Understanding AI Anomaly Alerts
Pulsar's AI continuously monitors your campaign data for unusual patterns. When something significant deviates from expected behavior, you'll receive an anomaly alert.
What you'll learn
• How anomaly detection works
• Types of anomalies Pulsar detects
• How to respond to alerts
How Anomaly Detection Works
Pulsar's AI learns your campaign's normal patterns by analyzing:
• Historical data - Your past performance trends
• Day-of-week patterns - Weekday vs. weekend behavior
• Campaign phase - Early campaign vs. final stretch
• Similar campaigns - Anonymized data from comparable races
When current data deviates significantly from these patterns, an alert is triggered.
Types of Anomalies
Positive Anomalies (Opportunities)
Unexpected good news that you should capitalize on:
• Donation Spike - Unusually high fundraising (leverage the momentum)
• Volunteer Surge - More signups than expected (deploy them quickly)
• High Email Opens - Content that's resonating (send follow-ups)
• Supporter Identification Spike - Hot universe found (focus canvass there)
Negative Anomalies (Issues)
Problems requiring attention:
• Activity Drop - Fewer contacts than normal (check volunteer scheduling)
• Unsubscribe Spike - Email content or frequency issue
• Low Conversion - Signups/donations below expected rate
• Bounce Rate Increase - Data quality degrading
Neutral Anomalies (Awareness)
Unusual patterns worth monitoring:
• Geographic Shift - Activity concentrated in unexpected areas
• Demographic Change - Different supporter profile emerging
• Timing Pattern - Engagement at unusual hours
Anomaly Severity
Alerts are color-coded: green for opportunities, yellow for awareness, red for issues requiring action.
Viewing Anomaly Alerts
Dashboard Notifications
Active anomalies appear in the alert banner at the top of your dashboard. Click to expand details.
Alert History
Click View All Alerts to see historical anomalies, including:
• When detected
• Severity level
• What triggered it
• Resolution status
Responding to Alerts
Investigate the Cause
Click into an alert to see supporting data. Look for:
• What metric triggered the alert
• How much it deviated from normal
• Possible contributing factors
Take Action
Based on the anomaly type:
• Opportunities - Amplify what's working
• Issues - Fix the root cause
• Awareness - Monitor and decide if action needed
Mark as Resolved
Once addressed, mark the alert resolved. Add a note about what you did for future reference.
Don't Ignore Alerts
Unaddressed alerts may indicate growing problems. Review and resolve alerts within 24-48 hours.
Configuring Alert Preferences
Customize which alerts you receive:
• Sensitivity - How significant a deviation must be to trigger an alert
• Categories - Which metric types to monitor
• Notifications - Email, in-app, or both
Next Steps
• Understanding AI Intelligence
• Managing Notification Settings
• Reading Your Data Quality Score