How to Set Up SAM.gov Alerts

To get email alerts for new SAM.gov contract opportunities, sign in, save a search in Contract Opportunities, then turn on Notify for that saved search. SAM.gov says a matching new opportunity triggers an email with a link back to the saved search. You can search opportunities without signing in, but you need an account to save a search and enable notifications.

1. Sign in to SAM.gov

Go to SAM.gov and sign in. If you do not have an account, create one through SAM.gov’s account flow. Searching is public, but saving searches and using account features require sign-in.

2. Build a Contract Opportunities search

Open Search and choose Contract Opportunities, or start from the Contract Opportunities page. Enter keywords and apply relevant filters. Use the advanced search controls when you need to narrow results more precisely.

Choose terms and filters that describe the work you can perform. A search that is too broad may generate results that are hard to review; one that is too narrow may miss opportunities described with different terminology. Review the results before saving to confirm the query is useful.

3. Save the search

1. On the results page, open Actions.
2. Select Save.
3. Enter a recognizable name, such as “IT support — California” or “Facilities maintenance — federal.”
4. Save the search.

Use names that distinguish searches from one another. The name is for managing your saved searches; the query and filters determine what appears in its results.

4. Enable email notifications

1. Open Saved Searches from the results page or through Workspace.
2. Find the saved Contract Opportunities search.
3. Open its Actions menu.
4. Select Notify.

SAM.gov’s help article explains that when a new contract opportunity matches a saved search with notifications enabled, an email arrives with a link to that saved search. The published instructions do not specify a delivery interval, so do not assume the email is immediate or sent on a fixed schedule.

What these alerts cover

The Notify feature described here applies to saved searches in Contract Opportunities. Do not assume that saved searches in every SAM.gov domain can send these alerts.

Follow is a different feature. It tracks individual records and has its own Followed Records area. Following a record is not the same as enabling notifications for a saved Contract Opportunities search.

Change or stop alerts

To turn off a search’s emails, open Saved Searches, find the search, open its Actions menu, and select Stop Notify. If you still need the query for manual searches, stopping notifications does not require you to delete the saved search.

To change what an alert search matches, update the terms or filters in the search and save the appropriate search configuration. Check the resulting search before relying on it, especially if you have narrowed or broadened its criteria.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely cause	What to do
You cannot find the Save action.	You are not signed in, or you are not on a Contract Opportunities results page.	Sign in and run the search under Contract Opportunities, then open Actions on the results page.
The saved search does not appear.	You may be viewing a different account or looking in a different part of the site.	Confirm the signed-in account, then check Saved Searches from the results page or Workspace.
You cannot find Notify.	The saved search may not be a Contract Opportunities search, or you may be looking at a different menu.	Open Saved Searches, locate the Contract Opportunities search, and use its Actions menu. The documented Notify option is limited to this domain.
You are not receiving an email.	The search may not have Notify enabled, or no new opportunity may have matched. SAM.gov’s help does not promise a delivery cadence.	Check that the search is listed under Saved Searches and that its Actions menu offers Stop Notify, indicating notifications are enabled. Review the saved query directly as well.
The email results do not match what you expected.	The saved keywords or filters may be too broad, too narrow, or different from the intended criteria.	Open the saved search, inspect its terms and filters, adjust them, and review the results before relying on the alert.
You need help with account access or a site error.	This may be an account or technical support issue.	Use SAM.gov self-help or contact the Federal Service Desk. The service desk cautions that it cannot answer questions about specific contracts, opportunities, or agency processes.

Reliability and cost notes

SAM.gov says its services are free. Its setup guidance describes email when a new opportunity matches, but does not state that delivery is immediate, establish a schedule, or guarantee that every potentially relevant notice will appear. Keep checking the saved search itself when timing or coverage matters to your process.

Or skip the browser setup

ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server for developers. It is not a SAM.gov alert service, but it can capture a page in one request if you need a visual record of a public search or result page. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation.

curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://sam.gov/search -o shot.webp

Python:

import requests

r = requests.get(
    "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot",
    params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://sam.gov/search"},
    timeout=90,
)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)

Node.js:

const q = new URLSearchParams({
  access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY',
  url: 'https://sam.gov/search',
});
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Screenshot request failed: ${res.status}`);
await Bun.write('shot.webp', res);

ScreenshotNeo removes cookie and consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before a capture. Bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, timeouts, and cache hits are not billed, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server lets AI agents use take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots.

Sign up for ScreenshotNeo’s free plan.

FAQ

Can I search SAM.gov without an account?

Yes. Searching Contract Opportunities is public; saving a search and enabling its notifications require signing in.

Can I set alerts for every SAM.gov search area?

The documented saved-search Notify feature applies to Contract Opportunities. Other saved-search domains should not be assumed to support it.

Are SAM.gov alerts a paid service?

SAM.gov states that its services are free.

Sources

• Federal Service Desk: Contract Opportunities notifications
• Federal Service Desk: Save a search
• SAM.gov Contract Opportunities
• Federal Service Desk support
• ScreenshotNeo