diff --git a/docs/glossary.asciidoc b/docs/glossary.asciidoc
index be24402170bbe..ff03a60173961 100644
--- a/docs/glossary.asciidoc
+++ b/docs/glossary.asciidoc
@@ -330,6 +330,11 @@ See
 {kibana-ref}/xpack-spaces.html[Spaces].
 // end::space-def[]
 
+[[glossary-stack-alerts]] stack alerts ::
+// tag::stack-alert-def[]
+The general purpose alert types {kib} provides out of the box.  Index threshold and geo alerts are currently the two stack alert types.
+// end::stack-alert-def[]
+
 
 [float]
 [[t_glos]]
diff --git a/docs/user/alerting/alert-types.asciidoc b/docs/user/alerting/alert-types.asciidoc
index f71e43c5defc7..7de5ff56228cc 100644
--- a/docs/user/alerting/alert-types.asciidoc
+++ b/docs/user/alerting/alert-types.asciidoc
@@ -2,11 +2,13 @@
 [[alert-types]]
 == Alert types
 
-{kib} supplies alerts types in two ways: some are built into {kib}, while domain-specific alert types are registered by {kib} apps such as <<xpack-apm,*APM*>>, <<metrics-app,*Metrics*>>, and <<uptime-app,*Uptime*>>.
+{kib} supplies alert types in two ways: some are built into {kib} (these are known as stack alerts), while domain-specific alert types are registered by {kib} apps such as <<xpack-apm,*APM*>>, <<metrics-app,*Metrics*>>, and <<uptime-app,*Uptime*>>.
 
-This section covers built-in alert types. For domain-specific alert types, refer to the documentation for that app. 
+This section covers stack alerts. For domain-specific alert types, refer to the documentation for that app.
+Users will need `all` access to the *Stack Alerts* feature to be able to create and edit any of the alerts listed below.
+See <<kibana-feature-privileges, feature privileges>> for more information on configuring roles that provide access to this feature. 
 
-Currently {kib} provides one built-in alert type: the <<alert-type-index-threshold>> type. 
+Currently {kib} provides one stack alert: the <<alert-type-index-threshold>> type.
 
 [float]
 [[alert-type-index-threshold]]
diff --git a/docs/user/alerting/alerting-getting-started.asciidoc b/docs/user/alerting/alerting-getting-started.asciidoc
index 2b22b49375676..53aef4aaa062e 100644
--- a/docs/user/alerting/alerting-getting-started.asciidoc
+++ b/docs/user/alerting/alerting-getting-started.asciidoc
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ beta[]
 
 --
 
-Alerting allows you to detect complex conditions within different {kib} apps and trigger actions when those conditions are met. Alerting is integrated with <<xpack-apm,*APM*>>, <<metrics-app,*Metrics*>>, <<xpack-siem,*Security*>>, <<uptime-app,*Uptime*>>, can be centrally managed from the <<management,*Management*>> UI, and provides a set of built-in <<action-types, actions>> and <<alert-types, alerts>> for you to use.
+Alerting allows you to detect complex conditions within different {kib} apps and trigger actions when those conditions are met. Alerting is integrated with <<xpack-apm,*APM*>>, <<metrics-app,*Metrics*>>, <<xpack-siem,*Security*>>, <<uptime-app,*Uptime*>>, can be centrally managed from the <<management,*Management*>> UI, and provides a set of built-in <<action-types, actions>> and <<alert-types, alerts>> (known as stack alerts) for you to use.
 
 image::images/alerting-overview.png[Alerts and actions UI]