How to search PubMed

A search alert is a service which runs your PubMed search periodically and delivers the results to your email inbox.  This requires you set up a free My NCBI account.

To create a free My NCBI account (only needs to be done once):

(see PubMed Account for instructions)

To create a search alert:

1. From PubMed search window, click on Login (link; top right of the page).
2. Select your login option, type in your login credentials.
3. Search PubMed.
4. Click Create Alert (link) below the search box.
5. Fill in the form:
   1. Type in a name for your search, something meaningful you will remember later.
   2. Click the radio button next to Yes in response to the question "Would you like email updates of new search results?"
   3. Change email if necessary.
   4. Set the Frequency you want to receive emails.
   5. Set the Day you want to receive emails.
   6. For Report Format select Abstract. If you have also set up your Outside Tool (see Useful Settings), this will display the article abstract and the yellow Library Access Button (see Accessing Full-Text).
   7. Adjust Send at most.
   8. Click Save (button).

Note: if you created your search before signing in, start at step 4.  You will be prompted to login with your My NCBI credentials.

To turn off or delete your alert:

1. From PubMed search window, click on Login (link; top right of the page).
2. Select your login option, type in your login credentials.
3. Click on your Profile (top right of the page).
4. Click Dashboard (link).
5. Under the Saved Searches box, click on the Gear/Cog (icon) next to your alert name.
6. Adjust the settings as needed.