End user guide

Introduction

This guide is for end users who receive notifications and want to control:

How notifications are delivered.
When notifications are delivered.
What they will be notified about.

How notifications work for users

You configure one or more Communication channels (how notifications are delivered).
You select the provider types and providers to deliver your notifications.
You enable or disable subscriptions to topics or notices.

Key concepts

You only need to be familiar with a few concepts:

User Channel. The method by which notifications are delivered to an individual user.
Notification. A message delivered to a user or system to communicate information.
Subscription. A link from a user to a topic or notice indicating that user’s interest in receiving notifications.
Schedule/Rules. Schedules control when notifications are allowed to be delivered.

User channels

User channels provide contact information available for use by the application. For each user account displayed, you can see the following information:

Channel name. The name of the communication channel associated with the corresponding contact information.
Recipient. The specific contact information receiving messages.
Method. Indicates how the communication channel delivers a notification.
Status. Indicates if the communication channel is Active, Inactive, or Unverified.
Active schedules. The number of schedules configured for that channel.

Adding a new channel

To add a new channel:

Select +Add channel. This launches the Add a new communication channel wizard.
Select the method by which you want to be notified.
Enter a name for the channel and the contact information, then select Send code.
Enter the verification code you received, then select Verify.
Select Next to proceed.
If you want to apply a rule (schedule), enter a descriptive name, then use controls provided to build a rule set consisting of active time and/or severity. You can add more rules after your channel has been created. Select Next to proceed.
Review the new channel details, then select Finish to close the wizard.

Managing existing channels

After a channel is created, you can use the menu options on the right side of the user interface to:

Edit its configuration.
Enable or disable it.
Delete it.

Selecting Edit launches the Edit channel interface where you can modify channel details and create new or edit, enable/disable, or delete existing rules.

Schedules and rules

Rules can be built to generate schedules, which control when notifications are delivered. They can be applied to Communication Channels which will control when a specific delivery method is used.

For example, you can use schedules to:

Receive notifications only during business hours.
Suppress notifications overnight.
Allow important notifications at all times.
Match notifications to on-call availability.

Rules can also dictate which notifications are delivered based on their severity. For example, you may be able to use rules to receive only notifications categorized as Warning or Critical. Using both allows you to fine-tune your notification experience without disabling notifications entirely.

Subscriptions

Subscriptions represent different kinds of messages you can receive. These may include operational alerts, informational messages, or system notices. Each subscription can be enabled or disabled independently.

Enabling or disabling subscriptions

To enable or disable a subscription, access your user preferences, select the notifications option, and modify your subscriptions as needed.

Common scenarios

I’m receiving too many notifications.

Disable subscriptions you don’t need.
Apply rules to limit delivery times.
Use different channels for different priorities.

I’m not receiving notifications.

Check that at least one channel is enabled and verified.
Confirm the subscription is enabled.
Make sure a schedule isn’t preventing delivery.

I want notifications sent in different ways.

Create multiple channels.
Enable or disable channels as needed.

Best practices for end users

Verify channels immediately after creating them.
Disable notifications instead of deleting channels.
Use schedules to reduce interruptions.
Test channels before relying on them for important notifications.