SAM.gov email alerts: how saved-search notifications work

The short version

• Anyone can search contract opportunities without an account, but saving searches and following records need a signed-in SAM.gov user account, which anyone can create.^[1]
• Email alerts for new opportunities come from a saved search with notifications turned on. Only Contract Opportunities saved searches have the notify feature.^[3]
• Email alerts for changes to one notice come from following it.^[4]
• SAM.gov registration is free. GSA (General Services Administration): "Registration in SAM.gov is always free."^[8]

1. Save a search

Per FSD.gov,^[2] you must be signed in. Start a Contract Opportunities search (from "Search" in the header or the Contract Opportunities link on the home page; "Advanced Search" offers more filters), narrow it with the filters on the left, then open Actions and choose Save and give the search a name. Your saved searches are listed under the Saved Searches button above the results, and in your Workspace.

If you used FBO (FedBizOpps, the old site SAM.gov replaced): what FBO called "Search Agents" is now Saved Search, and the "Watchlist" is now Following.^[7]

2. Turn on notifications for it

Open Saved Searches, find the search, use the actions button next to its title and choose Notify. FSD.gov describes the result this way: "When a new contract opportunity matches your saved search with notifications enabled, you will receive an email with a link to your saved search." To stop, choose Stop Notify from the same actions menu.^[3]

3. Follow individual notices

To track one notice (for amendments, which SAM.gov labels "Updates"^[7]), open it while signed in and select Follow in the upper right. Entity records, exclusions, assistance listings, wage determinations and Federal Hierarchy records can be followed too.^[4] Followed items are managed in your Workspace profile under Followed Records, where each has an Email Frequency setting and an unfollow option.^[5] The default frequency for newly followed records is set under Email Settings in your Workspace, with an option to apply it to existing ones; changing the general setting overrides per-record choices.^[5][6]

What the alerts don't do

• They match your filters, nothing more. A saved search returns what its filters allow. It does not know which set-asides you hold unless you filter for them, and it does not rank results by fit.
• The email points to the search. Per FSD.gov the notification is "an email with a link to your saved search", so you still open SAM.gov and work through the results.^[3]
• Deadlines are short. In SAM.gov data through Oct 21, 2026, 201 of 366 open SDVOSB (service-disabled veteran-owned small business) set-aside solicitations (55%) and 119 of 165 open HUBZone (Historically Underutilized Business Zone) ones (72%) were due within 7 days (SDVOSB analysis, HUBZone analysis). Whatever alert you use, check it often.
• One search per angle. Several NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) codes, set-asides and states usually means several saved searches to set up and keep current.

Tips for a useful saved search

• Filter by the set-aside types you actually hold, plus total small business and unrestricted if you also bid those.
• Use your NAICS codes, and consider separate searches for your core code and adjacent ones.
• Include sources sought and presolicitation notices if you want early warning; they are not bids yet.
• Follow every notice you plan to bid so amendments reach you.

How FitScout is different

FitScout reads the same public SAM.gov Contract Opportunities data every day. It removes notices set aside for a status you don't hold, matches the rest against your NAICS codes, states and keywords, and lists the reason each one matched. The free plan is a weekly email with the top 10 for one NAICS profile. Paid plans are billed monthly: Starter adds a daily digest with a short summary of each match, and Pro adds bid/no-bid scores; the free list and Starter have no scores. SAM.gov stays the official source: every item links to the notice there, and you should keep following the ones you bid.

Get the free weekly top 10 See a sample digest

FAQ

Is SAM.gov free?

Yes. SAM.gov is the official government site: anyone can create a user account, and saved searches and notifications are features of that account. GSA states that registration in SAM.gov is always free and that the government will never ask you to pay to register, update or renew.

Does SAM.gov cost money to register?

No. Some third-party companies charge to help with registration, but the registration itself is free, according to GSA.

Do I need an account to get SAM.gov email alerts?

Yes. You can search contract opportunities without an account, but saving a search, turning on notifications and following notices need a signed-in SAM.gov user account, which anyone can create. Registering an entity is a separate step you need to bid as a prime contractor.

Can I get alerts for entity records or assistance listings?

You can save searches in all SAM.gov domains, but per FSD.gov only Contract Opportunities saved searches have the notify feature. Other record types, such as entity records and assistance listings, can be followed one record at a time.

What is the difference between FitScout and SAM.gov alerts?

SAM.gov alerts tell you a saved search has new results. FitScout reads the same public data, removes set-asides you don't hold, and sends a short ranked list with the reason each notice matched. It is a convenience on top of SAM.gov, not a replacement: SAM.gov is the official source.

Sources

1. FSD.gov KB0017293: Can I search for contract opportunities without a SAM.gov account?
2. FSD.gov KB0029889: How do I save a search in SAM.gov?
3. FSD.gov KB0051519: How do I turn on notifications for a saved search?
4. FSD.gov KB0017560: How do I follow a record in SAM.gov?
5. FSD.gov KB0072125: How do I manage the records I follow?
6. FSD.gov KB0072680: How do I change my email notification settings?
7. FSD.gov KB0017589: What changed from beta.SAM.gov and FBO terminology
8. GSA: Don't Take the Bait (SAM.gov scams bulletin)

Menu names are as described in the cited FSD.gov articles, which we checked on Oct 22, 2026; SAM.gov can change its interface. FitScout is an independent service. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to SAM.gov, GSA, SBA (Small Business Administration) or any U.S. Government agency.