Add draft monitors docs

Author: estherk15

config/_default/menus/main.en.yaml

@@ -1615,214 +1615,219 @@ menu:
       identifier: alerting
       parent: platform_heading
       weight: 60000
+    - name: Draft Monitors
+      url: monitors/draft/
+      parent: alerting
+      identifier: monitor_draft
+      weight: 1
     - name: Configure Monitors
       url: monitors/configuration/
       parent: alerting
       identifier: monitor_configuration
-      weight: 1
+      weight: 2
     - name: Monitor Templates
       url: monitors/templates/
       parent: alerting
       identifier: monitor_templates
-      weight: 2
+      weight: 3
     - name: Monitor Types
       url: monitors/types/
       parent: alerting
       identifier: monitor_types
-      weight: 3
+      weight: 4
     - name: Host
       url: monitors/types/host/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_host
-      weight: 301
+      weight: 401
     - name: Metric
       url: monitors/types/metric/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_metrics
-      weight: 202
+      weight: 402
     - name: Anomaly
       url: monitors/types/anomaly/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_anomaly
-      weight: 303
+      weight: 403
     - name: APM
       url: monitors/types/apm/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_apm
-      weight: 304
+      weight: 404
     - name: Audit Trail
       url: monitors/types/audit_trail/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_auditlogs
-      weight: 305
+      weight: 405
     - name: Change
       url: monitors/types/change-alert/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_change
-      weight: 306
+      weight: 406
     - name: CI/CD & Test
       url: monitors/types/ci/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_ci
-      weight: 307
+      weight: 407
     - name: Cloud Cost
       url: monitors/types/cloud_cost/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_cloud_cost
-      weight: 308
+      weight: 408
     - name: Composite
       url: monitors/types/composite/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_composite
-      weight: 309
+      weight: 409
     - name: Database Monitoring
       url: monitors/types/database_monitoring/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_database_monitoring
-      weight: 310
+      weight: 410
     - name: Error Tracking
       url: monitors/types/error_tracking/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_error_tracking
-      weight: 311
+      weight: 411
     - name: Event
       url: monitors/types/event/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_event
-      weight: 312
+      weight: 412
     - name: Forecast
       url: monitors/types/forecasts/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_forecasts
-      weight: 313
+      weight: 413
     - name: Integration
       url: monitors/types/integration/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_integration
-      weight: 314
+      weight: 414
     - name: Live Process
       url: monitors/types/process/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_process
-      weight: 315
+      weight: 415
     - name: Logs
       url: monitors/types/log/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_log
-      weight: 316
+      weight: 416
     - name: Network
       url: monitors/types/network/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_network
-      weight: 317
+      weight: 417
     - name: Cloud Network Monitoring
       url: monitors/types/cloud_network_monitoring/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_cnm
-      weight: 318
+      weight: 418
     - name: NetFlow
       url: monitors/types/netflow/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_netflow
-      weight: 319
+      weight: 419
     - name: Outlier
       url: monitors/types/outlier/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_outlier
-      weight: 320
+      weight: 420
     - name: Process Check
       url: monitors/types/process_check/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_process_check
-      weight: 321
+      weight: 421
     - name: Real User Monitoring
       url: monitors/types/real_user_monitoring/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_rum
-      weight: 322
+      weight: 422
     - name: Service Check
       url: monitors/types/service_check/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_service_check
-      weight: 323
+      weight: 423
     - name: SLO Alerts
       url: monitors/types/slo/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_slo
-      weight: 324
+      weight: 424
     - name: Watchdog
       url: monitors/types/watchdog/
       parent: monitor_types
       identifier: monitor_types_watchdog
-      weight: 325
+      weight: 425
     - name: Notifications
       url: monitors/notify/
       parent: alerting
       identifier: monitors_notify
-      weight: 4
+      weight: 5
     - name: Notification Rules
       url: monitors/notify/notification_rules/
       parent: monitors_notify
       identifier: monitors_notify_notification_rules
-      weight: 401
+      weight: 501
     - name: Variables
       url: monitors/notify/variables/
       parent: monitors_notify
       identifier: monitors_notify_variables
-      weight: 402
+      weight: 502
     - name: Downtimes
       url: monitors/downtimes/
       parent: alerting
       identifier: monitors_notify_downtimes
-      weight: 5
+      weight: 6
     - name: Examples
       url: monitors/downtimes/examples
       parent: monitors_notify_downtimes
       identifier: monitors_notify_downtimes_examples
-      weight: 501
+      weight: 601
     - name: Manage Monitors
       url: monitors/manage/
       parent: alerting
       identifier: monitors_manage
-      weight: 6
+      weight: 7
     - name: Search Monitors
       url: monitors/manage/search/
       parent: monitors_manage
       identifier: monitors_manage_search
-      weight: 601
+      weight: 701
     - name: Check Summary
       url: monitors/manage/check_summary/
       parent: monitors_manage
       identifier: monitors_check_summary
-      weight: 603
+      weight: 702
     - name: Monitor Status
       url: monitors/status/status_page
       parent: alerting
       identifier: monitors_status
-      weight: 7
+      weight: 8
     - name: Status Graphs
       url: monitors/status/graphs
       parent: monitors_status
       identifier: monitors_status_graphs
-      weight: 701
+      weight: 801
     - name: Status Events
       url: monitors/status/events
       parent: monitors_status
       identifier: monitors_status_events
-      weight: 702
+      weight: 802
     - name: Monitor Settings
       url: monitors/settings/
-      weight: 8
+      weight: 9
       parent: alerting
       identifier: monitor_settings
     - name: Monitor Quality
       url: monitors/quality/
-      weight: 9
+      weight: 10
       parent: alerting
       identifier: monitor_quality
     - name: Guides
       url: monitors/guide/
-      weight: 10
+      weight: 11
       parent: alerting
       identifier: alerting_guide
     - name: Metrics

