From 3e1513a6df3945cd573beb19480791904184256f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Pepe Cano <825430+ppcano@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2025 21:51:39 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] docs(alerting): alert instance state resets when rule changes
 (#102038)

* docs(alerting): alert instance state resets when rule changes

* specify that annotations updates are not affected

* enumerate exception fields
---
 .../fundamentals/alert-rule-evaluation/state-and-health.md  | 6 ++++--
 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/docs/sources/alerting/fundamentals/alert-rule-evaluation/state-and-health.md b/docs/sources/alerting/fundamentals/alert-rule-evaluation/state-and-health.md
index 4c871e2d6e7..5438c8c377b 100644
--- a/docs/sources/alerting/fundamentals/alert-rule-evaluation/state-and-health.md
+++ b/docs/sources/alerting/fundamentals/alert-rule-evaluation/state-and-health.md
@@ -52,14 +52,16 @@ An alert instance can be in either of the following states:
 | **No Data<sup>\*</sup>** | The state of an alert whose query returns no data or all values are null. <br/> An alert in this state generates a new [DatasourceNoData alert](#no-data-and-error-alerts). You can [modify the default behavior of the no data state](#modify-the-no-data-or-error-state).       |
 | **Error<sup>\*</sup>**   | The state of an alert when an error or timeout occurred evaluating the alert rule. <br/> An alert in this state generates a new [DatasourceError alert](#no-data-and-error-alerts). You can [modify the default behavior of the error state](#modify-the-no-data-or-error-state). |
 
+If an alert rule changes (except for updates to annotations, the evaluation interval, or other internal fields), its alert instances reset to the `Normal` state. The alert instance state then updates accordingly during the next evaluation.
+
+{{< figure src="/media/docs/alerting/alert-instance-states-v3.png" caption="Alert instance state diagram" alt="A diagram of the distinct alert instance states and transitions." max-width="750px" >}}
+
 {{< admonition type="note" >}}
 
 `No Data` and `Error` states are supported only for Grafana-managed alert rules.
 
 {{< /admonition >}}
 
-{{< figure src="/media/docs/alerting/alert-instance-states-v3.png" caption="Alert instance state diagram" alt="A diagram of the distinct alert instance states and transitions." max-width="750px" >}}
-
 ### Notification routing
 
 Alert instances will be routed for [notifications](ref:notifications) when they are in the `Alerting` state or have been `Resolved`, transitioning from `Alerting` to `Normal` state.