---
title: Configure rate limits for metric rules
description: Control alert volume by setting the maximum number of alerts a single metric or event rule can raise in a time window, and the total across all rules. Use rate limits to help prevent alert storms and keep processing within your instance capacity.
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/it-operations-management/digital-end-user-experience-dex/configure-metric-rule-rate-limits.html
release: australia
product: Digital End-User Experience \(DEX\)
classification: digital-end-user-experience-dex
topic_type: task
last_updated: "2026-10-23"
reading_time_minutes: 1
keywords: [configure metric rule rate limit, set alert rate limit, event rule rate limit, system properties, alert volume, throttle alerts]
breadcrumb: [Metric rule rate limiting, Managing alert rules, Configure, Digital End-User Experience, IT Operations Management]
---

# Configure rate limits for metric rules

Control alert volume by setting the maximum number of alerts a single metric or event rule can raise in a time window, and the total across all rules. Use rate limits to help prevent alert storms and keep processing within your instance capacity.

## Before you begin

Role required: sn\_dex.admin

## About this task

The per-rule limit and the total limit are enforced independently. Either limit can stop alert processing first, depending on the values that you set. For details about how the limits interact, see [Metric rule rate limiting](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/it-operations-management/digital-end-user-experience-dex/metric-rule-rate-limiting.md).

## Procedure

1.  From your ServiceNow instance, navigate to **All** > **All properties**.

2.  Select the **sn\_dex.per\_alert\_rule\_rate\_limit** property.

    The System Properties form opens.

3.  In the **Value** field, enter the maximum number of alerts a single rule can raise in one window.

    The default limit is 300000 every 5 minutes, which is the maximum for the total number of metric rule alerts.

4.  Select **Update**.

    The new value for the property is saved.

5.  Select the **sn\_dex.alert.rate\_limit** property to set the combined limit for all metric rules and event rules.


## Result

The new limits take effect in the current 5-minute window.

**Note:** The value of **sn\_dex.per\_alert\_rule\_rate\_limit** for all metric or event rules doesn't exceed the total rate limit defined in **sn\_dex.per\_alert\_rule\_rate\_limit**.