Google Sheets has always been a favorite tool for people who need to manage and analyze data without getting too technical. Whether keeping track of your budget, creating charts, or even pulling in business data, Google Sheets simplifies things. But now, Google has taken things a step further with a brand-new feature called Conditional Notifications. This exciting update lets you set up email alerts whenever specific conditions occur in your sheet, so you can stay informed about changes even when you’re away from your computer.

This feature could be used to monitor store performance easily and effectively by Amazon sellers using Defog to automate data download from Amazon Seller Central and Amazon Advertising.

So, let’s dive into what Conditional Notifications are all about, how they work, and how you can use them with Defog to set up a robust system of alerts for your Amazon business. Plus, we’ll go through a practical example, showing how you can set up an alert to get notified if the number of units ordered yesterday significantly differed from your average over the past week.

What Are Conditional Notifications?

Conditional Notifications in Google Sheets allow you to receive email alerts when certain conditions are met in your spreadsheet. In other words, you can create rules, and when data in specific cells or ranges of cells matches those rules, Google Sheets will automatically send you an email to let you know. You don’t have to manually open your Google Sheet and check for changes – the notifications will come to you!

For Amazon sellers, this is especially powerful. Think about it: You’re busy managing your business, handling inventory, dealing with customers, and living your life. You can’t always be tied to your computer, constantly checking how your sales and ad metrics are doing. But with Conditional Notifications, you don’t have to. You can set up an alert for anything that matters most to your business and get notified only when it happens.

Why Is This Feature So Useful for Amazon Sellers?

Amazon sellers often rely on up-to-date information to make quick, informed decisions. Things can change fast, and it’s crucial to be aware of any unusual trends, whether it’s a sudden spike in orders, a drop in sales, or changes in ad performance. In the past, staying on top of this meant setting up complex analytics or manually checking data. But now, with Defog and Google Sheets’ Conditional Notifications, you can quickly get these alerts automatically, even without any background in coding or data analytics.

How does Defog fit into this? Defog is a tool that can automatically download and update your data from Amazon Seller Central and Amazon Advertising into Google Sheets. That means all the latest information about your store’s performance is already in your Google Sheet so that you can set up notifications based on current data.

How to Use Conditional Notifications in Google Sheets

Setting up Conditional Notifications in Google Sheets is straightforward, even if you’re not a tech expert. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started.

Step 1: Set Up Your Google Sheet with Defog

1. First, make sure Defog is connected to your Amazon accounts and set to pull data from your Google Sheets automatically.  If you still haven’t used Defog, you can do so for free here.

2. Once your data flows into the Google Sheet, you’ll see your key metrics, such as orders, revenue, ad spend, and more, neatly organized in rows and columns.

Step 2: Calculate the Rolling Average of Sales Revenue

In our example, we will alert you if yesterday’s sales amount was more than 20% above or below the average over the previous 7 days.

1. Add a new sheet by pressing + on the button-left of your spreadsheet

2. Add the formula below to B1 to calculate yesterday’s sales amount.

=sumifs(OrdersTable!L:L,OrdersTable!AB:AB,"="&today()-1)

3. Add the formula below to B2 to calculate the average daily sales over the past eight days (excluding yesterday).

=sumifs(OrdersTable!L:L,OrdersTable!AB:AB,">="&today()-8,
OrdersTable!AB:AB,"<"&today()-1)/7

You may adjust the date range to calculate the number of days you prefer. Just change the number 8 to the number you wish and the number 7 to your number of days minus 1.

Step 3: Create a Condition for the Alert

Now that we have the average, we’ll set up a formula in another cell to check if yesterday’s orders were either significantly above or below the average, let’s say by 20%.

1. In B1, add the following formula:

=IF(OR(A1 > A2 * 1.2, A1 < A2 * 0.8), "Alert", "")

   – A1 is the cell with yesterday’s sales amount, and A2 is the previous 7-day average.

   – If yesterday’s sales are 20% above or below the previous 7-day average, this formula will display “Alert.” Otherwise, it will remain blank.

Step 4: Set Up the Conditional Notification

Finally, we’ll set up an email notification to notify you whenever an “Alert” appears in this cell.

1. Click on Tools in the menu and select Conditional Notifications

2. On the sidebar, click Add rule

3. In the add rule settings, choose the following:

• Set In this column to B (where the Alert is)
• Click Add condition
• In the pulldown menu below And meets condition 1, choose Text is exactly
• In the text box below, write Alert
• Add your email to the laser text box on the rule

4. Save the notification rule, and you’re done!

Your notification rule will look like the image below:

From now on, whenever yesterday’s orders significantly vary from the previous 7-day average, you’ll get an email letting you know!

Other Examples of Alerts You Can Set Up

Here are some more examples of alerts you could set up for your Amazon business:

1. Low Stock Alert: You will be notified when inventory falls below a certain threshold, helping you avoid stockouts.
2. High Ad Spend Alert: You will receive an email if your daily ad spend exceeds a specified budget.
3. Sales Spike per SKU Alert: Set a notification if sales suddenly increase by a certain percentage for a particular SKU (or all your best sellers) so you can respond quickly and scale if needed.
4. Profitability Alert: Monitor your profits and receive alerts if they fall below a certain threshold. This will help you identify and address potential issues early.

Why Use Defog and Google Sheets Together?

With Defog pulling data directly into Google Sheets and Google Sheets sending you Conditional Notifications, you get the best of both worlds. Defog takes care of the data download and updates, and Google Sheets notifies you when something important happens. This dynamic duo allows you to:

• Stay informed effortlessly – Get email notifications based on real-time data without constantly checking your spreadsheet.
• Make data-driven decisions. Know exactly when your metrics change so you can act quickly to maximize opportunities or address issues.
• Save time – Automate monitoring your data so you can focus on other aspects of your business (or even take a break!).

Final Thoughts

Conditional Notifications in Google Sheets make it easy for Amazon sellers to monitor their store’s performance without getting bogged down in data. And with Defog’s seamless integration, you don’t have to worry about manually pulling in data from Amazon. Together, they create a powerful, user-friendly system for setting up alerts and staying on top of your business.

So, whether you’re managing your store, scaling up, or just keeping an eye on things, Google Sheets’ Conditional Notifications and Defog are here to make your life easier. Try it, set up some alerts, and let your data work for you!

If you want to learn what a particular column stands for on Defog’s tables, please visit our glossary.

Thank you for reading this post. If you still haven’t used Defog, you can do so for free here.

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Disclaimer: Defog is not responsible for any decisions made by the reader of this post or for the consequences of using the data, formulas, and charts provided.