content/en/monitors/draft/_index.md

@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+---
+title: Draft Monitors
+further_reading:
+- link: "monitors/"
+  tag: "Documentation"
+  text: "Monitors and Alerting Overview"
+- link: "monitors/configuration/?tab=thresholdalert"
+  tag: "Documentation"
+  text: "Configure monitors"
+- link: "monitors/manage/"
+  tag: "Documentation"
+  text: "Manage monitors"
+---
+
+## Overview
+
+Draft Monitors let you safely create, refine, and test alerts without triggering notifications or impacting production. Whether you're experimenting with thresholds, iterating on complex queries, or collaborating with teammates, drafts give you a clean, isolated space to work—free from the noise of unfinished or test monitors. They help reduce alert fatigue during development and ensure only fully vetted monitors go live. Ideal for engineers and SREs managing alert workflows, Draft Monitors provide a clear, low-risk path from idea to reliable alert.
+
+## Create a draft monitor
+
+To create and store monitors in a draft state:
+
+1. Navigate to [**Monitors > New Monitor**][1].  
+2. [Configure the monitor][2] (add your query, specify conditions, set notifications). Notifications set in a draft are only used after the monitor is published.  
+3. Click **Save as Draft**. No alerts are sent from this draft monitor.
+
+{{< img src="/monitors/draft/save_as_draft.png" alt="Save as Draft button in the monitor creation interface" style="width:100%;" >}}
+
+## Publish a draft monitor
+
+When your monitor is ready:
+
+1. Open the draft from [**Monitors List**][3] by using the draft status facet or filter by `status:draft`.  
+2. Review the configuration.  
+3. Click **Publish Monitor.**  
+4. This publishes your monitor and begins alerting based on your conditions.
+
+## Manage Draft monitors
+
+<!-- TODO Add image of Monitors List filtered to view drafts, and final QA of instructions with UI-->
+
+Find draft monitors from the [**Monitors List**][3] by using the draft status facet or filter by `draft_status:draft`. Drafts appear with a **Draft** label on the monitor status page and in the monitor list. Drafts expire after 6 months, but you can delete draft monitors at any time.
+
+## Permissions
+
+Anyone with edit permissions can update a draft monitor. You can use events to preview how often the monitor would have triggered without sending actual notifications.
+
+## Best Practices
+
+* **Use drafts for peer reviews:** Collaborate before pushing changes live.  
+* **Avoid noise in production:** Test alert conditions safely in a draft first.  
+* **Track your work:** Use clear names and tags for drafts during development.  
+* **Limit stale drafts:** Review and clean up old drafts to reduce clutter.
+
+## Further reading
+
+{{< partial name="whats-next/whats-next.html" >}}
+
+[1]: https://app.datadoghq.com/monitors/create
+[2]: https://docs.datadoghq.com/monitors/configuration/?tab=thresholdalert
+[3]: https://app.datadoghq.com/monitors/manage