# Agent monitoring, session tracing and alerts

*Agentforce Specialist Study Guide · Governance and Observability · Last updated October 15, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/agentforce-specialist/governance-and-observability/agent-monitoring-session-tracing-and-alerts*

Where agent monitoring sits in the agent development lifecycle, how to turn on Agentforce Session Tracing and install Agent Analytics so data lands in Data 360, how to read one conversation's trace, and how to set and investigate agent health alerts.

- Certification: Salesforce Agentforce Specialist
- Exam section: Governance and Observability
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/agentforce-specialist

**Official exam objective:**

> Explain the process for managing and monitoring agents.

## What the exam expects

- Place monitoring in the agent development lifecycle and tie it to KPI goals set at the start.
- Set up monitoring: turn on Agentforce Session Tracing, Audit and Feedback, and Knowledge/RAG Quality Data and Metrics, and install the analytics app.
- Name the data sources that feed monitoring and where the data is stored.
- Find Analytics, Sessions & Intents and Alerts in Agentforce Studio, and inspect one conversation with its trace.
- Create alerts on standard or custom metrics with evidence-based thresholds, and investigate them.

Key terms: **Agentforce Session Tracing** captures each session's turns, reasoning, actions and responses in Data 360; **Agent Analytics** gives a broad dashboard view of production sessions; **Sessions & Intents** drills into individual conversations; **trace** is the time-ordered list of steps the agent took; **alert** is a threshold on a metric for one agent that sends a notification when breached.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Where monitoring lives | Agentforce Studio, Agents, Observe & Optimize | [Monitor Agent Metrics and Scores](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/agent-analytics-and-monitoring/monitor-agent-metrics-and-scores) |
| Lifecycle | Ideate, Build, Test, Deploy, Monitor, iterative | [Get Started with Agent Monitoring](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/agent-analytics-and-monitoring/get-started-with-agent-monitoring) |
| Session Tracing toggle | Einstein Audit, Analytics, and Monitoring Setup; off by default, except on by default with Agentforce in orgs with one data space | [Set Up Agentforce Session Tracing](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.generative_ai_session_trace_setup.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Data storage | A unified data model in Data 360 | [Agentforce Session Tracing](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.generative_ai_session_trace.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Data collection cadence | Recurs at five-minute intervals | [Set Up Agentforce Session Tracing](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.generative_ai_session_trace_setup.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Dashboard filters | Agent, timeframe, channel, modality | [Monitor Agent Metrics and Scores](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/agent-analytics-and-monitoring/monitor-agent-metrics-and-scores) |
| Alert parts | Metric, agent, condition, threshold value | [Monitor Agent Health](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/agent-analytics-and-monitoring/monitor-agent-health) |
| Baseline | At least 30 days of history before setting a threshold | [Monitor Agent Health](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/agent-analytics-and-monitoring/monitor-agent-health) |

## Check yourself

- Why does monitoring not replace Testing Center?
- When should you open the Trace tab instead of waiting for a session to be processed?
- Which data sources does Salesforce name as feeding agent monitoring?
- What four things define an agent health alert?

## Sources

- [Get Started with Agent Monitoring](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/agent-analytics-and-monitoring/get-started-with-agent-monitoring)
- [Monitor Agent Health](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/agent-analytics-and-monitoring/monitor-agent-health)
- [Investigate Agent Sessions and Intents](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/agent-analytics-and-monitoring/investigate-agent-sessions-and-intents)
- [Monitor Agent Metrics and Scores](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/agent-analytics-and-monitoring/monitor-agent-metrics-and-scores)
- [Set Up Agent Analytics](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.generative_ai_agent_analytics_setup.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Set Up Agentforce Session Tracing](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.generative_ai_session_trace_setup.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Agentforce Session Tracing](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.generative_ai_session_trace.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Agent Analytics](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.generative_ai_agent_analytics.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Einstein Audit and Feedback Data](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.generative_ai_feedback.htm&language=en_US&type=5)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 15 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Agentforce Specialist pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams