Design Guidelines

In-App, Out-of-App and Mobile Push Notifications

Guidelines

Out-of-App and Native Mobile Push Notifications

An illustration showing an open laptop, tablet, and smart phone, all showing examples of notifications on their screens.

In addition to Salesforce in-app notifications, users can receive information via channels such as email and SMS. These out-of-app notifications reinforce connection with users and make pertinent, actionable information more accessible to the user.

Guidelines for Using Out-of-App Notifications

Some guidelines to keep in mind:

  • Accompany every urgent in-app notification with immediate email and SMS messages (if available).
  • Standard in-app notifications are typically accompanied by emails, but not SMS messages. To minimize notification fatigue, these emails may be consolidated into daily or weekly bulletins.
  • Discreet in-app notifications are not accompanied by any out-of-app communication.
  • Notifications may also be delivered exclusively via email and/or SMS message, where appropriate.
An illustration showing a correct example of an urgent notification being paired with an immediate e-mail.
Do accompany every urgent notification with an immediate email.
An illustration showing an incorrect example of urgent notifications being included in a weekly e-mail digest.
Don't delay email associated with urgent notifications, or wait to include them in email digests.
A wireframe showing a correct example of unread non-urgent notifications being e-mailed as a weekly digest.
Do consolidate unread non-urgent notifications in an email digest.
A wireframe showing an incorrect example of a weekly e-mail digest containing already read notifications.
Don't include read notifications in an email digest.

Native Mobile Push Notifications

On mobile devices, push notification behavior and delivery are governed by a device's operating system. For example, push notifications on iOS devices are sent through Apple's Push Notification Service. If an app is open, related push notifications appear in app; if the app is not open, iOS delivers related notifications to the iOS Notification Center. Push notifications on Android devices are governed in a similar fashion through Google Cloud Messaging.