This article is for people who use a screen reader program such as Windows Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA with Microsoft 365 products. This article is part of the Microsoft 365 screen reader support content set where you can find more accessibility information on our apps. For general help, visit Microsoft Support.
Use SharePoint in Microsoft 365 with your keyboard and a screen reader to create alerts that notify you about changes to files and folders. We have tested it with Narrator and JAWS, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques. When you create an alert, you can specify the delivery method (email or text message), when the alert is sent, and what kind of changes trigger the alert.
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New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.
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To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365.
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When you use SharePoint in Microsoft 365, we recommend that you use Microsoft Edge as your web browser. Because SharePoint in Microsoft 365 runs in your web browser, the keyboard shortcuts are different from those in a desktop program. For example, you’ll use Ctrl+F6 instead of F6 for jumping in and out of the commands. Also, common shortcuts like F1 (Help) and Ctrl+O (Open) apply to the web browser – not SharePoint in Microsoft 365.
Create an alert to notify you when a file or folder is changed
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In the document library where you want to create the alert, press the Tab key until you hear the first or the currently selected item in the list of files and folders.
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Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the item you want.
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Press Shift+F10 to open the context menu.
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Press the Up arrow key until you hear "Alert me," and press Enter. The Alert me when items change dialog box opens.
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Press the Tab key until you hear “Alert Title,” and type a name for the alert.
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To specify the delivery method, press the Tab key until you hear: “Email, radio button.” To select another delivery method, if available for your account, such as text messaging, press the Down arrow key.
: If you select the Text Message (SMS) option, you can also have the file or folder URL sent within the text message. Press the Tab key until you hear "Send URL in text message (SMS)," and then press Spacebar to fill the checkbox.
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If you're creating an alert for a folder, to specify which change type triggers an alert, press the Tab key until you hear: "All changes, radio button." Use the Down arrow key to cycle through the options until you hear the one you want.
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To specify which events to receive alerts for, press the Tab key until you hear: “Anything changes, radio button.” Use the Down arrow key to cycle through the options until you hear the one you want.
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To specify how frequently you want to be alerted, press the Tab key until you hear: “Send notification immediately, radio button.” Use the Down arrow key to cycle through the options until you hear the one you want.
If you select a daily or weekly summary, press the Tab key until you hear a day or time, and then use the Up and Down arrow keys to define the day and time you want to be alerted at.
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To save the alert settings, press the Tab key until you hear "OK," and press Enter.
See also
Use a screen reader to review file activity in a document library in SharePoint Online
Keyboard shortcuts in SharePoint Online
Basic tasks using a screen reader with SharePoint Online
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate SharePoint Online
Technical support for customers with disabilities
Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.
If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.
