Create Notification Types

How to add a Notification Type inside a Reach program, what name and number to give it, and what to build inside it next

Overview

A Notification Type is a specific message event inside a program. 'Initial Alert', 'Reminder', and 'All Clear' are all examples. You need at least one Notification Type before you can create templates or launch a campaign. This article covers how to create one.

Prerequisite

You need an existing Program before you can add a Notification Type inside it. If you have not created a program yet, see Create a program .

What You'll Need

Reach Administrator or Department Administrator access.
An existing program to add the Notification Type to.
A name and sequence number for the new Notification Type.

Step-by-Step: Creating a Notification Type

Step 1: Open the program

Go to Campaigns Configuration and select your department.
In the left-hand tree, expand Notifications, expand the Category Group, and click on the program name.
The program settings panel opens on the right.

Step 2: Click Add Notification

Scroll to the bottom of the program settings panel.
Click the Add Notification button.
A pop-up window titled Create Notification appears.

Step 3: Name and number the Notification Type

Enter a Notification Name. Use a name that describes the event, such as 'Initial Alert', 'Update', or 'Resolved'.
Enter a Sequence Number. Following the numbering convention for your program is a good idea. For example, if the program is 20000, the first notification type might be 20001. See Understanding sequence numbers.
Click Add Notification.

Step 4: Confirm creation

The pop-up closes and the page refreshes.
The new Notification Type appears inside the program in the left-hand tree under a 'Notification types' folder.
Click on it to open its settings and start creating templates.

What to Do Next

Once a Notification Type exists, you need to create at least one approved template for each channel you plan to use. Without a Live template, the Notification Type cannot be used in a campaign launch.

For SMS templates, see Create SMS Templates.
For Email templates, see Create Email Templates.
For Voice templates, see Create Voice Templates.

Having Trouble?

What you're seeing	Why it happens	How to resolve it
Add Notification button is not visible	Your role may not allow creating Notification Types, or you may be looking at a notification type instead of the program.	Make sure you have clicked the program name in the tree, not a folder inside it. Contact your Reach Admin if the button is still missing.
Notification Type does not appear after creation	The page may not have refreshed fully.	Collapse and re-expand the program in the tree, or do a full browser refresh.
I can see the Notification Type but there are no template folders inside it	Template folders (SMS, Email, etc.) appear once the channels are enabled on the parent program.	Go back to the program settings and make sure the channels you need are toggled ON.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many Notification Types can a program have?

A: There is no hard limit. Create as many as your messaging scenarios require.

Q: Can I rename a Notification Type after creating it?

A: Yes. Click on the Notification Type in the tree. The name field should be editable in the settings that appear.

Q: Can I delete a Notification Type?

A: Yes, but deleting it also removes all templates inside it. If the Notification Type has been used in live campaigns, those historical records remain in Analytics.

Q: Do I need a Notification Type for each channel?

A: No. One Notification Type can have templates for all four channels. You create separate templates per channel, but they all live under the same Notification Type.

Need More Help?

For your convenience, please find the relevant articles listed below.

Create SMS Templates How to add an SMS template to your Notification Type.
Create Email Templates How to add an email template.
Campaign Structure Explained How Notification Types fit into the full campaign hierarchy.

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