Broadcast Messages
Broadcast Messages
Overview
The Broadcast Messages feature allows administrators to display important system-wide notifications to users. These messages appear as banners across specific pages or the entire application, making them perfect for announcements, maintenance alerts, or important updates.
Key Features:
- Display messages across all pages or specific paths
- Four message types: Success, Info, Warning, and Error
- Customizable icons from Material Icons Library
- Schedule messages with start and end dates
- Make messages sticky (always visible) or dismissible
- Rich text formatting support
Creating a Broadcast Message
Step 1: Open the Create Form
Click the "Create Broadcast Message" button (either in the top right or center of the empty page).
Broadcast message creation form with all available fields
Step 2: Compose Your Message
Info
The message supports Markdown formatting.
Message Field (Required)
Enter the message content in the rich text editor. The editor supports:
- Write Tab: Compose your message with formatting
- Preview Tab: See how the message will appear to users
Formatting Options:
- B - Bold text
- I - Italic text
- Link icon - Insert hyperlinks
- Image icon - Add images
- Fullscreen icon - Expand editor
Example Message:
System Maintenance: The application will be unavailable on Saturday, November 11th from 2:00 AM to 6:00 AM for scheduled maintenance.Step 3: Select Message Type
Click the Type dropdown to choose the message severity level.
Available message types: success, info, warning, error
Available Types:
| Type | Use Case | Visual Style |
|---|---|---|
| Success | Positive announcements, successful updates | Green banner |
| Info | General information, neutral updates | Blue banner |
| Warning | Important notices, upcoming changes | Yellow/Orange banner |
| Error | Critical alerts, system issues | Red banner |
Example Selections:
- Maintenance announcement → Warning
- New feature launch → Success
- Policy update → Info
- System outage → Error
Step 4: Configure Display Path (Optional)
The Path field determines where the message appears.
Field: PathHelper Text: "The url path that the message should be displayed on. Matches all sub paths"
Options:
- Leave Empty: Message displays on all pages
- Specific Path: Message displays only on matching pages
Path Examples:
| Path Value | Where Message Appears |
|---|---|
| (empty) | All pages across the application |
/admin | Admin panel and all sub-pages |
/resources | Resource page and all resource-related pages |
/resources/resource-slug | Target specific resource |
/trainings | Training pages only |
/u | User management pages |
Example:
Path: /resources
Result: Message shows on /resource, /resource/XX, etc.Step 5: Choose an Icon
Click the Icon dropdown to select a visual icon for your message.
Features:
- Search Bar: Type to find specific icons (e.g., "warning", "info", "alert")
- Scrollable List: Browse through available Material Icons
- Preview: See icon name before selection
Popular Icon Choices:
| Message Type | Recommended Icons |
|---|---|
| Success | check_circle, done, celebration |
| Info | info, announcement, notifications |
| Warning | warning, error_outline, report_problem |
| Error | error, cancel, dangerous |
Tip: Visit Material Icons to preview all available icons.
Step 6: Set Start Date & Time
Define when the message becomes visible to users.
Field: Starts (Required)
Elements:
- Date picker
- Time selector
- Timezone display (e.g., America/Edmonton)
Example:
Starts: 2025-11-04, 11:55:34 am
Timezone: America/EdmontonUse Cases:
- Immediate: Set to current date/time
- Scheduled: Set future date for planned announcements
- After Hours: Schedule messages to appear outside business hours
Step 7: Set End Date & Time
Define when the message automatically stops displaying.
Field: Ends (Required)
Elements:
- Date picker
- Time selector
- Timezone display
Example:
Ends: 2025-11-11, 11:55:34 am
Timezone: America/EdmontonDuration Best Practices:
- Short-term alerts: 1-3 days
- Maintenance notices: Duration of maintenance + 1 day
- Policy updates: 7-14 days
- Permanent info: Set far future date or use sticky option
Step 8: Configure Display Options
Sticky Checkbox
What it does: When enabled, they get pinned to top of page and cannot be scrolled out of view. They can still be dissmissable (this is controlled strictly by the dissmissable option)
Use Cases:
- ✅ Critical system alerts
- ✅ Mandatory policy announcements
- ✅ Active system maintenance notices
- ❌ General announcements (allow dismissal)
Dismissible Checkbox
What it does: When enabled, users can close/hide the message by clicking an "X" or close button.
Use Cases:
- ✅ Optional information
- ✅ Feature announcements
- ✅ Non-critical updates
- ❌ Mandatory compliance messages
Step 9: Save the Message
Click one of the save buttons at the bottom:
- Cancel: Discard changes and return to list
- Create & Add Another: Save and immediately create another message
- Create Broadcast Message: Save and return to the list
Accessing Broadcast Messages
- Navigate to Settings → Broadcast Messages from the main navigation menu
- You'll see the Broadcast Messages listing page
Empty broadcast messages page with search functionality and create button
Page Elements:
- Search Bar: Filter existing broadcast messages
- Filter Icon: Advanced filtering options
- Create Broadcast Message Button: Add new messages (top right)
Viewing Existing Messages
Once you have created broadcast messages, they appear in a table format:
Message list showing active broadcast with type, dates, and status indicators
Table Columns:
| Column | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| TYPE | Message severity level | Success, Info, Warning, Error |
| STARTS | When message becomes visible | 04/11/2025, 12:00 GMT-7 |
| ENDS | When message stops displaying | 05/11/2025, 12:00 GMT-7 |
| STICKY | Red ✗ = Not sticky, Green ✓ = Sticky | ✗ (not sticky) |
| DISMISSIBLE | Red ✗ = Cannot dismiss, Green ✓ = Can dismiss | ✓ (dismissible) |
Row Actions:
- ... (ellipsis) - More options menu
- 👁 (eye icon) - View message details
- ✏ (pencil icon) - Edit message
- 🗑 (trash icon) - Delete message
Pagination:
- Navigate between pages using « ‹ 1 › » controls
- Total count displayed (e.g., "1-1 of 1")
Viewing Message Details
Click on any message row or the eye icon to view complete message details.
