.
Do I also need Power Automate or Copilot Studio licensing?
In a Power Automate flow, Alert Relay requires appropriate premium connector rights in addition to your Alert Relay subscription. Copilot Studio agent flows are billed through Copilot Studio usage and do not require a separate Power Automate licence for that path. Copilot Studio entitlements and any applicable Copilot Credits still apply. Check Microsoft’s current licensing guidance for your configuration.
How do tenant-wide usage units work?
Usage units are shared across flows, agents and users within your Microsoft Entra tenant. Each successful detailed comparison or alert HTML action uses 1 usage unit. The SharePoint token-parsing action uses 0 usage units.
What is included in the trial?
The tenant-wide trial includes 300 usage units across 90 days. See the getting-started guide for connection and trial setup.
What's your relationship to Microsoft's Copilot in SharePoint rules?
Alert Relay complements native rules and workflows. Native rules can handle change-triggered actions; Alert Relay supplies reusable field-level previous and current values for your workflows and configured agents. Choose native functionality alone when it meets your requirements.
Read the Copilot Studio quickstart, Microsoft's agent-flow licensing guidance and Power Automate licensing guidance.
For Microsoft consultants and MSPs
Helping clients replace SharePoint Alerts? Building Copilot Studio agents that need to reason over changes to SharePoint items? Alert Relay is designed to be embedded in your client workflows and agents.
Talk to us about using Alert Relay in your client work and discuss your implementation and commercial requirements.
Talk to us about partner termsPut SharePoint change details to work.
Start with a comparison in your Power Automate flow or Copilot Studio agent.