The quick answer
Use a saved search alert for a newly matching record; enable Send on Update for alerts about qualifying updates to existing records. Use a scheduled email when recipients need the search results at a set time. Configure the recipients and message separately, then test actual delivery before treating either setup as complete.
The screenshots use fictional people, company names, and Customer data. The last image is a mock email, not a delivered message.
Before you start
You need an active, nonsummarized Customer saved search whose criteria and result columns answer the underlying question. Use a role with access to the search's Email settings. Choose an approved internal recipient for a later delivery test. The exact controls available can vary by search type, role, and account settings.
01. Choose the trigger
Open the saved search and go to Email. Send Email Alerts When Records are Created/Updated enables record alerts; updates also need the recipient's Send on Update setting. Send Emails According to Schedule evaluates the search at the configured time. You can enable both, but they are separate ways to send messages. A record appearing in today's results does not prove that an event alert was due.
02. Set alert recipients
For a record-change alert, open Specific Recipients. Check each recipient's Send on Update setting. Show Recent Changes affects message detail; it does not turn update alerts on. Use Updated Fields if only changes to a named field, such as Sales Rep, should trigger an update alert. An unrelated field change should not satisfy that rule.
03. Set the schedule
For a periodic digest, select Send Emails According to Schedule and open Schedule. Choose the recurrence, start date, and time. Review Send if No Results and Summarize Scheduled Emails if those options are available. A scheduled run uses the matching results at that time, which may differ from the rows visible while you configure the search.
04. Check the message
Review Specific Recipients and Recipients from Results so you know which addresses each mechanism can reach. On Customize Message, check the subject, introduction, result format, and record-link choice. The example uses “Customer coverage update” and “Review the matching customer records.” Those words are configuration, not evidence of delivery.
05. Verify delivery
The mock inbox below shows how a scheduled message might present two matching Customer rows. No email was sent for this recording. For a real rollout, have the search owner run a controlled test with one matching creation, one relevant update, one unrelated update, and a scheduled run with known results. Check the actual received messages and recipient views before marking delivery verified.
Common questions
Does Save & Run send the scheduled email immediately? No. It saves and runs the search; scheduled delivery follows the configured timing. Check the received message to verify a scheduled send.
Can the same search use alerts and a schedule? Yes. Review recipients and message settings for each mechanism so people do not receive unexpected duplicates.
Why might a matching record produce no alert? The change may not meet the alert rule, the selected Updated Fields condition, or the account's delivery requirements. Check the record-change event and recipient settings rather than relying on current results alone.