Symbol Specific Alerts

On the Product step of Alert Setup, you choose not only which products to watch, but how values are combined across symbols when the alert evaluates its triggers.

This article focuses on Combine across symbols vs Separate per symbol, plus the product scope options that control which underlyings are included.

Open Alert Setup: sidebar → Alerts → Alert Setup. 

Full create/edit wizard: Creating and Managing Alerts.

Where to find these settings

1. Create or edit an alert. 

2. Go to wizard step Product (Which products should this alert watch?). 

3. Configure:

   - Scope (By category / By symbol) 

   - Contract types 

   - How the alert fires → Combine positions? 

The Applies to summary at the top of the step updates as you change options (for example, combined across symbols or separate alert per symbol).

> Screenshot: Product step with Applies to summary and Combine positions controls.

Under How the alert fires → Combine positions? choose one:

| Option | Meaning |

|---|---|

| Combine across symbols | One aggregate value for the whole product selection (for example total delta across all included underlyings). |

| Separate per symbol | Each underlying is evaluated on its own. A trigger can fire for an individual symbol without requiring the aggregate book to breach. |

Default for new alerts is Combine across symbols.

When to use Combine across symbols

Use aggregate mode when the risk question is about the selection as a whole:

- Desk-wide or category-wide delta / gamma / PnL limits 

- “Total risk across this product set” guardrails 

- Alerts that should ignore single-name noise and watch the portfolio total 

Example: Product scope = equity index category, trigger = Delta > Greater Than 50,000, Combine across symbols → fires when combined delta of the selection exceeds the limit.

When to use Separate per symbol

Use per-symbol mode when the risk question is about each name:

- Single-name concentration limits 

- “Any underlying in this list breaches X” monitoring 

- Watchlists where one bad symbol should alert even if the rest of the book is fine 

Example: By symbol = AAPL, MSFT, NVDA, trigger = Abs Delta > Greater Than 10,000, Separate per symbol → fires when any one of those underlyings exceeds the limit on its own.

> Tip: Pair Separate per symbol with a focused symbol list (or a tight category) so you are not evaluating every name in the firm unnecessarily.

> Screenshot: Combine across symbols selected. 

> Screenshot: Separate per symbol selected.

Before combine/separate matters, define the product universe.

By category

1. Choose By category. 

2. Select nodes in Product categories. 

3. The Applies to line shows how many categories are selected.

Use this for product groups (for example grains or indexes).

By symbol

1. Choose By symbol. 

2. Optionally enter:

   - Futures base symbols — example: ES:CME, CL:NYMEX (comma-separated; base and exchange with a colon when needed) 

   - Stocks / underlyings / CUSIPs — example: AAPL, MSFT 

3. Leave both lists blank to include all symbols.

> Screenshot: By symbol with futures bases and underlyings filled in.

These further narrow what enters the combine/separate evaluation.

Contract types — Include

Select at least one:

- Equities 

- Futures 

- Options 

You cannot continue past the Product step without a contract type.

Expiration filter (optional)

Enable Only include if contract expires in N days or less, then enter the day count.

Useful near expiration when pin or short-dated risk should drive the alert, especially with Separate per symbol.

Symbol aggregation does not replace account selection or trigger logic:

| Step | Role |

|---|---|

| Account | Which accounts / evaluation level (Firm, Master/Office, Trading Group, Portfolio) |

| Trigger | Which measure(s) and thresholds (AND/OR across condition cards) |

| Product | Which instruments + combine vs separate across symbols |

Think of it as:

1. Accounts define whose risk 

2. Product scope defines which instruments 

3. Combine/Separate defines whether those instruments are totaled or checked one-by-one 

4. Triggers define the numeric breach

Also remember Trigger All conditions vs Any condition is about multiple condition cards, not about multiple symbols. Symbol combine/separate is only on the Product step.

Firm aggregate delta alert

1. Account level = Firm (or your desk level). 

2. Product → By category (or all symbols). 

3. Include Options (and others as needed). 

4. Combine across symbols. 

5. Trigger on Delta (or Abs Delta) with your firm limit. 

6. Save and enable.

Single-name watchlist

1. Product → By symbol → list underlyings. 

2. Include Options / Equities as appropriate. 

3. Separate per symbol. 

4. Trigger on the per-name limit. 

5. Notify the desk distribution list.

Near-expiration per-symbol risk

1. Scope the products (category or symbols). 

2. Turn on expires in N days or less. 

3. Choose Separate per symbol. 

4. Trigger on the short-dated risk measure you care about.

Category total, not single names

1. By category → select the group. 

2. Combine across symbols. 

3. Avoid Separate mode unless you want every name in the category to be able to fire alone.

On the Product step, read Applies to. It should reflect:

- By category / By symbol scope 

- Contract types 

- Optional expiration window 

- combined across symbols or separate alert per symbol 

On the Summary step, confirm the Product Filter line still matches your intent before Save Alert.

| Symptom | What to try |

|---|---|

| Alert fires on total book, not one name | You are on Combine across symbols — switch to Separate per symbol |

| Alert fires on one name when you wanted the total | Switch to Combine across symbols |

| Too many symbol-level fires | Narrow By symbol / categories; or use Combine |

| No products seem included | Check category selection or symbol lists; select a contract type |

| “Select at least one contract type” | Enable Equities, Futures, and/or Options |

| Expiration filter ignored | Ensure the toggle is on and days are set |

| I want… | Set |

|---|---|

| One value for the whole selection | Combine across symbols |

| Each underlying evaluated alone | Separate per symbol |

| Specific names only | By symbol + lists |

| Product group | By category + tree |

| All symbols in scope | By symbol with blank lists (or broad category) |

| Only short-dated contracts | Expiration toggle + days |

- Creating and Managing Alerts 

- Alert Investigation 

- Market Risk Overview 

- Navigation

## Screenshot checklist (for authors)

1. Product step overview with Applies to 

2. Combine across symbols selected 

3. Separate per symbol selected 

4. By category tree 

5. By symbol lists 

6. Contract types + expiration toggle 

7. Applies to line showing separate alert per symbol / combined across symbols 

8. Summary step Product Filter line 

Replace # related-article links with live riskdocs URLs when those articles are published.

Publishing note: This updates the classic Symbol Specific Alerts article for React Alert Setup. Keep the aggregate-vs-separate concept; replace PHP “Product section” wording with the Product step controls Combine across symbols / **