Current Awareness Tools
Last updated April 16, 2007.
Call them alerts, trackers, current awareness, selective dissemination of information, or whatever you like, but these tools can keep you updated when a Web page, search engine results, and news sources change or add new content. Get an email alert when new or changed information is found. Most of these check once a day.
| Service | Type | Comments |
| Track Web Page Changes: Free Online Sites | ||
| ChangeDetection | Online | Free. Daily updates. Can also be put on Web pages to let visitors subscribe. |
| FollowThatPage | Online | Free. Up to 100 pages |
| URLWatch | Online | Free. Can embed links on pages. Checks every four hours. Can set user agent string. |
| WatchThatPage | Online | Free. Configurable alerts; collect new information from specified pages. |
| Web Agent | Online | Free; can have pages tracked publicly |
| Track Web Page Changes: Up to Five Pages Free Online Sites | ||
| ChangeDetect | Online | Free up to 5 pages; $24.95/year up to 10; $14.95/month up to 100; $39.95/month up to 500 |
| Feedwhip | Online | Free up to 5 pages; premium pricing not yet available; can output RSS feeds |
| TrackEngine | Online | Free up to 5 pages; $19.95/year up to 10; $4.95/month up to 50 |
| Track Web Page Changes: Commercial Online Sites | ||
| InfoMinder | Online | 30 day trial; $9.00/year for up to 20 pages; also tracks RSS feeds |
| TracerLock | Online | 30 day trial; fees $4-$19.50/month |
| Trackle | Online | 14 day trial; $1.95 per month or $19.95 annually |
| Track Web Page Changes: Free Desktop Software | ||
| AlleyCat | Download | Free. Windows software. Linux and Mac versions under development. |
| Internet Owl | Download | Free. Windows software. |
| Track Web Page Changes: Commercial Desktop Software | ||
| Check&Get | Download | 30 day trial; $39.95 and up. Windows 98 and above. |
| Copernic Tracker | Download | 30 day trial; $49.95. Windows 98 and above. |
| URLy Warning | Download | Free demo for up to 1 page. $29.95. Windows 98 or above. |
| WebSite Watcher | Download | 30 day trial; €29.95 basic edition; €49.95 personal edition; €99 business edition. Windows 95 and above |
| WebSpector | Download | Tracks up to 200 pages for free; vendor dead, but still available at link. Windows 95 and above. |
| Track Search Engine Results | ||
| Google Alerts | Online | Results from Google Web, Groups, Blogs, and News searches. Free. 1/day; 1/week; or "as it happens" |
| GoogleAlert | Online | Looks for new Google search results up to once per day. (Not run by Google) |
| SearchAlert.net | Online | Tracks new search results, but does not specify which search engines. |
| TracerLock | Online | 30 day trial; fees $4-$19.50/month |
| Track News Sites | ||
| Google Alerts | Online | Results from Google Web, Groups, Blogs, and News searches. Free. 1/day; 1/week; or "as it happens" |
| TracerLock | Online | 30 day trial; fees $4-$19.50/month |
| Yahoo! Alerts | Online | For news, stocks, weather, auctions, and more. Free. |
For additional information on alert services and other listings, see the following:
- Steven J. Bell. "Do I Detect a Change?" Library Journal (NetConnect) 127(17):S42-S43, October 15, 2002. See also his Web Page Change Detection Services list which has been updated more recently.
- Karen Blakeman. Monitoring Changes to Web Pages.
- Genie Tyburski. Alerts and Current Awareness Services at The Virtual Chase.
- John Garside. "Tracking the Net." Free Pint (102): 6, Dec. 13, 2001.
- My article "Internet Current Awareness." Online. 23(2):75-78, March-April 1999.
Note that over the past decade, these alert services come and go. The list below includes some formerly active services.
| Dead Alert Services | |
| Chikaboo | Web pages, email delivery. Formerly at chikaboo.frac.dk. [Defunct 06] |
| Deja.com Tracker | Usenet, email delivery [Defunct 2/01] |
| EoMonitor | Web pages; Web delivery (formerly javElink and at EoMonitor.com) [Defunct 4/01] |
| The Informant | Web sites, email delivery, merged with TracerLock Formerly at informant.dartmouth.edu [Defunct 9/01] |
| Mind-It | Web sites, email delivery. Formerly at mindit.netmind.com [Defunct 1/02] |
| News Index | Online; tracked news Web sites, for $180/year {Defunct 4/07] |
| Northern Light Alerts | For Northern Light's news wires, email delivery [Defunct 1/03] |
| Spyonit.com | Web sites; chat, IRQ, email, Web page delivery. Formerly at spyonit.com [Defunct 7/02] |
| Wisdom Change | Web pages. Formerly at www.wisdomchange.com [Defunct by 12/04] |