---
title: Set Upload Alerts for Google Drive in GAT Shield
description: "## Set Upload Alerts for Google Drive in GAT Shield ### How to monitor when users upload files to Google Drive? With [GAT Shield’s](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/tech-tips/gat-shield-overview/) **Upload Alert**, you can detect file uploads by type, size, and destination, and instantly notify key…"
url: "https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/tech-tips/gat-shield-upload-alert-google-drive/"
updated: "2026-01-16"
category: DLP (Data Loss Prevention)
tags:
  - GAT Shield
---

# Set Upload Alerts for Google Drive in GAT Shield

## Set Upload Alerts for Google Drive in GAT Shield

### How to monitor when users upload files to Google Drive?

With [GAT Shield’s](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/tech-tips/gat-shield-overview/) **Upload Alert**, you can detect file uploads by type, size, and destination, and instantly notify key team members. It’s ideal for Google Admins looking to prevent data leaks and track user behaviour in [Google Workspace.](https://workspace.google.com/)

**Note:** Upload Alerts do not block uploads; they only detect and alert you when a file is uploaded.

**Important:** This feature is only available in the new GAT Shield UI (June 2025 release).

## How to Create an Upload Alert in GAT Shield

Navigate to **GAT Shield > Alerts > Rule **

Click on the "**+**" button to configure a **New Alert Rule**

![this screenshot is showing the GAT Shield web application alert rules configuration section, displaying what button to click to create a new rule](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Upload-1.png)

A new window will appear where you can configure the alert settings tailored to your needs.

### Add an Alert Name & Alert Type

Enter your chosen alert **Name** and select the alert **Type: Upload** from the drop-down menu:

![New Alert Rule window in GAT Shield, with 'Upload Alert' name and 'Upload' selected as alert type](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Upload-2.png)

After clicking the alert type, you have just begun setting up an **Upload** alert for your domain.

![GAT Shield configuration screen showing the description and purpose of the selected rule type.](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Upload-3.png)

### Select an action once the Upload Alert is triggered.

When the alert rule is triggered, we will execute the selected action on the user's device. Only tabs that trigger the rule will be closed or redirected if these actions are selected.

Click the **Action Dropdown section**to see the actions available that will be associated with this alert:

![GAT Shield Alert configuration screen showing two actions available from the dropdown menu. 'Show Warning' and 'No Action'](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Upload-4.png)

Select any of the following available actions:

- **Show warning** - An alert will be generated, and a warning message will be displayed to the user who triggered the alert
  - **Warning message** - default message will be displayed as: "***The file '$text' you uploaded triggered the $name rule.***"
- **No action**- only an alert will be generated - there will be no action on the user's side

### Cancel upload

To cancel the upload, you can select the **action to "close" **the tab.

This will**prevent the upload** of the file to the browser website.

![To cancel the upload inthe user action select "close" this will close the tab for the user right away not allowing the upload](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/2026-01-16-14_36_02-Downloads-File-Explorer.png)

An alert with the warning message will generate an alert informing the end user which file ultimately triggered the rule.

![GAT Shield Action configuration screen showing “Action” settings with options for warning messages. No action, and Custom messages.](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Upload-5.png)

### Define the Upload Alert Rule Severity

When the Alert Rule is triggered, a notification is created. The severity of the notification indicates its level of importance. "Default Severity" is the value assigned to all notifications generated by this rule.

Determine the risk of uploading files to Drive for your domain and assign a default risk level from the available options:

- Unspecified
- Low
- High

![Drop-down menu in GAT Shield for selecting alert Severity with options like “Low,” “High,” and “Unspecified.”](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Upload-6.png)

Once you select the Alert Severity, click the '**Continue'** button to move to the next configuration section.

![GAT Shield Alert configuration screen showing Continue button that can be clicked to move to the next configuration section.](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Upload-7.png)

## Choose the Scope for Upload Alert Conditions

### Scope Selection

Click the '**Scope Type'** dropdown menu to select who the Upload Alert will apply to: a User, Group, or Org. Unit or All users (domain-wide alert)

![GAT Shield Scope settings with options to select User, Group, OU or All Users](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Upload-8.png)

By selecting "Org. Unit" as the scope, you have the option to include its sub-organization units, so that the alert will apply not only to members of the parent OU but also to those belonging to its child OUs.

![GAT Shield Scope Type showing OU and a clickable toggle to activate Sub Org Units in this case showing sub ou /Students](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Upload-9.png)

### Additional Settings. Rule Exclusions (Optional)

Additional Rule Exclusion Settings. You can use the following exclusion options from the alert:

- **Excluded addresses** - Addresses of individual users or an entire Org Unit will be removed from the Scope

![GAT Shield Rule Exclusion Window with the option to exclude any given user, OU, and/or its sub.OUs](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Upload-10.png)

- **Excluded websites, URLs** - The rule **will not** be checked on the following websites, URLs
- **Active only on selected websites, URLs** - The rule **will be only** checked on the following websites, URLs.

![GAT Shield Rule Exclusion Window with the option to exclude any given websites or activate the rule only on the selected website](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Upload-11-1.png)

### Additional Settings. Time Restrictions (optional)

Select the time when the rule should be active.

 By default, when no time restriction is added, the rule will always be active. To change it, select days and time ranges when rules will be active.  **Note:** **Time zone** settings - ***Use local time zone*** is set by default ![GAT Shield Additional Rules Settings Time Restrictions, showing a button to be able to add time restriction and also to use Local Time Zone as a toggle. ](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Upload-12.png)  Click the '**Continue'**button to move to the next configuration section.

