How Notifications Work: A Flowchart Breakdown ??

In the fast-paced world of messaging apps, notifications play a pivotal role in keeping users connected and informed without overwhelming them. This beautifully structured flowchart demonstrates how an intelligent system can decide when to send a notification based on user preferences, activities, and settings.

With user experience at the core, this notification system ensures that every alert is meaningful. Let’s dive into the decision-making process behind it and explore how it works step by step.

1. Is the Channel Muted or is the User Subscribed? ??

The first checkpoint in this flow is whether the channel is muted or not. If the user has muted the channel and isn’t subscribed to specific threads, no notification will be sent. However, if the user is subscribed, the system moves on to further considerations.

Subscribed users receive more granular notifications even in muted channels.

Muted channels help reduce unwanted distractions but can still notify subscribed users in specific cases.

2. Is the User in Do Not Disturb (DnD) Mode? ??

The system checks whether the user has activated Do Not Disturb (DnD) mode. If DnD is on, regular notifications will not break through unless there's a special override (such as a critical notification or emergency alert). The system respects the user’s peace of mind here.

DnD ensures quiet time ??.

Override allows important notifications to reach the user ??.

3. Is it a Special Mention? ???

Certain messages tagged with @channel, @everyone, or @here get special attention. If the message involves any of these mentions, the system checks if channel mentions are suppressed. If not, the user receives the notification, but if these mentions are muted for that user, the notification is skipped.

@mentions are treated as priority messages, drawing attention to group-wide announcements or discussions.

Suppression prevents unnecessary noise from mentions the user isn’t interested in.

4. What’s the User’s Channel Notification Preference? ??

At this stage, the system looks at the user’s notification preference for the channel in question. These preferences could range from:

Nothing: The user receives no notifications for the channel, regardless of the content.

Everything: Every message, regardless of type, triggers a notification.

Mentions: The user only receives notifications when they are directly mentioned (@mention), pinged in a thread, or tagged.

Default: If the user hasn't explicitly set any preference, the system will follow platform defaults.

This offers a high level of customization to cater to each user’s specific needs in different channels.

5. Direct Messages (DMs) or Mentions? ??

When it comes to direct messages or when a user is tagged with an @mention, the system ensures that notifications are sent. These types of messages are usually high priority, and the user would likely want to be notified of them, even if other notifications are suppressed for the channel.

DMs are direct, personal, and always prioritized.

Mentions are crucial for collaboration, ensuring that individuals see relevant messages within a conversation.

6. Is the User Currently Active? ????

The system then checks whether the user is currently active or present on the platform. If the user is active (perhaps using the desktop app), then mobile notifications may be suppressed to avoid redundant pings across multiple devices.

Active presence means the user is engaged and doesn't need notifications pushed to other devices.

It’s a clever system that minimizes the disruption of multiple notifications for a single event.

7. Global Notification Preferences ??

The final checkpoint looks at the user's global notification settings for the platform. This allows users to set overarching rules, such as receiving All notifications, only notifications for Mentions, or completely disabling notifications with the Never setting.

All: The user wants to receive every notification possible on every device.

Mentions: The user is notified only when tagged or directly messaged.

Never: The user prefers a silent experience, without any notifications from this platform.

This top-level setting can override all other preferences, ensuring users are in total control of their notification experience.

Additional Features of the Notification System ??

Let’s explore some of the system’s smarter features that optimize user experience even further:

Push Timing Thresholds ??

If the user has recently marked a channel as read on their desktop, mobile push notifications won’t be sent within a certain timeframe. This prevents unnecessary mobile notifications when the user has already interacted with the messages on another device.

Read Status Across Devices ??

When a user reads a message on one device, the system acknowledges this across all devices. This ensures the user isn’t bombarded with multiple notifications for the same message.

Key Takeaways: Understanding the Notification Process ??

Customizable Notifications: Users have the power to finely tune their notification experience per channel, per device, and even globally.

Contextual Alerts: The system takes into account whether the user is active, present on a particular device, or marked the message as read, reducing redundant notifications.

Priority on Important Messages: Direct messages (DMs) and mentions receive the highest priority to ensure users stay connected to critical conversations.

Reduced Notification Overload: By incorporating user presence, Do Not Disturb mode, and channel muting, the system minimizes unnecessary alerts while ensuring that important information still gets through.

Why It Matters ??

This notification system is a perfect balance of keeping users informed without overwhelming them. It adapts to users’ preferences and respects their choices, ensuring that only the most relevant information gets through. Whether you're juggling between multiple channels or hopping across devices, the flowchart guarantees a seamless and thoughtful notification experience.

By providing a flexible, smart, and user-focused system, the platform guarantees that notifications add value rather than cause distraction. It’s all about giving the user control over how and when they receive alerts, allowing them to focus on what matters most.

Stay connected, but stay in control! ???