Notification Preferences

Overview

The Notification Preferences module allows you to customize how you receive notifications from the system. You can control which notification types you want to receive, choose between in-app and email delivery channels, and set email priority levels to ensure you only get the most important notifications via email. This helps reduce notification fatigue while ensuring you never miss critical alerts.

Accessing Notification Preferences

Navigation path: Dashboard > Communication > Notifications > Preferences

Required permission: notifications.view

Quick Access: Click on "Notification Preferences" in the Communication sidebar menu

Key Features

• Channel Selection: Choose between in-app notifications and email notifications for each type
• Per-Type Configuration: Customize preferences for each notification type independently
• Email Priority Levels: Control which notification levels trigger email alerts
• Default Settings: Sensible defaults that prioritize critical notifications
• Bulk Updates: Save all preference changes at once
• Reset to Defaults: Quickly restore original settings if needed
• Real-Time Updates: Changes take effect immediately after saving

Notification Preferences Interface

Notification Types

The system supports five notification types, each with independent preference settings:

Backup Failed

• Alerts when scheduled backups fail to complete
• Default: In-app enabled, Email enabled (critical only)
• Recommended: Keep email enabled for critical failures

Security Alert

• Notifications about security events (failed logins, suspicious activity)
• Default: In-app enabled, Email enabled (critical only)
• Recommended: Keep email enabled for all security alerts

System Update

• Information about system updates and maintenance
• Default: In-app enabled, Email disabled
• Recommended: In-app only unless you need advance notice

User Action

• Notifications about important user activities
• Default: In-app enabled, Email disabled
• Recommended: In-app only for most use cases

Custom

• Custom notifications created by administrators
• Default: In-app enabled, Email disabled
• Recommended: Configure based on your custom notification needs

Channel Preferences

For each notification type, you can configure two delivery channels:

In-App Notifications

• Displays notifications in the admin dashboard
• Shows in the bell icon dropdown
• Appears on the Notifications page
• Toggle on/off with a simple switch
• Recommended: Keep enabled for all types

Email Notifications

• Sends notifications to your registered email address
• Subject line includes priority indicator (🔴 CRITICAL, ⚠️ ERROR, etc.)
• Contains full notification details
• Toggle on/off with a simple switch
• Recommended: Enable only for critical notification types

Email Priority Settings

When email notifications are enabled, you can control which notification levels trigger emails:

All Notifications

• Sends emails for info, warning, error, and critical notifications
• Use when: You need to be informed of everything via email
• Warning: Can result in high email volume

Critical Only

• Sends emails only for critical-level notifications
• Use when: You only want the most urgent alerts via email
• Recommended: Best for backup failures and security alerts

Error and Above

• Sends emails for error and critical notifications
• Use when: You want to be notified of problems but not routine info
• Recommended: Good balance for most notification types

Critical Only (duplicate option for clarity)

• Same as "Critical Only" above
• Ensures only the highest priority notifications reach your inbox

None

• Disables email notifications even if email toggle is on
• Use when: You want the option available but temporarily disabled
• Note: Effectively the same as disabling email notifications

Common Tasks

Task 1: Configuring Notification Preferences

1. Navigate to Dashboard > Communication > Notifications > Preferences
2. Review the list of notification types
3. For each type, configure:
   • In-App Notifications: Toggle on (blue) or off (gray)
   • Email Notifications: Toggle on (blue) or off (gray)
   • Email Priority Level: Select from dropdown menu
4. Click Save Preferences at the bottom of the page
5. Wait for the success confirmation message

Expected result: Your preferences are saved and take effect immediately for new notifications.

Task 2: Enabling Email Notifications for Critical Alerts

1. Navigate to Dashboard > Communication > Notifications > Preferences
2. Locate Backup Failed and Security Alert sections
3. For each:
   • Ensure Email Notifications toggle is ON (blue)
   • Set Email Priority Level to "Critical Only"
4. Click Save Preferences

Use case: Ensure you're notified via email about critical system issues even when not logged in.

Task 3: Disabling Email Notifications

1. Navigate to Dashboard > Communication > Notifications > Preferences
2. For each notification type you want to disable:
   • Toggle Email Notifications to OFF (gray)
   • Or set Email Priority Level to "None"
3. Click Save Preferences

Use case: Reduce email clutter while still receiving in-app notifications.

Task 4: Configuring Do-Not-Disturb Settings

Note: The current system doesn't have explicit do-not-disturb functionality, but you can achieve similar results:

Option 1: Disable All Email Notifications

1. Navigate to Dashboard > Communication > Notifications > Preferences
2. Toggle OFF all Email Notifications switches
3. Keep In-App Notifications enabled
4. Click Save Preferences

Option 2: Set All Email Priority to "None"

1. Navigate to Dashboard > Communication > Notifications > Preferences
2. For each notification type, set Email Priority Level to "None"
3. Click Save Preferences

Result: You'll still receive in-app notifications but won't get any emails.

Task 5: Resetting to Default Settings

1. Navigate to Dashboard > Communication > Notifications > Preferences
2. Click Reset to Defaults button in the top right
3. Confirm the action in the popup dialog
4. The page refreshes with default settings restored

Use case: Quickly restore original settings if your custom configuration isn't working well.

Warning: This action cannot be undone. All custom preferences will be lost.

