--- aliases: - ../../configure-alertmanager/ # /docs/grafana//configure-alertmanager/ - ../unified-alerting/fundamentals/alertmanager/ # /docs/grafana//alerting/unified-alerting/fundamentals/alertmanager/ - ../manage-notifications/alertmanager/ # /docs/grafana//alerting/manage-notifications/alertmanager/ - ../fundamentals/alertmanager/ # /docs/grafana//alerting/fundamentals/alertmanager/ - ../fundamentals/notifications/alertmanager/ # /docs/grafana//alerting/fundamentals/notifications/alertmanager canonical: https://grafana.com/docs/grafana/latest/alerting/set-up/configure-alertmanager/ description: Learn about Alertmanagers and set up Alerting to use other Alertmanagers keywords: - grafana - alerting - set up - configure - external Alertmanager labels: products: - cloud - enterprise - oss title: Configure Alertmanagers weight: 200 refs: configure-grafana-alerts-notifications: - pattern: /docs/grafana/ destination: /docs/grafana//alerting/alerting-rules/create-grafana-managed-rule/#configure-notifications - pattern: /docs/grafana-cloud/ destination: /docs/grafana-cloud/alerting-and-irm/alerting/alerting-rules/create-grafana-managed-rule/#configure-notifications configure-notification-policies: - pattern: /docs/grafana/ destination: /docs/grafana//alerting/configure-notifications/create-notification-policy/ - pattern: /docs/grafana-cloud/ destination: /docs/grafana-cloud/alerting-and-irm/alerting/configure-notifications/create-notification-policy/ alertmanager-contact-point: - pattern: /docs/grafana/ destination: /docs/grafana//alerting/configure-notifications/manage-contact-points/integrations/configure-alertmanager/ - pattern: /docs/grafana-cloud/ destination: /docs/grafana-cloud/alerting-and-irm/alerting/configure-notifications/manage-contact-points/integrations/configure-alertmanager/ alertmanager-data-source: - pattern: /docs/grafana/ destination: /docs/grafana//datasources/alertmanager/ - pattern: /docs/grafana-cloud/ destination: /docs/grafana-cloud/connect-externally-hosted/data-sources/alertmanager/ notifications: - pattern: /docs/grafana/ destination: /docs/grafana//alerting/fundamentals/notifications/ - pattern: /docs/grafana-cloud/ destination: /docs/grafana-cloud/alerting-and-irm/alerting/fundamentals/notifications/ --- # Configure Alertmanagers Grafana Alerting is based on the architecture of the Prometheus alerting system. Grafana sends firing and resolved alerts to an Alertmanager, which is responsible for [handling notifications](ref:notifications). This architecture decouples alert rule evaluation from notification handling, improving scalability. {{< figure src="/media/docs/alerting/alerting-alertmanager-architecture.png" max-width="750px" alt="A diagram with the alert generator and alert manager architecture" >}} Grafana includes a built-in **Grafana Alertmanager** to handle notifications. This guide shows you how to: - Use different [types of Alertmanagers](#types-of-alertmanagers-in-grafana) with Grafana - [Add other Alertmanager](#add-an-alertmanager) and [enable it to receive all Grafana-managed alerts](#enable-an-alertmanager-to-receive-grafana-managed-alerts) - Use an [Alertmanager as a contact point]() to route specific alerts ## Alertmanager resources It’s important to note that each Alertmanager manages its own independent alerting resources, such as: - Contact points and notification templates - Notification policies and mute timings - Silences - Active notifications Use the `Choose Alertmanager` dropdown on these pages to switch between Alertmanagers and view or manage their resources. {{< figure src="/media/docs/alerting/alerting-choose-alertmanager.png" max-width="750px" alt="A screenshot choosing an Alertmanager in the notification policies UI" >}} ## Types of Alertmanagers in Grafana Grafana can be configured to handle alert notifications using various Alertmanagers. - **Grafana Alertmanager**: Grafana includes a built-in Alertmanager that extends the [Prometheus Alertmanager](https://prometheus.io/docs/alerting/latest/alertmanager/). This is the default Alertmanager and is referred to as "Grafana" in the user interface. It can only handle Grafana-managed alerts. - **Cloud Alertmanager**: Each Grafana Cloud