SharePoint Document Issues

How to Customize SharePoint Alert Emails for Only Changed Documents

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to configure SharePoint alert emails to display only a list of modified documents, omitting details like who made the changes and when they occurred.

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Receiving SharePoint daily summaries or alerts and wanting a cleaner, simplified email notification that only lists the changed files.
Observed behavior: By default, SharePoint includes detailed metadata (who modified it, when, etc.) in alert emails, and there is no built-in option to hide this information.

Before you start

Note that native SharePoint out-of-the-box alert features do not support deep customization of email content templates. You will need access to Microsoft Power Automate to create a custom notification flow.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Microsoft Power Automate to Create Custom Alert Emails

Since native SharePoint alerts cannot be customized to hide modifier details, creating a flow in Power Automate is the best way to generate a summary of changed documents exactly how you want it.

Power Automate allows you to extract specific data from your SharePoint lists and libraries. By building a custom flow, you can choose exactly which document properties to include in your email body.

Open Power Automate

Create a new scheduled or automated flow

Click on 'Create' and choose 'Scheduled cloud flow' to send daily summaries, or 'Automated cloud flow' to trigger when a file is modified in your SharePoint library.

Get changes for an item or a file

Add the SharePoint action 'Get changes for an item or a file (properties only)' to identify which documents have been updated.

Format the email content

Use the 'Select' and 'Create HTML table' data operations to extract only the document names and file links, intentionally leaving out the Modified By and Modified date fields.

Send the email

Add the 'Send an email (V2)' action, insert your formatted HTML table into the body, and save your flow.

Community Support: If you need specific help building the data operations for this flow, posting your requirements in the Microsoft Power Automate Community is highly recommended.

Solution 2

Submit and Vote on Microsoft Feedback

If you prefer not to use Power Automate, the only other route is to request Microsoft to add this feature natively to SharePoint.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Edit and Manage Documents Seamlessly with WPS Office

While you configure your team's SharePoint alerts, consider using WPS Office to create, edit, and collaborate on your documents. WPS Office is a lightweight, fully compatible alternative to Microsoft Office that handles Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF files effortlessly.

1. Download and Install: Visit the official WPS website to download the free installer for your operating system.
2. Open Your Documents: Launch WPS Office and open your .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx files downloaded or synced from SharePoint.
3. Edit and Save: Use the familiar interface to edit your documents and save them in their original formats without compatibility issues.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Office formats (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx) stored in SharePoint.Lightweight installation with fast startup times for quick document editing.Familiar, tabbed user interface that requires zero learning curve.Built-in PDF editor to easily manage and convert your documents.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I customize the default SharePoint alert email template?

Out of the box, SharePoint does not allow you to customize the HTML or content structure of its native alert emails. It only lets you choose the frequency (e.g., immediate, daily, or weekly) and the trigger events.

How do I turn on daily summaries instead of immediate alerts in SharePoint?

Navigate to your SharePoint library, click the three dots (...) and select 'Alert me'. Under the 'When to send alerts' section, choose 'Send a daily summary' and pick your preferred time.

Is Power Automate free to use with SharePoint?

Yes, basic Power Automate capabilities are included in most standard Microsoft 365 business and enterprise subscriptions, allowing you to create custom notification flows for SharePoint document alerts.

Document & File Issues