# Alert Rule Severity

When you create most alert rules, you must set *severity* levels for them (some alert rules do not have severity settings, such as Devices and Event Detection). When the rule is triggered, the severity level of the resulting alert is displayed both in the ThousandEyes UI and in any notifications that you have configured, such as email.

Alert severity is a **static property**. That is, once an alert has been triggered, its severity level cannot be raised or lowered. If the conditions that triggered the alert (such as the number of locations impacted) change, the alert's severity does not change.

An alert rule can have one of the following severity levels:

* **Info** (default)
* **Minor**
* **Major**
* **Critical**

![Showing different secverity levels](https://1112912342-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-M4QARF6s57qxMrOHDTZ%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-704a9541f4c0ab16378510c3d7bce047314c624c%2Fproduct-documentation_alerts_alert-severity-1_2.png?alt=media\&token=ac10d169-cdfb-44b1-812e-50b14f3e9904)

## Setting Severity

To set the severity level for a new alert rule, use the **Severity** field in the **Add New Alert Rule** dialog:

![](https://1112912342-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-M4QARF6s57qxMrOHDTZ%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-15a04e7f62909e9806eeda6d4853a90effc61a43%2Falert-severity-2.png?alt=media\&token=df76babe-82d3-49b1-aa1c-abf1fa806628)

## Existing Alert Rules

When you add a new, customized alert rule using the **Add New Alert Rule** button, it is automatically configured with the severity **Info**. If you choose to use a Default Alert Rule, these are automatically configured with the severity **Minor**. You can change these settings in either case to the severity level that suits your organization's needs. If you have existing alert rules that predate these automatic severity settings, they will keep their current severity settings.

## Changing an Alert Rule's Severity

If you change the severity of an alert rule that has current triggered alerts, those alerts maintain their original severity level. The alerts listed in **Alerts > Active Alerts** and **Alerts > Alerts History** maintain the severity level that was assigned to them when they were triggered. After you change the severity setting of an alert rule, future alerts will have the new severity level.