Notify collaborator on status change

matt_stewart1 · ‎Feb 01, 2023

I am confused on Airtable notifications.

What I want:

Setup custom automation so that when certain status' change, then a notification can be sent to user(s). The notification should come through in AirTable notifications first and foremost, and email as secondary.

What I am getting:

Automation sends email to user, but no internal notification in AirTable.

This seems backwards? I want to avoid having to check multiple systems and missing notifications until a user leaves AirTable and goes to check their email. then they have to click each email notification to jump into each separate task/project for followup. Why doesn't the system generate a in-system notification as well as the email? or provide an option for this in the automation actions?

Currently users are processing any "@" notifications within AT, then having to close out and go to email to find the remaining notifications. However this also has the "@" emails that they already reviewed. So its a mixed bag review of "did I review/respond to this or is this a new one."

bruceconsulting · ‎Feb 01, 2023

Hi Matt,

You may want to create an "Assignments" table in your base. You can assign records manually to users using this table or you can set up your automation to create a new record in this table instead of sending an email. Users will then receive a notification when they are assigned to a record in the table. You can also include a status field so users can close out their assignments.

If you want to talk about this further or if you ever need any more help, please schedule some time with me. Here's my Calendly link: https://calendly.com/d/yhk-cn5-syr/15-minute-help-meeting

matt_stewart1 · ‎Feb 02, 2023

appreciate the helpful suggestion. But that's not really a solution in any way.

#1... that would require yet another automation (or many automations if multiple status fields and/or tables to monitor) ... and there is a limit to the number of automations a base can have (currently 50)

#2... that would create a record in a new table, and the notification in AT would be clicked and bring you to that new table record expanded in a base grid view. Again driving the collaborator out of their workspace and into a unused portion of the site, where I have to create a new formula link that concocts a link to the interface where that action took place, then another field to make that link a button, so that users can click a button to jump back into the interface where said action took place.

We are working in interfaces and want to drive the team to the corresponding workspaces to maintain workflow and ease of use. this just seems like such a terrible workflow to get a simple in-house integration. You would think AT would prioritize internal notifications, not drive users to leave their site.