Writing notifications

Create timely, valuable notifications that inform without overwhelming

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

Purpose

Notifications should:

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

The pattern

[Verb-first title] + [Contextual description]

Notifications typically have two parts:

1. Title: What happened (required)
2. Description: Additional context or action (optional)

Notification types

Action-required

Action-required notifications

Purpose: Alert users to something that needs immediate attention

Characteristics:

• 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.

Passive

Passive notifications

Purpose: Inform users without demanding immediate action

Characteristics:

• Less intrusive (toast, badge, or inbox)
• Can be checked later
• Auto-dismiss or remain until acknowledged

Pattern: [What happened]. [Context].

Examples:

• “New comment on your post”
• “Report exported. Download ready.”
• “3 new messages from Sarah”
• “Backup completed successfully”

Most notifications should be passive. Users appreciate staying informed without constant interruption.

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”

Examples by context

System notifications

Updates and maintenance

• “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.”

Background processes

• “Export complete. Download your file.”
• “Sync finished. All changes saved to cloud.”
• “Backup completed successfully”

Errors and issues

• “Connection lost. Trying to reconnect…”
• “Upload failed. File too large. Max 10MB.”
• “Payment failed. Update your payment method.”

Social notifications

Activity updates

• “New comment on ‘Q4 Planning’”
• “Sarah mentioned you in a comment”
• “5 new reactions to your post”

Invitations and requests

• “Team invitation from Acme Corp”
• “Sarah requested access to ‘Budget 2024’”
• “New follower: Alex Chen”

Transactional notifications

Order and shipping

• “Order confirmed. Arriving March 15.”
• “Package shipped. Track your delivery.”
• “Delivered to front door”

Account and billing

• “Payment received. Receipt sent to email.”
• “Subscription renewed for $9.99/month”
• “Card expiring soon. Update payment method.”

Timing and frequency

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

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)

Notification anatomy

Mobile push notification

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

Desktop notification

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

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]

Before and after examples

Example 1: Update notification

❌ Before

“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?)

✅ After

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)

Example 2: Activity notification

❌ Before

“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

✅ After

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

Example 3: Error notification

❌ Before

“Error: Something went wrong. Please try again.”

Problems:

• Vague (“something went wrong”)
• No context about what failed
• No specific recovery action

✅ After

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)

Tone by urgency

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.”

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.”

Informational (no action needed)

Neutral, brief:

• “Backup completed successfully”
• “Report exported to Downloads”
• “Changes saved”

Social (low priority)

Friendly, casual:

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

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

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

Related resources

Error messages

Write error notifications

Success messages

Craft success notifications

Voice and tone

Match tone to context