In the rapidly evolving digital world, staying updated with real-time notifications is crucial. This tutorial will guide you through the process of implementing the Notification Tray plug-in, a feature currently in private beta. This service is designed to automatically create and group notification records for each user, providing a comprehensive history of notifications. We will delve into the concept, scenarios, and limitations of this feature, and how it can be customized to suit your needs. Learn how to enable this feature and enhance your user experience with our step-by-step guide.
Pre-requisites
Before we dive into the implementation process, ensure you have the following:
- Access to the Notification Tray private beta. You can request access through the Amity Help Center. It takes approximately five business days to process your request.
- Basic understanding of how notifications work and their importance in user engagement.
- Familiarity with the concept of actors, verbs, and targets in the context of notifications.
Step 1: Understand the Concept
The Notification Tray service works on the concept of notification records. Each record consists of actors (users who perform an action), a verb (the action performed), and a target (the object of the action). For example, if John Doe and three others comment on Sarah Jane’s post, John Doe and the three users are the actors, ‘comment’ is the verb, and Sarah Jane’s post is the target.
Step 2: Grouping and Display
The Notification Tray automatically groups events with the same verb and target, aggregating the list of actors into the same notification record. By default, it displays up to 10 notification records per page, sorted from newest to oldest. Each record displays up to three actor names, sorted by the date of record activity. The profile image of the latest actor who acts on the target is used as the ImageUrl of the notification record.
Step 3: Notification Record Lifecycle
Notification records are stored for 90 days from the last update. They expire 90 days after the timestamp of the lastUpdate and are then deleted from the Notification Tray. If a user leaves a community, their notification records are not updated with the target associated with the community. However, when they rejoin, the records are updated again.
Step 4: Supported Scenarios
The Notification Tray supports various scenarios, such as creating a post on a community or commenting on a post. The Tray Message recorded into the Notification Record varies depending on the scenario. For instance, if user A creates a post on a community, the Tray Message would be “{DisplayName A} posted in {CommunityName}”. Please see here for the the documentation of all supported scenarios
Limitations
While the Notification Tray is a powerful tool, it has some limitations. For instance, when a user changes their display name, the actor’s name in the Tray Message is not updated. Also, it currently does not support posts on user feeds or user mentions. Customization of the description is also not supported.
Final Thoughts
The Notification Tray plug-in is a robust tool that can significantly enhance user engagement by providing a comprehensive history of notifications. While it has some limitations, its benefits far outweigh them. By understanding its concept, lifecycle, and supported scenarios, you can effectively implement this feature and provide your users with a seamless notification experience. Remember, the key to successful implementation lies in understanding the needs of your users and tailoring the Notification Tray to meet those needs. Happy coding!
If you want to know more about Amity Social Cloud feel free to explore all the features. And if you’re certain that a ready-made solution is more suitable for your business vision and goal, begin your journey right contact sales!