Detailed view of a broadcast message showing all configuration
Detail Page Sections:
Message Information
| Field | Description | Example Value |
|---|---|---|
| ID | Unique message identifier | 019a5042-0e68-7024-9ab9-678c49986481 |
| Message | Click "Show Content" to view full message | (Link to reveal content) |
| Type | Message category | Success |
| Path | Display location | — (empty = all pages) |
| Icon | Material icon name | ab-testing |
| Starts | Activation date/time | 04/11/2025, 12:00 GMT-7 |
| Ends | Expiration date/time | 05/11/2025, 12:00 GMT-7 |
| Sticky | Red ✗ = No, Green ✓ = Yes | ✗ |
| Dismissible | Red ✗ = No, Green ✓ = Yes | ✓ |
| Updated At | Last modification timestamp | 04/11/2025, 12:04 GMT-7 |
Page Actions:
- ... (ellipsis) - Additional options
- ✏ (pencil icon) - Edit this message
Dismissed By Section
Section showing which users have dismissed the message
This section tracks user interactions with dismissible messages:
Features:
- Search Bar: Find specific users who dismissed the message
- Filter Icon: Advanced filtering options
- Attach User Button: Manually mark message as dismissed for specific users
Empty State:
- Shows "No User matched the given criteria" when no dismissals recorded
- Click "Attach User" to manually add user dismissals
Use Cases:
- Monitor how many users have seen and dismissed the message
- Identify users who may have missed important information
- Track engagement with announcements
Action Events Section
Audit log showing message creation and modifications
The Action Events table provides a complete audit trail:
Columns:
| Column | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ID | Event identifier | 6ba7b810-9dad-11d1-80b4-00c04fd430c8 |
| NAME | Action performed | Create |
| INITIATED BY | User who performed action | Jay Patel |
| TARGET | Resource affected | Broadcast Message: success |
| STATUS | Event completion state | ✓ FINISHED |
| HAPPENED AT | Timestamp | 04/11/2025, 12:04 GMT-7 |
Tracked Actions:
- Message creation
- Updates/edits
- Deletion
- Status changes
Benefits:
- Full accountability for all changes
- Troubleshooting and auditing
- Compliance and record-keeping
Complete Example: Maintenance Announcement
Here's a full example of creating a maintenance notification:
Message:
"Scheduled Maintenance: The system will be unavailable on Saturday, November 11th from 2:00 AM to 6:00 AM MST. Please save your work before this time."
Type: Warning
Path: (empty - all pages)
Icon: construction (or warning)
Starts: 2025-11-09, 12:00:00 am
(Two days before maintenance)
Ends: 2025-11-11, 08:00:00 am
(Two hours after maintenance ends)
Sticky: ✓ (checked)
Dismissible: ✗ (unchecked)Result: All users will see a warning banner on every page from November 9th to 11th that cannot be dismissed, ensuring maximum visibility.
Tracking Message Effectiveness
After creating a message, you can monitor its effectiveness:
- View Detail Page - Check how many users dismissed it
- Check Action Events - See who created and modified the message
- User Feedback - Monitor support requests related to the announcement
- Timing Analysis - Verify the message displayed during intended timeframe
Managing Broadcast Messages
Viewing Active Messages
Return to Resources → Broadcast Messages to see all configured messages.
List Columns:
- Message preview
- Type indicator
- Active status
- Start/End dates
- Actions (Edit, Delete)
Editing Messages
- Click on a message from the list
- Modify any fields
- Click Update Broadcast Message
Deleting Messages
- Select message(s) from the list
- Click the Delete action
- Confirm deletion
Note: Deleted messages are removed immediately and will no longer display to users.
Common Use Cases
1. System Maintenance Window
Type: Warning
Sticky: Yes
Dismissible: No
Duration: 3 days before → 2 hours after maintenance
Path: (empty - all pages)2. New Feature Announcement
Type: Success
Sticky: No
Dismissible: Yes
Duration: 7 days
Path: (empty or feature-specific path)3. Policy Update Reminder
Type: Info
Sticky: No
Dismissible: No
Duration: 14 days
Path: (empty)4. Emergency Alert
Type: Error
Sticky: Yes
Dismissible: No
Duration: Until issue resolved
Path: (empty)5. Training Deadline
Type: Warning
Sticky: No
Dismissible: Yes
Duration: 30 days before deadline
Path: /trainingsTechnical Notes
- Messages use Material Icons library
- Rich text editor supports basic HTML
- Timezone is automatically set based on server configuration
- Path matching is case-sensitive
- Messages are checked on every page load
- Dismissed messages are tracked per user session
Need Help?
If you need assistance with Broadcast Messages:
- Contact your system administrator
- Review the message preview before publishing
- Test with non-critical messages first
- Check the message list regularly to remove outdated messages