---
title: "Create a silence | Grafana Labs"
description: "Set a time window, add label matchers, verify affected instances, and submit."
---

> For a curated documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt). For the complete documentation index, see [llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt).

# Create a silence

You’ll create a silence that suppresses notifications for alerts with the label **severity=critical**.

Use the defaults for the time window. Enter the label matcher values this path provides.

1. In the main menu, click **Alerting > Silences**.
2. Click **Create silence**.

You’ve opened the new silence form. Next, leave the default time window.

1. Leave the default **Silence start and end** times for now.
2. Leave **Duration** set to **2h**.

You’ve kept the default two-hour window. Next, add a label matcher.

1. In the **Label** field, enter `severity`.
2. In the **Value** field, enter `critical`.

Your matcher is **severity=critical**. Optionally check **Affected alert instances** below the matchers (an empty list is fine), then add a comment and save.

1. In the **Comment** field, replace the text with `Maintenance window`.
2. Click **Save silence**.

Your silence is active. Matching alerts won’t notify anyone until the window ends.