> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cortex-labs.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Configure a condition watch and inspect alerts

> Bind a published condition to an authorised scope and check evidence, grouping and delivery.

You need watch-management authority on the workspace and access to its input evidence. An Admin registers external destination definitions.

## Publish or select a condition

Open **Forge → Conditions**. Inspect a published typed condition or author and publish one for your purpose.

| Predicate | Check |
| - | - |
| Area membership | Saved area, entity types and Enter, Exit or Inside semantics. |
| Attribute range | Attribute, numeric bounds and domain-schema unit. |
| Field comparison | Enrichment result field, comparison and missing-value handling. |
| Agent judgement | Permitted agent operation and its cited mentions or results. |

Inspect severity, summary and grouping. A condition definition's typed predicate is separate from a workflow-starting condition trigger.

## Bind and test the watch

1. Create a watch for the intended workspace, collection or dataset.
2. Select the published condition version.
3. Check recipients and permitted destinations, including their security label limits.
4. Choose **Alert** or **Feed** delivery.
5. Send a test alert and inspect each destination outcome.
6. Enable the watch deliberately and inspect a known new input.

A new watch starts off. It runs as its creator, with that person's current access and clearance.

## Understand what causes a match

The watch examines input recorded after enablement. Existing older mentions do not become new observations when a dataset is attached later.

An area revision, entity merge or workspace copy does not itself raise a historical transition. A Hidden entity raises no alert.

For area conditions, uncertain membership and missing event time do not establish a transition. A first known position inside is an Inside match, rather than an Enter event. No observation does not establish Exit.

## Check grouping and delivery

| Choice | Behaviour |
| - | - |
| Entity grouping | One group per entity; area predicates also distinguish a stay. |
| Dataset grouping | One group for the dataset's matched inputs. |
| Watch grouping | One group for the watch. |
| Alert mode | The first group match sends one delivery. Later matches update the group. |
| Feed mode | Sends updated matches, limited to one delivery per alert in five seconds. |

Open the alert and inspect its condition version, evidence, first/last match and count. Open the underlying source before interpreting its summary.

Check delivery records independently. Failure at one destination does not prove failure at every destination. External delivery uses the destination's newest published version; revocation stops it without fallback.

## Follow the operational lifecycle

Where the alert configuration defines reminders, acknowledgement, recovery or escalation, inspect each recorded state separately. Acknowledgement records attention. Recovery needs evidence that the condition resolved.

Do not infer recovery from silence. Inspect collector freshness and coverage. A watch alert does not start a workflow unless a separate declared action is configured.

For source gaps, use [Monitor sensor and network observations](/vantage/run-apps-and-workflows/sensor-network-observations). For destination configuration, use [Manage secrets and destinations](/administration/configuration-and-usage/secrets-and-destinations).


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