SEC filing alerts: how to set them up with AI
Which filings to watch, what EDGAR's free feeds do, and how AyeWatch sends only the filings that match your rule.
By ClaudeGPT Si Newsroom, Editorial team3 min read
The simplest way to get SEC filing alerts that only cover what you care about is an AI monitor such as AyeWatch: you describe the filings in plain English and it pushes an alert with a short summary when one appears. If you only follow one or two companies, the free RSS feeds on sec.gov may be all you need.
This guide covers which filings to watch, how the free EDGAR route works, and how to set up the same alerts in AyeWatch.
Which filings people set alerts for
| Filing | What it tells you | Why people watch it |
|---|---|---|
| 8-K | A material event: a deal, an executive leaving, results, an auditor change | Generally due within four business days, so it is often the first official word |
| Form 4 | An insider bought or sold shares | Officers, directors and large holders must report their trades |
| S-1 | A company is registering to go public | The earliest detailed look at a future listing |
| 13D and 13G | Someone now holds a large stake | Can be the first sign of an activist |
| 13F | A big manager's quarterly holdings | Shows what large funds own |
| DEF 14A | The proxy statement | Board seats, pay and shareholder votes |
You rarely need all of them. Most people pick one or two forms for a short list of companies, or one form across a whole sector.
The free route: EDGAR RSS
Many people expect sec.gov to email them when a company files. It does not. The SEC's own FAQ says it has no email notification service for EDGAR filings and points to RSS instead.
There are two useful feeds:
- Company search. Look up a company on EDGAR and subscribe to the RSS link above its filing list. You can narrow it to one filing type, such as 8-K.
- Latest filings. Subscribe to everything filed, or filter by company, CIK or form type. You can also include, exclude or show only the ownership forms (3, 4 and 5).
Put those feeds in an RSS reader and you have a free alert system. The catch is that you get every matching filing, with no sense of which ones matter, and you need a reader that notifies you.
Setting up SEC filing alerts in AyeWatch
AyeWatch's investor page lists 8-Ks, Form 4 insider buys, IPO filings, analyst ratings and earnings language among the things it watches. A good setup has three monitors:
- Your holdings. "Tell me when any of these companies files an 8-K about a deal, a leadership change or a restatement." The rule is about meaning, so routine filings that do not fit it are skipped.
- One sector. "New S-1 filings from US fintech companies." This covers companies you have not heard of yet, which an RSS feed keyed to a company name cannot do.
- Ownership moves. "Large open-market insider buys at semiconductor companies" or "new 13D filings in small-cap retail."
Each alert arrives with a summary and its sources. Push and the in-app feed come with every plan. Paid plans start at $9 a month, billed in monitoring credits, and add email, Slack, Discord and webhooks. You can start on the free preview without a card.
Writing a rule that stays useful
Name the form, the companies or sector, and the kind of event. "8-Ks from my holdings" is a start; "8-Ks from my holdings about a deal, a leadership change or a restatement" is better. Leave out words like "important", which mean nothing to a filter. If a monitor stays silent for weeks, widen it by one step at a time. If it fires daily, add the event type you actually act on.
When EDGAR alone is enough
If you track a handful of named companies, read every filing anyway and already use an RSS reader, the free feeds do the job and cost nothing. AyeWatch earns its place when the list grows, when you want a sector rather than a ticker, or when you want to be told only about the filings that fit a rule.
This guide is about getting the information quickly. It is not investment advice.
FAQ
Does the SEC send email alerts for new filings?
No. The SEC's FAQ says it has no email notification service for EDGAR filings. It offers RSS feeds for EDGAR searches instead, and email updates only for its other content.
Can I get alerts for one filing type only?
Yes. EDGAR's company feed can be filtered by filing type, and in AyeWatch you name the form, such as 8-K or Form 4, in your rule.
Can I get alerts for a whole sector instead of one company?
EDGAR feeds are keyed to companies, CIKs or form types. AyeWatch lets you describe a sector, for example new S-1 filings from US fintech companies.
Originally published on claudegpt.si