When creating an automation, the action usually updates or creates a new record in your workflow. Now, you have the option to set the automation action to either Notify Someone or Send Email. Understanding the differences between these two actions will help you communicate more effectively within your Hub.
Notify Someone
Notify Someone is ideal for sending quick, concise messages directly within your Hub. Notifications are short and have limited space, making them perfect for brief alerts or reminders.
To notify someone as an automation action:
Go to your automation.
Click Edit Actions.
Click Add Action Step.
Select Notify Someone.
From there, you can choose the user data source. You have two options:
Specific Users: Set the receiver directly, as long as they are a member of your Hub.
Workflow Field Value: Set the receiver based on a field value from your workflow. For instance, if your record has a field called "email," you can configure the automation to send a notification to the email address specified in that field.
Once the automation triggers, the designated person will receive a notification within the Hub. Due to the limited space in notifications, we recommend keeping your message brief—for example, "New lease up for renewal."
Send Email
Send Email is recommended when you need to communicate more detailed information. Emails allow for longer messages and richer formatting, making them suitable for comprehensive updates or instructions.
To have an automation send someone an email when triggered:
Go to your automation.
Click Edit Actions.
Click Add Action Step.
Select Send Email.
You will have the same options to set the receiver using a Workflow Field Value. The main difference is that you can use the rich text editor to create a more formatted and detailed email compared to the simple notification message.
Key Differences
Message Length: Notifications are short and have limited space within the Hub. Emails can be longer and include detailed information.
Formatting: Notifications support plain text, while emails allow for rich text formatting, images, and links.
Delivery Method: Notifications appear within the Hub interface, whereas emails are sent to the recipient's email inbox.
Additional Tip
You can use the @ symbol (by pressing Shift + 2) to insert a field value into your notification or email message. This feature allows you to personalise notifications and emails dynamically based on your workflow data.
For example:
Message Template: "You have a new lease up for renewal at @Address."
Resulting Message: "You have a new lease up for renewal at 116 Bird Avenue."
By highlighting these differences, you can choose the most appropriate action for your automation needs. Use Notify Someone for quick, concise alerts within the Hub, and Send Email for longer, more detailed communications.