Customizing email, push, and in-app notifications
The following table shows the notification types supported for the Request submitted and New approval events in BMC Helix Digital Workplace:
Notification event | Type of notification | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Push | In-app | ||
Request submitted | ✅️ | ✅️ | ❌️ |
New approval | ✅️ | ✅️ | ✅️ |
To receive email and push notifications for requests, in Preferences > Requests, the requester must enable the Email and Push notifications option. In-app notifications are not available because the end users see a confirmation of their action immediately.
To receive email and push notifications for approvals, in Preferences > Approvals, the approver must enable the Email and Push notifications option. In-app notifications cannot be disabled.
To customize email notifications
- In the BMC Helix Digital Workplace Admin console, navigate to the Configuration tab.
- Click Notifications.
- On the Manage notifications page, hover over the notification event you need (Request submitted or Approval - Waiting for your approval), click Actions, and select Edit.
- In the modal window, select the Email notification tab, and customize the fields you need.
For an overview of the customization elements of the email notification, click here. - Click Publish.
Overview of customization elements in an email notification
The following table describes the elements that can be customized in an email notification, by taking the example of a new approval:
Customization elements of the section | Additional options |
|---|---|
Branding section
To customize the branding elements, see Rebranding-BMC-Helix-Digital-Workplace. | Draft—Click this button to edit the template of the email notification. Published—Click this button to see a preview of the published email notification. View sample—Click this button to see a sample image of the email notification. The sample image shows how the customization elements are organized. To see the sample custom email notification and corresponding customization elements, click here. Send test notification—Click this button to select the types of test notification to receive. To enable sending test email notification, the BMC Helix Digital Workplace administrator must add their work email in Preferences in BMC Helix Digital Workplace. To receive a test email notification, in the Send via section, select the Email check box, and click Send:
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Heading section
5. Heading 1—Select this check box if you want to show the heading in the email notification for single requests or single request approvals. Modify the text of the heading. In the text fields, you can use all HTML tags except those in the list. 6. Heading 2—Select this check box if you want to show the heading in the email notification for multiple requests and multiple request approvals. Modify the text of the heading. 7. Informative alert (applicable to new approvals only)—Select this check box if you want to show the due date of a single request approval or multiple request approval. By default, the {due date} variable is given. The due date must be set in Action Request System (AR System). 8. Heading description—Select this check box if you want to show the order description of the request or the request approval. By default, the {order description} variable is given. | You can use the following variables from the Variable library list in any field of the email, push, and in-app notification:
|
Details section
You cannot remove or customize this section. | N/A |
Content section
9. Items list—Select this check box if you want to show the list of items that the end user requested. 10. Additional content—This check box is cleared by default. Select this check box if you want to show any additional information. Modify the text of the additional content. 11. Label for the View details link—This check box is mandatory. You can only change the name of the View details link that leads to the page with the request details in BMC Helix Digital Workplace. | N/A |
Footer section
12. Footer content—Select this check box if you want to show the footer in the email notification. Modify the text of the footer. 13. Label for Manage email notification link—Select this check box if you want to show the Manage email notification link. You can change the name of this link. | Reset to default—You can reset the custom notifications to default on the Manage notifications page and in the modal window. The two reset options work differently. Close—Click this button to exit the custom notification modal window and return to the Manage notifications page. Save—Click this button to save the changes you have made to the draft. Publish—Click this button to publish the draft of the email notification. After publishing, end users receive custom notifications. Next—Click this button to customize push and in-app notifications. |
Restrictions of HTML tags used in the custom notification template
BMC Helix Digital Workplace does not support the following HTML tags in custom notification templates:
- <h1> - <h5>—When you click Save or Publish, the tags are removed and the text is saved.
- Tags related to tables—When you click Save or Publish, the tags are removed and the text is saved.
- <img>—When you click Save or Publish, both the tags and the text are removed.
- <!-- -->— When you click Save or Publish, both the tags and the text are removed.
- <s> is not supported, but the tag <strike> is allowed.
To add a variable to a field in the custom notification template
You can add a variable to a field or fields in the custom notification template. Variables are used to automatically add the information such as item name or order description about a single service or multiple services. For example, in the Single request approval heading field, you add a text: Approval needed for {item name}. When the approver receives an email notification, they see the text: Approval needed for New office furniture because this service was requested. You can add variables by using two options:
- In the field or fields of the custom notification template, specify the full name of the variable from the Variable library list by using the {} symbols.
- Click the variable name in the Variable library list. The variable is copied to the clipboad. Paste the variable to the field or fields in the custom notification template.
To reset the custom notifications to default
The default settings imply that all the check boxes in the template for email, push, and in-app notifications are selected and the variables are used in the text fields. For emails, only the Additional content check box is clear. You can reset the custom notifications to default by using two options:
- On the Manage notifications page, next to the notification event, click Actions > Reset to default.
