Communication

Overview

The Communication category provides tools for managing all forms of communication between your website visitors and administrators. This includes handling contact form submissions, managing system notifications, and tracking communication history. These modules help ensure timely responses to inquiries and keep administrators informed about important system events.

Modules in This Category

Contact Messages

Manage and respond to messages submitted through your website's contact form. View message details, track response status, and maintain a complete history of customer inquiries.

Key Features:

• View all contact form submissions
• Filter by status (unread, read, replied, archived)
• Search messages by name, email, subject, or content
• Mark messages as read/unread/replied
• Add internal notes for team collaboration
• Export messages to CSV, Excel, or PDF
• Bulk actions for efficient management

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Notifications

View and manage system notifications that keep you informed about important events, security alerts, system updates, and user actions. Stay on top of critical information with real-time notifications.

Key Features:

• View all system notifications
• Filter by type and level (info, warning, error, critical)
• Mark notifications as read
• Dismiss notifications
• Automatic expiration for time-sensitive alerts
• Visual indicators for notification priority

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Notification Preferences

Customize how you receive notifications from the system. Control which notification types you want to receive, choose between in-app and email delivery channels, and set email priority levels.

Key Features:

• Per-type notification preferences
• In-app and email channel selection
• Email priority level control
• Bulk preference updates
• Reset to defaults option

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Notification Rules

Automate notification handling by creating custom rules that trigger specific actions based on conditions. Rules can automatically mark notifications as read, dismiss them, escalate priority, forward to email, or trigger webhooks.

Key Features:

• Multiple trigger types (type, level, keyword, time-based)
• Multiple action types (auto-read, auto-dismiss, escalate, forward, webhook)
• Priority-based execution
• Active/inactive toggle
• Audit trail of rule executions

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Custom Notifications

Create and send custom notifications to users with full control over content, timing, and audience. Perfect for announcements, maintenance alerts, feature updates, and emergency communications.

Key Features:

• Rich content creation with priority levels
• Flexible targeting (all users, specific users, role-based)
• Scheduled delivery and draft system
• Status tracking (draft, scheduled, sent)
• Duplicate functionality for reuse
• Expiration dates for time-sensitive alerts

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Common Workflows

Responding to Contact Messages

1. Navigate to Dashboard > Communication > Contact Messages
2. Review unread messages (highlighted in the list)
3. Click on a message to view full details
4. Add internal notes if needed for team coordination
5. Reply via email using the "Reply via Email" button
6. Update status to "Replied" after responding
7. Archive old messages to keep inbox organized

Managing Notifications

1. Navigate to Dashboard > Communication > Notifications
2. Review unread notifications (marked with "New" badge)
3. Click "Mark as Read" for individual notifications
4. Use "Mark All as Read" to clear all unread notifications
5. Dismiss notifications that are no longer relevant
6. Check notification type and level to prioritize actions

Creating and Sending Custom Notifications

1. Navigate to Dashboard > Communication > Notifications > Custom
2. Click Create Notification
3. Fill in notification details (name, level, title, message)
4. Configure target audience (all users, specific users, or role-based)
5. Optionally schedule for future delivery or save as draft
6. Click Create Notification
7. For drafts, click Send Now when ready to deliver
8. Monitor delivery status and recipient count

Configuring Notification Preferences

1. Navigate to Dashboard > Communication > Notifications > Preferences
2. Review notification types and current settings
3. Toggle in-app and email notifications for each type
4. Set email priority levels (all, critical only, error and above, none)
5. Click Save Preferences to apply changes
6. Test with a custom notification to verify settings

Setting Up Notification Rules

1. Navigate to Dashboard > Communication > Notifications > Rules
2. Click Create Rule
3. Configure trigger conditions (type, level, keyword, or time-based)
4. Select action to perform (auto-read, auto-dismiss, escalate, forward, webhook)
5. Set priority level for execution order
6. Ensure rule is active
7. Click Create Rule
8. Monitor rule execution in audit logs

Monitoring Communication Activity

1. Use the statistics cards on the Contact Messages page to track:
   • Total messages received
   • Unread messages requiring attention
   • Messages read but not yet replied
   • Successfully replied messages
   • Recent activity (last 7 days)
2. Apply filters to focus on specific message types or time periods
3. Export data for reporting and analysis

Tips and Best Practices

• Check messages daily: Set a routine to review contact messages at least once per day to ensure timely responses
• Use status updates: Keep message status current to help team members know which messages need attention
• Add internal notes: Use the admin notes field to document important details or actions taken
• Archive regularly: Move old, resolved messages to archived status to keep your active inbox manageable
• Monitor notifications: Pay special attention to critical and error-level notifications that may require immediate action
• Export for records: Periodically export contact messages for record-keeping and compliance purposes
• Use bulk actions: When managing multiple messages, use bulk actions to save time

Related Modules

• Audit Logs: Track who viewed or responded to messages and notification activity
• Mail Configuration: Configure email settings for sending replies and notification emails
• General Settings: Configure site contact information
• Users: Manage users who receive notifications
• Roles: Manage roles for role-based notification targeting