---
title: How do I set KPIs and alerts?
slug: help/en-us/pulse/how-do-i-set-kpis-and-alerts
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-02-09T13:09:04.500Z
---

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### Required Permissions

Only users who are assigned to a Role with Herd Write permissions can use this feature. See [Edit Dairy User Permissions](docId\:gW6ZX7tfC4IhSbrtOzc_V) and [Manage Dairy Roles](docId:9YjUkdzFab0KkO1HW0Mxj) for more information.
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**NOTE: **Use this topic to learn more about KPI-based alerts for your dairy. PULSE also offers an option to set protocol task status alerts, which are based on your dairy protocols and scheduling setup. See [Add and Manage Task Status Alerts](docId\:Xt7uO8tKjxmsXpeM-WrYy) to learn more about task status alerts.
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PULSE can alert you when the following KPIs fall below or exceed your designated limits:

- Conception rates for cows and heifers
- Animal counts by reproduction status: Open, Pregnant, Dry
- Population counts for a variety of specific animal types, including heifers, breeding-age heifers, departing animals, and new heifers

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/3h8pSJcGUXEi4HGCCYPTA/rr3ppOmLgUeuEO32FoP0K_alerts-intro.png" size="20" width="1142" height="877" darkWidth="1142" darkHeight="877" position="flex-start" showCaption="false"}

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## Set KPIs & Alerts

Follow these steps to set your KPI limits and enable email notifications when an alert is triggered.

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/3h8pSJcGUXEi4HGCCYPTA/Scs_PVNO7uKhgA54qi_rD_alerts-main.png" size="42" width="2464" height="972" darkWidth="2464" darkHeight="972" position="flex-start" showCaption="false"}

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From your [Account Settings](docId\:adCj5YzYbeNGYC6XQqEc3) page, click the Alerts tab.
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Click the toggle :inlineImage[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/3h8pSJcGUXEi4HGCCYPTA/NEDPq1QD8dqRNSI9DALQN_toggle-off.png" alt caption size="10" width="56" height="29"} to enable Alerts :inlineImage[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/3h8pSJcGUXEi4HGCCYPTA/pS14Ozaep-sMYk8E3sx40_toggle-on.png" alt caption size="10" width="57" height="29"}.
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Set Reproduction, Population, and Health limits:

a. Click the toggle :inlineImage[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/3h8pSJcGUXEi4HGCCYPTA/NEDPq1QD8dqRNSI9DALQN_toggle-off.png" alt caption size="10" width="56" height="29"} to enable the KPI measurement :inlineImage[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/3h8pSJcGUXEi4HGCCYPTA/pS14Ozaep-sMYk8E3sx40_toggle-on.png" alt caption size="10" width="57" height="29"}.

b. Set a Lower and/or Upper Limit value. (See [How do I set KPIs and alerts?](docId\:UTbvgtdQOd86JcLXo9h9z) for details on each available KPI.)

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**NOTE: **The Current Value for your herd is displayed below each KPI name to assist you in setting your threshold values.:inlineImage[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/3h8pSJcGUXEi4HGCCYPTA/eMflrDx4Atv3MkyMV486G_kpi-sample-value.png" alt caption size="10" width="205" height="35"}
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If you have access to more than one PULSE dairy, you can either set unique thresholds for each dairy or set the same values for all dairies.

a. Click the **Apply these Settings to all Dairies** option to apply the settings across all dairies.

b. Click **Yes, Apply and Save** to confirm the settings.
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## KPI Descriptions

### Reproduction

- **Cow Conception Rate: **% of positive pregnancies / total number of inseminations for cows (LACT > 1)
- **Heifer Conception Rate:** % of positive pregnancies / total number of inseminations for heifers (LACT = 0)
- **Open Animals:** Count of animals confirmed not pregnant
- **Pregnant Animals:** Count of animals confirmed to be pregnant
- **Dry Animals:** Count of animals in their dry phase

### Population

- **Number of heifers:** Count of all heifers in the herd
- **Number of breeding-age heifers:** Count of breeding-age heifers in the herd
- **Number of milking cows:** Count of milking cows in the herd
- Herd **population without bulls:** Count of all female animals in the herd
- **Number of departing cows:** Count of all cows leaving the herd (sold or died)
- **Number of departing heifers:** Count of all heifers leaving the herd (sold or died)
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## Email Notifications

You will receive **up to one Alert email per day** for each dairy with Reproduction and Population Alerts enabled in your Account Settings. PULSE evaluates your herd data against your Reproduction and Population KPIs after midnight on a daily basis. If any herd attributes fall below a lower limit or exceed an upper limit, an Alert email is sent in the early morning hours to the email address you use to log in to PULSE.

**Example Alert email**

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/3h8pSJcGUXEi4HGCCYPTA/Hc1YJN24NUYAokWVXLKSK_alerts-sample-email.png" size="14" width="626" height="1322" position="flex-start" showCaption="false"}
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