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Notifications deliver important information to users at the right time. Good notification copy is clear, actionable, and respects user attention.

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Purpose

Notifications should:
  • Deliver timely, valuable information
  • Clearly state what happened
  • Provide context when needed
  • Enable quick action

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The pattern

[Verb-first title] + [Contextual description]
Notifications typically have two parts:
  1. Title: What happened (required)
  2. Description: Additional context or action (optional)

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Notification types

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Action-required notifications

Purpose: Alert users to something that needs immediate attentionCharacteristics:
  • Intrusive (modal, banner, or blocking)
  • Time-sensitive
  • Clear call to action
Pattern: [Alert]. [Why]. [What to do].Examples:
  • “Update required. This version is no longer supported. Update now to continue.”
  • “Payment failed. Your card was declined. Update payment method.”
  • “Session expiring. You’ll be logged out in 2 minutes. Stay logged in?”
Use action-required notifications sparingly. They interrupt users and should only appear for truly urgent issues.

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Format guidelines

1

Start with a verb or noun

Lead with what happened, not filler words.
  • Good: “New message from Sarah”
  • Avoid: “You have a new message from Sarah”
2

Be specific

Tell users exactly what happened.
  • Good: “3 files uploaded successfully”
  • Avoid: “Upload complete”
3

Keep titles under 50 characters

Titles often get truncated on mobile.
  • Good: “Payment failed”
  • Avoid: “We were unable to process your payment at this time”
4

Add context in description

Use the optional description for details.Title: “Report generated”Description: “Q4 sales report is ready to download”

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Examples by context

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System notifications

  • “Update available. Install version 2.0 for new features.”
  • “Maintenance scheduled. Site will be offline Sunday 2-4am.”
  • “Update required. This version is no longer supported.”
  • “Export complete. Download your file.”
  • “Sync finished. All changes saved to cloud.”
  • “Backup completed successfully”
  • “Connection lost. Trying to reconnect…”
  • “Upload failed. File too large. Max 10MB.”
  • “Payment failed. Update your payment method.”

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Social notifications

  • “New comment on ‘Q4 Planning’”
  • “Sarah mentioned you in a comment”
  • “5 new reactions to your post”
  • “Team invitation from Acme Corp”
  • “Sarah requested access to ‘Budget 2024’”
  • “New follower: Alex Chen”

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Transactional notifications

  • “Order confirmed. Arriving March 15.”
  • “Package shipped. Track your delivery.”
  • “Delivered to front door”
  • “Payment received. Receipt sent to email.”
  • “Subscription renewed for $9.99/month”
  • “Card expiring soon. Update payment method.”

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Timing and frequency

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When to send

Send immediately

  • Security alerts
  • Payment failures
  • Error conditions
  • Direct messages

Batch or delay

  • Social activity (likes, follows)
  • Non-urgent updates
  • Marketing messages
  • Daily summaries

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Respect notification preferences

Always provide granular notification settings. Users should control:
  • Which events trigger notifications
  • How they’re notified (push, email, in-app)
  • Frequency (immediate, hourly, daily digest)

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Notification anatomy

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Mobile push notification

Title: New comment on your post
Body: Sarah: "Great idea! Let's discuss tomorrow."
Action: View comment

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Desktop notification

Title: Export complete
Body: Q4_sales_report.csv is ready to download
Actions: [Download] [Dismiss]

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In-app banner

Icon: [Warning icon]
Title: Session expiring soon
Body: You'll be logged out in 2 minutes due to inactivity.
Actions: [Stay logged in] [Log out now]

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Before and after examples

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Example 1: Update notification

“An update is available for your application. Please install it to continue using the latest features and improvements.”Problems:
  • Too long (19 words)
  • Passive voice (“is available”)
  • Unclear importance (is it required?)
Title: “Update available”Body: “Install version 2.0 for new features”Action: [Update now]Why it works:
  • Concise title (2 words)
  • Clear benefit (new features)
  • Optional (not required)

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Example 2: Activity notification

“You have received a new notification. Sarah Johnson has left a comment on your post titled ‘Q4 Planning Notes’.”Problems:
  • Redundant (“received a notification”)
  • Too much detail in title
  • Full name unnecessary
Title: “New comment on ‘Q4 Planning’”Body: “Sarah: ‘Great idea! Let’s discuss.’”Why it works:
  • Gets to the point
  • Shows preview of comment
  • First name sufficient

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Example 3: Error notification

“Error: Something went wrong. Please try again.”Problems:
  • Vague (“something went wrong”)
  • No context about what failed
  • No specific recovery action
Title: “Upload failed”Body: “File too large. Maximum 10MB.”Action: [Choose smaller file]Why it works:
  • Specific about what failed
  • Explains why (too large)
  • States the limit (10MB)

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Tone by urgency

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Critical (immediate action needed)

Serious, clear, directive:
  • “Payment failed. Update payment method now.”
  • “Security alert. Password changed from new device.”
  • “Session expired. Log in to continue.”

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Important (action needed soon)

Direct but not alarming:
  • “Update available. Install by March 15.”
  • “Card expiring soon. Update payment method.”
  • “Response needed. Review invitation from Acme Corp.”

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Informational (no action needed)

Neutral, brief:
  • “Backup completed successfully”
  • “Report exported to Downloads”
  • “Changes saved”

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Social (low priority)

Friendly, casual:
  • “New comment from Sarah”
  • “Alex liked your post”
  • “5 new followers this week”

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Accessibility

Use clear, descriptive titles (not just “Notification”)
Don’t rely on icons alone - include text
Ensure sufficient color contrast for notification badges
Make notifications dismissible and keyboard accessible
Provide text alternatives for sound/vibration alerts

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Quick checklist

Before shipping a notification:
  • Title clearly states what happened
  • Under 50 characters for title
  • Specific, not vague (“Export complete” vs “Success”)
  • Appropriate urgency level
  • Actionable when action is needed
  • Respects user’s notification preferences
  • Works without icons or color alone

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Related resources

Error messages

Write error notifications

Success messages

Craft success notifications

Voice and tone

Match tone to context