Group Communication
Group Communication allows administrators to send targeted email messages to specific audiences within Colabmacs.
This feature is designed for operational announcements, certification reminders, booking notifications, and system-wide updates where precise audience targeting is required.
Messages sent through Group Communication:
- Are delivered via email only
- Bypass individual notification preferences
- Are logged for historical reference
- Cannot be edited or resent automatically after delivery
Group Communication is available at:
Settings → Group Communication
Executive Summary
The workflow consists of five steps:
- Select a Target Audience
- Apply any required filters
- Generate the list of affected users
- Review and optionally remove individuals
- Compose and send the message
Each message is generated dynamically per user, allowing placeholders to resolve to user-specific values.
How It Works
1. Select a Target Audience
Administrators begin by selecting a Target Type.
Depending on the target type, additional configuration options will appear, such as:
- Models (resources, projects, roles, infrastructures, locations)
- Date ranges
- States
- Activity thresholds
Each target type defines a distinct audience selection strategy.
2. Apply Filters
Some target types require at least one filter selection before the system can generate users.
Filters narrow the audience and prevent unintended mass messaging.
3. Generate Affected Users
Once criteria are selected, click Generate Affected Users.
The system will:
- Identify users matching the criteria
- Display the total count
- Allow preview of the affected user list
Only users who match the selected conditions are included.
4. Review and Adjust
Administrators may:
- Preview the full list of affected users
- Remove individual users from the list before sending
This ensures final approval before delivery.
5. Compose and Send
After confirming the audience:
- Enter a Subject
- Enter a Message Body
- Insert placeholders as needed
When sent:
- The message is queued and delivered via email
- Notification preferences are ignored
- The final audience list and message content are stored in History
Messages cannot be edited or resent automatically after sending.
Target Types
The following audience types are currently available.
Users Who Booked a Resource
Targets users who have a confirmed booking on one or more selected resources.
This is useful for:
- Maintenance notices
- Downtime announcements
- Operational updates
Filters
- Resources — At least one resource must be selected
- Date Range (Optional) — Limits to bookings within the specified window
Booking Status
Only confirmed bookings are considered.
Users With Training Records
Targets users who have a training record in one or more selected states.
Useful for:
- Certification expiration reminders
- Revocation notices
- Renewal campaigns
Filters
- Training Record States — At least one state must be selected
- Training — At least one Training must be selected
Users With Specific Roles
Targets users who hold at least one of the selected roles.
Filters
- Roles — At least one role must be selected
Placeholder Behavior
The placeholder:
{{roles.names}}
Will display only the roles that matched your selected filter for each individual user. This targets system level roles.
Users Associated With Projects
Targets users who are members of projects matching the selected project state.
Filters
- Project States — Filters which projects appear in search
- Projects — Search and select specific projects, or use “Select All”
Projects are matched by name.
Users Impacted by Infrastructure
Targets users with confirmed bookings on resources belonging to selected infrastructures.
Filters
- Infrastructures — At least one must be selected
- Date Range (Optional) — Limits bookings to a specific window
Users Impacted by Location
Targets users with confirmed bookings on resources belonging to selected locations and all child locations.
Filters
- Locations — At least one must be selected
- Date Range (Optional) — Limits bookings to a specific window
All Active Users
Targets users who have had activity in the system since a specified date.
Useful for:
- System-wide announcements
- Policy changes
- Platform updates
Filters
- Active Since Date — Required — Defines the activity threshold
Placeholder Behavior
The placeholder:
{{last_active.date}}
Will resolve to each user’s actual last activity timestamp.
Placeholders
Placeholders allow dynamic personalization of messages.
Available placeholders may vary depending on the selected target type.
Common placeholders include:
{{user.name}}{{user.email}}{{resource.name}}{{event.title}}{{event.start}}{{event.end}}{{roles.names}}{{last_active.date}}
Placeholders are resolved per recipient.
If a user matches multiple records (for example, multiple bookings), the system resolves placeholders using the relevant matched context for that user.
Communication History
All sent messages are recorded in the History tab.
Each history record includes:
- Subject
- Message body
- Number of users targeted
- Date sent
- Sender
- Target type
- Final list of recipients
Delivery status is not tracked.
Messages cannot be automatically resent. To send a follow-up, create a new message.
Best Practices
- Always preview affected users before sending.
- Use filters to narrow your audience as precisely as possible.
- Use placeholders to personalize communication.
- For large announcements, consider testing with a smaller filtered group first.
When to Use Group Communication
This feature is designed for controlled, targeted outreach across your Colabmacs environment. Since this bypasses individual notification preferences, it should be used judiciously for important operational messages, certification reminders, and system-wide updates where reaching the intended audience is critical.