instance comes preconfigured with an additional Alertmanager (`grafanacloud-STACK_NAME-ngalertmanager`) from the Mimir (Prometheus) instance running in the Grafana Cloud Stack. The Cloud Alertmanager is available exclusively in Grafana Cloud and can handle both Grafana-managed and data source-managed alerts. - **Other Alertmanagers**: Grafana Alerting also supports sending alerts to other Alertmanagers, such as the [Prometheus Alertmanager](https://prometheus.io/docs/alerting/latest/alertmanager/), which can handle both Grafana-managed and data source-managed alerts. Grafana Alerting supports using a combination of Alertmanagers and can [enable other Alertmanagers to receive Grafana-managed alerts](#enable-an-alertmanager-to-receive-grafana-managed-alerts). The decision often depends on your alerting setup and where your alerts are generated. For example, if you already have an Alertmanager running in your on-premises or cloud infrastructure to handle Prometheus alerts, you can forward Grafana-managed alerts to the same Alertmanager for unified notification handling. ## Add an Alertmanager Alertmanagers should be configured as data sources using Grafana Configuration from the main Grafana navigation menu. To add an Alertmanager, complete the following steps. {{< docs/shared lookup="alerts/add-alertmanager-ds.md" source="grafana" version="" >}} For provisioning instructions, refer to the [Alertmanager data source documentation](ref:alertmanager-data-source). After adding an Alertmanager, you can use the Grafana Alerting UI to manage notification policies, contact points, silences, and other alerting resources from within Grafana. {{< admonition type="note" >}} When using Prometheus, you can manage silences in the Grafana Alerting UI. However, other Alertmanager resources such as contact points, notification policies, and templates are read-only because the Prometheus Alertmanager HTTP API does not support updates for these resources. {{< /admonition >}} When using multiple Alertmanagers, use the `Choose Alertmanager` dropdown to switch between Alertmanagers. ## Enable an Alertmanager to receive Grafana-managed alerts After enabling **Receive Grafana Alerts** in the Data Source Settings, you must also configure the Alertmanager in the Alerting Settings page. Grafana supports enabling one or multiple Alertmanagers to receive all generated Grafana-managed alerts. 1. In the left-side menu, click **Alerts & IRM** and then **Alerting**. 1. Click **Settings** to view the list of configured Alertmanagers. 1. For the selected Alertmanager, click the **Enable/Disable** button to toggle receiving Grafana-managed alerts. When activated, the Alertmanager displays `Receiving Grafana-managed alerts`. {{< figure src="/media/docs/alerting/grafana-alerting-settings.png" max-width="750px" alt="Grafana Alerting Settings page" >}} All Grafana-managed alerts are forwarded to Alertmanagers marked as `Receiving Grafana-managed alerts`. {{< admonition type="note" >}} Grafana Alerting does not support forwarding Grafana-managed alerts to the AlertManager in Amazon Managed Service for Prometheus. For more details, refer to [this GitHub issue](https://github.com/grafana/grafana/issues/64064). {{< /admonition >}} ## Use an Alertmanager as a contact point to receive specific alerts The previous instructions enable sending **all** Grafana-managed alerts to an Alertmanager. To send **specific** alerts to an Alertmanager, configure the Alertmanager as a contact point. You can then assign this contact point to notification policies or individual alert rules. For detailed instructions, refer to: - [Alertmanager contact point](ref:alertmanager-contact-point) - [Configure Grafana-managed alert rules](ref:configure-grafana-alerts-notifications) - [Configure notification policies](ref:configure-notification-policies) ## Manage Alertmanager configurations On the Settings page, you can also manage your Alertmanager configurations. - Manage version snapshots for the built-in Alertmanager, which allows administrators to roll back unintentional changes or mistakes in the Alertmanager configuration. - Compare the historical snapshot with the latest configuration to see which changes were made.