MC1481318 - Microsoft Defender XDR: Detection source support in alert tuning rules
Microsoft 365 Message Center announcement MC1481318.
MS Message Center's Summary
Microsoft Defender XDR is introducing detection source filtering for alert tuning rules to offer better precision. Public preview begins in October 2026 and general availability starts in November 2026. Existing rules continue to apply to all sources by default. Administrators should evaluate current tuning rules if more granular scoping is preferred.
- Administrator impact
- Review existing alert tuning rules and update detection source selections if custom scoping is desired.
- End user impact
- No direct end user impact is expected.
- Importance
- 3/10: This is a feature update that provides optional configuration changes for security administrators without causing service disruption.
Microsoft Summary
Microsoft Defender XDR will allow alert tuning rules to target specific detection sources for finer control. This feature rolls out in public preview mid-October 2026 and general availability mid-November 2026. Existing rules apply to all sources unless updated. No action is needed unless customization is desired.
- Message Center ID
- MC1481318
- Category
- stay Informed
- Severity
- normal
- Services
- Microsoft Defender XDR
- Tags
- New feature, Feature update, Admin impact
- Published
- 2026-09-28
- Last updated
- 2026-09-28
- Expires
- 2026-12-25
[What and why] We are introducing detection source selection for alert tuning rules in Microsoft Defender XDR. This update enables alert tuning rules to be scoped to specific detection sources, providing more granular control over how alert tuning rules are applied. As part of this update, alert tuning rules will apply to the detection sources selected for each rule. Existing rules that are not updated will apply to all detection sources under their selected service sources, including custom detections. [Rollout schedule] Public Preview (Worldwide): Rollout begins in mid-October 2026 and is expected to complete in early November 2026. Note: Detection source selection will become available in mid-October 2026, and configured detection source selections will take effect in early November 2026. General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout begins in mid-November 2026 and is expected to complete in early December 2026. Note: Detection source selection will become available in mid-November 2026, and configured detection source selections will take effect in early December 2026. [Impact on your organization] Who is affected Organizations that use alert tuning rules in Microsoft Defender XDR. Platforms and services Microsoft Defender XDR What will happen Alert tuning rules will be configurable to apply to specific detection sources and apply only to the detection sources selected for each rule. If not updated, existing alert tuning rules will apply to all detection sources under their selected service sources, including custom detections. Detection source selection [Action required and recommendations] No action is required if existing rules should apply to all detection sources under their selected service sources, including custom detections. Otherwise, we recommend that you review existing alert tuning rules and update the detection source selections as needed. [Compliance considerations] No compliance considerations identified. Review as appropriate for your organization.