- On the Manage notifications page, next to the notification event, click Actions > Edit > Reset to default.
The following table describes the difference between the results you get:
Manage notifications page | Modal window with the notification template | |
|---|---|---|
Warning message |
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Reset options | Reset and Publish—Click this button to reset to default only the published custom notifications template. End users start to receive the default notifications. The draft custom notifications template is not modified and preserves the changes of the BMC Helix Digital Workplace administrator. Cancel—Close the warning message. | Reset and Publish—Click this button to reset to default the draft and published custom notifications templates. End users start to receive the default notifications. The draft custom notifications template does not preserve the changes of the BMC Helix Digital Workplace administrator. Reset—Click this button to reset to default only the draft custom notifications template without saving and publishing it. Cancel—Close the warning message. |
The following video (3:41) demonstrates the end-to-end scenario of how the BMC Helix Digital Workplace administrator provides the email and phone of the support team in the footer of the email notification for the request submitted. When the requester receives an email notification about their request, they can see the support contacts in case any questions arise:
To customize push notifications
- In the BMC Helix Digital Workplace Admin console, navigate to the Configuration tab.
- Click Notifications.
- On the Manage notifications page, hover over the notification event that you want to customize (Request submitted or Approval - Waiting for your approval), click Actions, and select Edit.
- In the modal window, select the Push notification tab, and customize the required fields.
For an overview of the customization elements of the push notification, click here. - Click Publish.
Overview of the customization elements in the push notification
The following table describes the elements that can be customized in a push notification, by taking the example of a new approval:
Customization elements | Description of customization elements |
|---|---|
| Description 1—Click this field to modify the description of the push notification for single requests or single request approvals. Description 2—Click this field to modify the description of the push notification for multiple requests or multiple request approvals. View sample—Click this button to see a sample image of the push notification. The sample image shows how the customization element is displayed. To see the sample custom push notification, click here. Send test notification—Click this button to select the types of test notification to receive. To enable sending test push notifications, the BMC Helix Digital Workplace administrator must enable notifications for BMC Helix Digital Workplace on their mobile or tablet's OS settings. To receive a test push notification, in the Send via section, select the Push (Mobile/Tablet) check box, and click Send:
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To customize in-app notifications
- In the BMC Helix Digital Workplace Admin console, navigate to the Configuration tab.
- Click Notifications.
- On the Manage notifications page, hover over the Approval - Waiting for your approval notification event, click Actions, and select Edit.
- In the modal window, select the In-app notification tab.
For the overview of the customization modal window for the in-app notification, click here. - Click Publish.
Overview of the customization elements in the in-app notification
The following table describes the elements that can be customized in an in-app notification, by taking the example of a new approval:
Customization element | Description of the customization element |
|---|---|
| Title—Select this check box if you want to show the single request approval title in the in-app notification. Modify the text. View sample—Click this button to see a sample image of the in-app notification. The sample image shows how the customization element is displayed. To see the sample custom in-app notification, click here. Send test notification—Click this button to select the types of test notification to receive. To receive a test in-app notification, in the Send via section, select the In-app check box, and click Send:
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Sample custom email, push, and in-app notifications
The following table shows sample custom email, push, and in-app notifications and how customization elements are organized on the notification templates:
Type of notification | ||
|---|---|---|
Push | In-app | |
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Default and custom email, push, and in-app notifications
The following table shows the difference between default and custom email, push, and in-app notifications:
Type of notification | Default notification | Custom notification |
|---|---|---|
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Push |
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In-app |
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Edge cases of customizing email, push, and in-app notifications
If two BMC Helix Digital Workplace administrators simultaneously edit a notification template, they can encounter the following edge cases:
Edge case 1: If the second BMC Helix Digital Workplace administrator wants to save, publish or send a test notification, they see the warning message:
The 
icon or Cancel—Click this button to continue modifying the notification template. If you want to see the changes of the other BMC Helix Digital Workplace administrator, refresh the page. If you refresh the page with the custom notification template open, you are redirected to the Manage notifications page.
Save and override—Click this button to discard the changes of the other BMC Helix Digital Workplace administrator and save your edits.
Edge case 2: If the second BMC Helix Digital Workplace administrator wants to close a template, they see the message:
If the BMC Helix Digital Workplace administrator clicks Save and close, they see the warning message:
The icon or Cancel—Click this icon to continue modifying the notification template. If you want to see the changes of the other BMC Helix Digital Workplace administrator, refresh the page.
Close—Click this button to close the notification template modal window and return to the Manage notifications page. Your unsaved changes are discarded.
Save and close—Click this button to discard the changes of the other BMC Helix Digital Workplace administrator and save your edits.