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

# create alert

`POST /signals/alerts`

An alert is a source of signals. Read them with `list_signals`. Starts a premium source for one premium credit per lead. Holds premium credits for the first job. With dry_run true, estimates without writing a row.

An alert is a source of signals. Read them with `list_signals`. Starts a premium source for one premium credit per lead. Holds premium credits for the first job. With dry_run true, estimates without writing a row.

Cost: One premium credit per new lead, held before each run. Premium credits are held before work starts, and a dry run is free.

## Request body

- `kind` | enum | required. What to watch. linkedin_profile: the people who react to or comment on the 10 latest posts of one profile. linkedin_post: the people who react to or comment on one post. Values: `linkedin_profile`, `linkedin_post`.
- `target` | string | required. The LinkedIn URL of the target. A profile URL, such as https://www.linkedin.com/in/<slug>. A post URL of the form https://www.linkedin.com/posts/<slug> or https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:<id>.
- `cadence` | enum | optional. daily runs the alert once a day. manual never runs on its own: it runs only when you call poll_alert. The default is daily. Values: `daily`, `manual`.
- `billing_choice` | enum | optional. new_only: the first run sets a baseline and charges nothing for the backlog; later runs collect and charge only new engagers. backfill_and_new: the first run also collects and charges the existing engagers. The default is backfill_and_new. Values: `backfill_and_new`, `new_only`.
- `dry_run` | boolean | optional. True returns only the estimate: units, premium_credits, available and sufficient. It holds no credits, starts no job and costs nothing.

## Response

- `alert` | object | required.
  - `kind` | enum | required.  Values: `linkedin_profile`, `linkedin_post`.
  - `target` | string | required.
  - `id` | string | required.
  - `cadence` | enum | required.  Values: `daily`, `manual`.
  - `billing_choice` | enum | required.  Values: `backfill_and_new`, `new_only`.
  - `active` | boolean | required.
  - `last_polled_at` | any | required.
  - `removed_at` | any | required.
  - `created_at` | string | required.
- `job` | object | required.
  - `kind` | enum | required.  Values: `linkedin_profile`, `linkedin_post`, `linkedin_company`.
  - `target` | string | required.
  - `id` | string | required.
  - `alert_id` | any | required.
  - `status` | enum | required.  Values: `queued`, `running`, `completed`, `partial`, `no_matches`, `failed`, `cancelled`.
  - `hold` | integer | required.
  - `signals` | integer | required.
  - `leads` | integer | required.
  - `settled_at` | any | required.
  - `error` | string or null | required.
  - `scrape_outcome` | any | required.
  - `created_at` | string | required.
  - `started_at` | any | required.
  - `completed_at` | any | required.

## Failures

| Status | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| `400` | The request shape, a filter key, a value, a cursor or the enrichment mode was rejected. |
| `401` | The credential is missing, unknown or revoked. |
| `402` | The daily or the monthly contact credit cap is spent, or the free plan's lifetime pool is. |
| `403` | Creating alerts requires a paid plan (plan.required). |
| `429` | The key passed 300 requests a minute or 2 concurrent requests. |
| `503` | The data is unavailable for a short time. |

## Example

```bash
curl -sS -X POST "https://api.leadmcp.ai/v1/signals/alerts" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer lm_live_YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "LeadMCP-Version: 2026-09-19" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"kind":"linkedin_profile","target":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/example"}'
```

Response `202`:

```json
{
  "ok": true,
  "request_id": "req_01JBQ2W8K9V6M3T0X5Y7Z4A1BC",
  "release": "b_2026_09_15",
  "data": {
    "alert": {
      "kind": "linkedin_profile",
      "target": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/example",
      "id": "01ARZ3NDEKTSV4RRFFQ69G5FAV",
      "cadence": "daily",
      "billing_choice": "backfill_and_new",
      "active": true,
      "last_polled_at": null,
      "removed_at": null,
      "created_at": "2026-09-19T09:15:00Z"
    },
    "job": {
      "kind": "linkedin_profile",
      "target": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/example",
      "id": "01ARZ3NDEKTSV4RRFFQ69G5FAW",
      "alert_id": "01ARZ3NDEKTSV4RRFFQ69G5FAV",
      "status": "queued",
      "hold": 20,
      "signals": 0,
      "leads": 0,
      "settled_at": null,
      "error": null,
      "scrape_outcome": null,
      "created_at": "2026-09-19T09:15:00Z",
      "started_at": null,
      "completed_at": null
    }
  },
  "quota": {
    "plan": "free",
    "contact_credits_used": 50,
    "month_remaining": 950,
    "today_remaining": 950,
    "binding": "month",
    "resets_at": "9999-12-31T23:59:59.000Z"
  },
  "warnings": []
}
```