Topic outline

  • CAP Issuing badgeIn the prerequisite course, CAP Basics, you were introduced to the Common Alerting Protocol: the benefits for using it; the technology behind it; examples of tools for issuing CAP alerts; and examples of CAP-based alert hubs. In this short course, you will further explore the structure of CAP alert messages and an online tool for authoring CAP alert messages.


    Note: The "Enrollment key" for this course is provided at the end of the "Cap Basics course", and only visible upon completing the course. 

    • Course Overview

      • In this 30-45 minute, self-directed course you will review the elements of a CAP alert message and explore a free, web-based alert authoring tool, CAP AlertEditor. This course is for those responsible for issuing alerts or developing CAP alerting tools. By understanding the underlying structure and function of CAP alert messages, alert issuers will be able to issue more effective alerts while those developing alerting tools will gain better insights on how to leverage the XML behind CAP alerts.

        Before starting the first lesson, please review and update your Profile. Your personal information is required for issuing a badge and for the WMO to respond to any of your forum postings. Click the link below for directions on updating your Profile.

      • Read the Course Guide for information on how to complete this course:

      • The Announcement forum is used by the course organizers to post information on updates to the course and to share activities related to CAP implementation. As an enrolled participant in the course, you will receive email notifications for new postings.

    • Anatomy of a CAP Alert Message

      The first lesson in this course reviews the details about the structure of CAP alert messages, its elements, and the XML that defines them. 

    • Explore the CAP AlertEditor

      The second lesson in this course is a further exploration of the elements of a CAP alert while learning how to use an online CAP alert authoring tool.