When you sign in to probors.com for the first time, a getting started checklist appears at the top of the dashboard. It tracks two habits that turn passive browsing into a repeatable disclosure workflow: follow at least one politician or ticker, then create at least one trade alert rule. Complete both steps and the banner disappears automatically. This guide explains what the checklist measures, where each button takes you, and how to finish setup in a few minutes. It is a product walkthrough, not investment advice.
Quick answer
The checklist banner reads Get the filings coming to you and shows two steps: Track your first politician or ticker and Turn on trade alerts. Click Browse politicians to open the Politicians tab and add a follow, or add a ticker from any trade row menu. Click Set up alerts to jump to Settings → Notifications and save your first rule. When your watchlist and alert rules are both active, ProBors marks the steps complete and hides the banner. You can Dismiss early if you prefer to explore first—the checklist does not block other tabs.
Where the checklist appears
The activation banner sits above the main tab panels on the signed-in dashboard—visible on Trades, Whales, Politicians, Market, and the other primary tabs until you finish or dismiss it. It does not replace the full watchlist and alerts guides; it is a shortcut that nudges you toward the same two settings most researchers configure in week one.
| Checklist element | What it does |
|---|---|
| Title line | Shows how many steps remain ("2 quick steps" or "one step left") |
| Step checkmarks | Empty circle until complete; checkmark when ProBors detects the action |
| Browse politicians | Opens the Politicians tab so you can follow a member |
| Set up alerts | Opens Settings scrolled to Notifications |
| Dismiss | Hides the banner without completing steps |
Progress updates when you switch tabs—no page reload required. Add a watchlist entry in Settings, return to Trades, and the first step should flip to done on its own.
Step 1: Track your first politician or ticker
The first checklist step is Track your first politician or ticker with the hint Follow someone whose filings you want to see.
Option A — Browse politicians (checklist button)
- Click Browse politicians on the checklist (or open Politicians from the header).
- Search for a member you study—or pick someone active in recent congressional disclosure snapshots.
- Open the profile and add the politician to your Following list from the profile actions or row menu.
Option B — Follow a ticker from a trade row
- Open Trades or Whales and find a symbol you care about.
- Right-click the row or open the row menu.
- Choose Add to watchlist (wording may vary slightly by tab).
One follow is enough to clear step one. Start narrow: a single politician plus one liquid ticker beats a list of fifty names you never read. See how to build a disclosure research watchlist for sizing guidance.
Step 2: Turn on trade alerts
The second step is Turn on trade alerts with the hint New filings land in your inbox — no need to check daily.
- Click Set up alerts on the checklist (or open Settings → Notifications yourself).
- On the Following tab, confirm the politician or ticker from step one appears.
- Switch to Rules and press New rule.
- Choose Insider trade, Whale transaction, or Both depending on what you follow.
- Set a minimum trade size and delivery cadence that will not flood your inbox—then save.
The notification preferences guide walks through every filter field. A practical first rule: Both activity types, Immediate delivery, minimum size around $100,000, and a daily cap so busy filing days stay manageable.
When at least one rule exists, the checklist marks step two complete.
What happens when you finish
ProBors checks two conditions:
- Watchlist — at least one politician, ticker, or whale insider on your Following list
- Alert rule — at least one saved notification rule
Meet both and the banner hides automatically on your next tab switch. If you Dismiss instead, the banner stays hidden for your account even with steps incomplete—you can always configure watchlists and alerts manually under Settings.
Neither completion nor dismissal changes your plan or billing. The checklist only tracks whether you wired up the core alert loop.
How this fits your first week on ProBors
The checklist is the fastest on-ramp; the rest of the product fills in context:
| After the checklist | Where to go next |
|---|---|
| Screen fresh House and Senate rows | Trades tab guide |
| Study one member's history | Politician profile guide |
| Compare filings to price action | Market workspace guide |
| Triage large insider prints | Whales tab guide |
Researchers who finish both steps tend to open ProBors when an alert fires—not when they remember to refresh a screener. That shift is the point of the banner.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Following without rules — you built a list but nothing notifies you; the second checklist step exists for this gap.
- Rules without follows — a rule with an empty Following list has nothing to match.
- Too many names on day one — start with one politician and one ticker; expand after you read a week of alerts.
- Ignoring filing lag — alerts mean a new row arrived in ProBors, not that the trade happened today. See STOCK Act filing delay for why the filed date matters.
FAQ
Does the checklist appear on every account?
It shows for signed-in users who have not completed both steps or dismissed the banner. Returning members who already have a watchlist and alert rules typically never see it.
Can I finish step one with a whale insider instead of a politician?
Yes. Any entry on your Following list counts—politician, stock ticker, or whale insider entity.
What if I dismiss the checklist by accident?
Open Settings → Notifications manually. You do not need the banner to add follows and rules. The checklist is a shortcut, not a gate.
Will alerts fire for congressional and insider activity?
That depends on your rule settings. Congressional rows flow through watchlist matching on supported activity types; tune Rules so the inbox reflects what you actually want to read. Pair with the Trades tab for chamber-wide scans on days with no alerts.
Is completing the checklist required to use ProBors?
No. Every tab works without it. The banner is an onboarding aid for members who want filings pushed to them instead of pulled manually.
Finish your ProBors setup in two steps
Follow a politician or ticker, turn on trade alerts, and let new filings find you.
Get startedRelated reading
- ProBors watchlist alerts
- ProBors notification preferences guide
- ProBors Politicians tab guide
- How to build a disclosure research watchlist
- What is ProBors?
Sources
- STOCK Act — Congress.gov — statutory basis for congressional financial disclosures
- House Clerk financial disclosure — original House PTR filings
- Senate financial disclosure search — original Senate periodic transaction reports
- SEC Form 4 overview — insider transaction reporting
- Rows were checked in ProBors and should be verified against the original filing.
- Disclosure ingestion health: probors.com/status
Sources & methodology
Last updated:
ProBors uses public disclosure records, SEC filings, House and Senate financial disclosure portals, market data, and in-product workflow checks. Articles are written as research education, not investment advice.