Task 6: Bulk Updating Preferences

1. Navigate to Dashboard > Communication > Notifications > Preferences
2. Make changes to multiple notification types:
   • Adjust toggles for in-app and email notifications
   • Change email priority levels as needed
3. Click Save Preferences once to save all changes
4. Wait for confirmation message

Benefit: All changes are saved together, ensuring consistent configuration.

Settings and Options

In-App Notification Settings

Enabled (Default for all types)

• Notifications appear in the bell icon dropdown
• Notifications are listed on the Notifications page
• "New" badge appears on unread notifications
• Unread count shows in navigation bar

Disabled

• Notifications are not created in the database
• No in-app alerts or indicators
• Notification history is not recorded
• Cannot be marked as read or dismissed

Email Notification Settings

Enabled

• Emails sent to your registered email address
• Subject includes notification level indicator
• Email body contains full notification details
• Respects email priority level setting
• Queued for delivery with retry logic

Disabled

• No emails sent regardless of priority level
• In-app notifications still work if enabled
• Reduces email volume

Email Priority Levels Explained

Priority Level Comparison:

Email Subject Indicators:

• 🔴 CRITICAL: Urgent issues requiring immediate action
• ⚠️ ERROR: Errors that need to be addressed
• ⚠️ WARNING: Important notices requiring attention
• ℹ️ INFO: General information and updates

Notification Frequency Settings

Current Behavior:

• Notifications are sent immediately when events occur
• No built-in frequency limiting or batching
• Each event generates a separate notification
• Email delivery is queued but not batched

Managing Notification Volume:

1. Use Email Priority Levels: Set to "Critical Only" to reduce email volume
2. Disable Non-Essential Types: Turn off email for user actions and system updates
3. Keep In-App Only: Use in-app notifications for less urgent types
4. Monitor Notification Rules: Check if notification rules are creating excessive alerts

Future Enhancement: Notification batching and digest emails are planned for future releases.

Permissions

The following permissions control access to Notification Preferences:

• notifications.view: Required to access the preferences page
• notifications.update: Required to save preference changes (typically granted with view permission)

Note: Users can only manage their own notification preferences. Administrators cannot configure preferences for other users.

Tips and Best Practices

• Start with defaults: The default settings are designed to balance awareness with email volume
• Enable email for critical types: Always keep email enabled for backup failures and security alerts
• Use "Critical Only" priority: This setting works well for most notification types
• Review regularly: Adjust preferences based on your actual notification volume
• Test your settings: Create a test notification to verify email delivery works
• Don't disable everything: Keep at least in-app notifications enabled to stay informed
• Consider your role: Security admins may want more email alerts than content editors
• Document your preferences: Note why you configured settings a certain way for future reference
• Coordinate with team: Ensure critical notifications reach at least one team member via email
• Monitor email delivery: Check spam folders if you're not receiving expected emails

Troubleshooting

Problem: Not receiving email notifications

Solution:

• Verify Email Notifications toggle is ON for the notification type
• Check Email Priority Level isn't set to "None"
• Confirm the notification level matches your priority setting (e.g., if set to "Critical Only", you won't get info notifications)
• Verify your email address is correct in your profile settings
• Check spam/junk folders for notification emails
• Ensure mail configuration is working (test with a custom notification)
• Review system logs for email delivery errors
• Contact an administrator if mail service is down

Problem: Receiving too many email notifications

Solution:

• Change Email Priority Level to "Critical Only" for most types
• Disable Email Notifications for non-critical types (user actions, system updates)
• Keep only backup failures and security alerts with email enabled
• Check if notification rules are generating excessive notifications
• Review if multiple notification types are triggering for the same event
• Consider using in-app notifications only for routine alerts

Problem: Preferences not saving

Solution:

• Ensure you clicked Save Preferences button at the bottom
• Check for error messages or alerts on the page
• Verify you have notifications.update permission
• Try refreshing the page and making changes again
• Clear browser cache and cookies
• Check browser console for JavaScript errors
• Try a different browser to rule out browser-specific issues
• Contact an administrator if the problem persists

Problem: Changes not taking effect

Solution:

• Refresh the page to verify preferences were saved
• Wait a few minutes for changes to propagate
• Test with a new notification (preferences don't affect existing notifications)
• Verify you're logged in as the correct user
• Check if notification rules are overriding your preferences
• Clear application cache if available
• Review audit logs to confirm preference update was recorded

Problem: Reset to defaults not working

Solution:

• Confirm the action in the popup dialog
• Wait for the page to reload automatically
• Manually refresh if the page doesn't reload
• Check if you have permission to modify preferences
• Try logging out and back in
• Contact an administrator if defaults aren't being applied

Problem: Email priority level not respected

Solution:

• Verify the notification level matches your priority setting
• Check that Email Notifications toggle is ON
• Ensure Email Priority Level isn't set to "None"
• Review the notification level (info, warning, error, critical)
• Test with a notification that matches your priority level
• Check if notification rules are forcing email delivery
• Review system logs for email service errors

Problem: In-app notifications not appearing

Solution:

• Verify In-App Notifications toggle is ON
• Refresh the page to reload notifications
• Check the bell icon in the navigation bar
• Navigate to the full Notifications page
• Ensure you have notifications.view permission
• Verify the notification was actually created (check with another admin)
• Clear browser cache and reload
• Check browser console for errors

Related Modules

• Notifications: View and manage all notifications
• Notification Rules: Set up automatic actions for notifications
• Custom Notifications: Create and send custom notifications
• Mail Configuration: Configure email delivery settings
• Audit Logs: Track preference changes and notification events