## Configuration

### File Extensions (optional)

Leave this list empty to trigger on any upload. Otherwise, the alert rule will be triggered if the uploaded file has any of these extensions.

![Gat Shield File extension message: Leave this list empty to trigger on any upload. Otherwise, the alert rule will be triggered if the uploaded file has any of these extensions. And a plus button to add another file extension.](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Upload-13.png)

### Minimum File Size (optional)

Set minimum file size to trigger the alert (you can change the unit and its value as needed). **1 B** by default.

![Step to set minimum file size to trigger the alert (you can change the unit and its value as needed). 1 B by default.](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Upload-14.png)

Select **Continue** to move to the next configuration section

## Define Recipients and Notifications

### Alert Recipients

By default, the recipient of an alert is the person who created the alert. Other accounts can be added to the recipient list for those who "need to know." Simply select an additional recipient from the drop-down list.

![New Alert Rule configuration screen showing the Notifications step, where alert recipients can be selected from a list of user email addresses. By default, an alert creator is listed as an alert Recipient.](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Upload-15.png)

### Notification Interval (optional)

Time interval in minutes after which the notification about subsequent rule violations by the user will be sent. If empty, the default value will be used.

![Notification Interval Option in GAT Shield](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Upload-16.png)

### Full Alert Context

Save website and file information, and include them in notifications - default settings, but can be disabled if necessary.

![Full Alert Context option with 'toggle button' Active to Save website and file information](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Upoad-17.png)

### Screen Capture / Webcam Capture

The default settings for both of those features are: "***Do not send***".

If necessary, you can choose one of the following options depending on what proof of the event you will need, either a screen capture or/and webcam capture, so you can see exactly who's behind the scenes.

- *Do not send*
- *Send in the notification email*
- *Send in the notification email and save to the rule creator's Drive*
- *Send in the notification email, save to the rule creator's Drive and share with other alert recipients*

![Screen Capture / Webcam Capture options to select if Needs to be sent or not. Alternative options are as follows: Do not send, Send in the notification email, Send in the notification email and save to the rule creator's Drive, Send in the notification email and save to the rule creator's Drive and share with other alert recipients.](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Upload-18.png)

Select **Continue** to move to the **Summary**, the final configuration section.

![The Continue button to move to the Summary, the final configuration section.](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Upload-19.png)

## Review and Activate Alert

Review all the settings by scrolling down the Summary window and clicking **Create** to finish configuring the alert.

![The Summary window, the final step in creating a new GAT Shield alert rule titled "Upload alert," showing configuration details including alert type (Upload), scope (/Students), excluded OUs (/Students/M) and excluded addresses, alert status (Active), Warning message and alert default severity (Unspecified). The Summary window can be scrolled down to review other settings.](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Upload-20.png)

![The Summary window, the final step in creating a new GAT Shield alert rule where all the settings can be reviewed. Scroll down the Summary window to review the entire configuration. The bottom of the Summary window shows the Create button to finalize the configuration process.](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Upload-21.png)

## Check Alerts and Notifications

Once saved, your new alert will appear under:  **Shield > Alerts > Rules** section

![Alert Rules dashboard in GAT Shield displaying a newly created "Upload alert" rule, with type set to "Upload", scope targeting "/Students", and default severity marked as "Unspecified". Rule is shown as active.](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Upload-22.png)

### End user result

If configured with a warning message, it will appear on the user's screen during the upload.

![GAT Shield warning message appears on the right corner side on the user's screen](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Upload-18.png)

### Alert Recipient's results

![GAT Shield Alert into your gmail inbox](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Upload-19.png)

![GAT Shield Upload Alert report showing user details, rule name, upload location (Google Drive), file metadata (name, size, type, and last modified date), and device information including Shield extension version, operating system, and IP addresses. Highlights indicate where the file was uploaded and key system identifiers.](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Upload-20.png)

## **Alert Notifications**

To review the alert events, navigate to **Shield > Alerts > Notifications** section.

This section allows browsing events for defined alert rules.

Use this section to manage occurrences of alert rule violations. Acknowledge notifications to inform others (and your future self) about alerts that have already been seen and addressed. Adjust alert severity to highlight incidents or significant events. Finally, review the alert notification details.

![GAT Shield Alert Notifications tab showing a list of triggered “Upload alert” rules, including rule names, user emails, trigger details, and severity levels. The right-hand side highlights available actions such as acknowledge, view details, and copy information.](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-04-at-10.31.52.png)

## **Relevant posts**

- [Block .EXE File Downloads with GAT Shield](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/tech-tips/how-to-block-exe-file-downloads-in-google-chrome-using-gat-shield/)
- [Report and Remove Downloaded Files in Google Workspace](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/tech-tips/how-to-block-exe-file-downloads-in-google-chrome-using-gat-shield/)
- [Create Custom Alert Rules in GAT Shield](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/tech-tips/alert-rules-in-shield/)

## **FAQ**

**Q: What are Google Drive upload alerts in GAT Shield?**A: Google Drive upload alerts are automated notifications created in GAT Shield when users upload files to their Drive. Admins can configure these alerts to monitor file types, sizes, and upload destinations for better oversight and data protection.

**Q: Does GAT Shield block file uploads to Drive?**A: **Yes**, if you choose the **Action to "Close"** the browsing tab, the page will be closed immmediatly not allowing the upload.

- Note: It might not prevent upload if the file is too small

**Q: Can I limit upload alerts to specific websites?**A: Yes. You can include or exclude specific websites and URLs when configuring the alert.