APM metric condition and NRQL condition notification duplication in New Relic alert policies

Confirmed facts

New Relic evaluates each alert condition independently. If both an APM metric condition and an NRQL condition breach their thresholds during the same evaluation window, the alert engine creates two separate violation events. Notification channels are attached to the policy (or optionally to individual conditions), and each violation event causes a notification to be sent to every attached channel. The “violation timeout” and “open violation” settings suppress repeat notifications **per condition**, not across conditions.

Likely explanation for observed duplication

When both conditions fire for the same underlying issue, you receive two notifications because the platform treats them as distinct rules, even if they share the same notification channel. Enabling “Notify on policy” or configuring a shared aggregation window does not change this behavior; those options only affect where the channel is attached or how violations are aggregated within a single condition.

Steps to eliminate duplicate notifications

1. Verify where notification channels are attached: open the alert policy, check each condition’s “Notification channels” section. If channels are listed directly on the APM metric condition or the NRQL condition, remove them.
2. Attach the desired notification channels **only** at the policy level (under the policy’s “Notification channels” tab). This ensures a single set of channels receives notifications, but note that each condition will still generate its own notification to those channels.
3. To truly get one notification per underlying issue, consolidate the logic into a single condition:
   • Option A: Create an NRQL condition that combines the APM metric and the custom query (e.g., using a facet or multiple clauses) so that a single NRQL evaluation represents both signals.
   • Option B: If the APM metric alone sufficiently captures the symptom, use a single APM metric condition with multiple facets or a compound threshold.
4. After consolidating, test by triggering the symptom and verify that only one notification appears in the channel’s history.
5. If you must keep both condition types for separate tuning, accept that two notifications will be sent and rely on the violation timeout/open violation settings to suppress rapid re‑notifications from each condition.

Missing diagnostic detail

Are notification channels currently attached directly to the APM metric condition, the NRQL condition, or both? Knowing this determines whether removing per‑condition channel attachments will resolve the duplication.