Alert Fatigue

Reduce duplicate alert noise with Alert Deduplication

A single incident can generate the same alert several times in quick succession. These duplicate alerts create unnecessary noise and alert fatigue, and make it harder for on-call teams to focus on the issue that needs their attention.

OnPage Alert Deduplication reduces repeat notifications while preserving visibility into every incoming alert. When matching alerts arrive within a selected time window, OnPage delivers the first alert normally and logs subsequent duplicates without notifying the group again.

Set the right window for each group

Administrators can enable Alert Deduplication for individual OnPage groups and select how long matching alerts should be deduplicated.

Available time windows include:

  • 30 seconds
  • 1 minute
  • 2 minutes
  • 3 minutes
  • 5 minutes
  • 10 minutes
  • 15 minutes
  • 30 minutes

This group-level control lets teams choose a window based on the frequency and urgency of the alerts handled by each group. An on-call team managing rapidly repeating infrastructure alerts, for example, may use a different setting from a group responsible for less frequent incidents.

Alert Deduplication is set to Never by default. No existing group behavior changes unless an administrator enables the feature and selects a time window.

Reduce noise without losing visibility

The first matching alert is delivered through the group’s existing workflow. Duplicate alerts received during the selected window do not generate additional notifications, but they are not discarded.

Deduplicated alerts remain visible in OnPage Reports and Message Statuses, allowing teams to review:

  • When each duplicate alert was received
  • The source of the alert
  • Whether the message was identified as a duplicate
  • Whether another notification was sent

This provides a clear audit trail without repeatedly interrupting responders about the same condition.

Keep existing response workflows in place

Enabling Alert Deduplication does not change the group’s escalation policy or Round Robin behavior. The original alert continues through the group’s existing notification and escalation workflow.

The feature works across alert sources, including email, APIs and webhooks. Administrators with permission to create and edit groups can configure it from the group settings in either the Legacy or New Enterprise Web Management Console.

How Alert Deduplication differs from Alert Suppression

Alert Deduplication and Alert Suppression both help reduce unnecessary interruptions, but they address different situations.

Alert Suppression prevents unnecessary audible alerts during a defined suppression period. It is useful during planned maintenance or when teams are already monitoring an issue through a dashboard or collaboration channel.

Alert Deduplication is based on matching alerts. The first alert is delivered normally. If matching alerts arrive during the selected deduplication window, OnPage logs them without notifying the group again.

Both features preserve alert activity in OnPage reports, helping teams reduce noise without losing operational visibility.

Availability

Alert Deduplication is generally available for OnPage Gold and Silver plans starting August 18, 2026 in both the Legacy and New Enterprise Web Management Consoles.

To get started, open the settings for an OnPage group, select Alert Deduplication, and choose the appropriate deduplication window.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is alert deduplication?
Alert deduplication identifies repeated alerts and prevents them from generating multiple notifications during a defined period. OnPage delivers the first matching alert normally and logs subsequent duplicates received within the selected time window.
How does alert deduplication reduce alert fatigue?
Repeated notifications about the same condition can distract responders and make important alerts harder to identify. Alert Deduplication limits these repeat interruptions so on-call teams can focus on responding to the original alert.
What happens to a deduplicated alert?
The alert is logged but does not generate another notification to the group. It remains visible in OnPage Reports and Message Statuses for auditing and review.
Does Alert Deduplication affect escalations or Round Robin?
No. Enabling Alert Deduplication does not change the group’s escalation policy or Round Robin behavior. The first alert follows the group’s existing notification and escalation workflow.
Which alert sources support deduplication?
Alert Deduplication works across all alert sources, including alerts received through email, APIs and webhooks.
What deduplication windows are available?
Administrators can choose 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes or 30 minutes.
Is Alert Deduplication enabled automatically?
No. The default setting is Never, meaning deduplication remains disabled until an administrator selects a time window for the group.
Who can configure Alert Deduplication?
A user must have Admin access and permission to create and edit groups to configure Alert Deduplication.
What is the difference between alert deduplication and alert suppression?
Alert Suppression limits audible alerts during a defined suppression period. Alert Deduplication delivers the first matching alert normally, then logs subsequent matching alerts received within the selected window without notifying the group again.
Which OnPage plans include Alert Deduplication?
Alert Deduplication is available with OnPage Gold and Silver plans.
Ritika Bramhe

Ritika Bramhe is Head of Marketing and Product Marketing Manager at OnPage Corporation, where she wears many hats across positioning, messaging, analyst relations, and growth strategy. She writes about incident alerting, on-call management, and clinical communication, bringing a marketer’s perspective shaped by years of experience working at the intersection of IT, healthcare, and SaaS. Ritika is passionate about translating complex topics into clear, actionable insights for readers navigating today’s digital communication challenges.

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Ritika Bramhe

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