To create an alert when a new citation is added to the PubMed database, first search the PubMed database for your topic of interest.

You may want to try different search terms to optimize your search. Once you are satisfied with your search results, you can create an alert for your chosen search by clicking on the Create alert  link located below the PubMed search box. You need to have an NCBI account to use this feature. If you do not have one, you will be first invited to create an account (it is free). From there, you will continue to the My NCBI tool, where you will be able to save your search strategy and set up a schedule for your alerts.

You may also want to watch an NCBI video that demonstrates this feature.

You can also create alerts for other NCBI databases, such as PubMed Central^® (PMC). PMC alerts will tell you when a new free full-text article has been added to the PMC database.