A push notification is a short message on someone’s lock screen or desktop, with an optional link, image and buttons. You write it in a campaign’s Push notification step or a journey’s send step. Both use the same fields and preview.
Choose the app
Under Send through, choose the push app (project) the notification goes through. Each option shows its platforms, environment and device count, for example Juniper Kitchen · iOS, Android, Web · Production · 12,480 devices. An app that isn’t ready can’t be chosen for sending. See When an app is ready.
Every device a contact has registered in that project gets the notification.
Write the notification
| Field | What it’s for | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Title | The first, bold line | 100 characters |
| Message | The text under the title. Most devices show two lines | 500 characters |
| When tapped, open | An HTTPS link to open when someone taps it. Leave it empty to open your app | Optional |
Keep both short: a lock screen shows about one line of title and two of message, and less on a watch or a browser banner.
Personalise it
Title and message take the same merge tags as email, such as {{ contact.firstName | fallback: "there" }}. In a journey, they can also use the event that triggered it, such as an order number. See Merge tags and personalisation.
More options
Open More options for the rest. All are optional.
| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| Image | An HTTPS link to an image shown with the notification. iOS shows it only if your app has a notification service extension |
| Icon | An HTTPS link to a small image beside the notification, on the web. Phones show your app’s own icon |
| Buttons | Up to 2, each with a label of up to 30 characters and its own HTTPS link. Browsers show them; iOS and Android apps show them only if your app supports buttons |
| App data | Up to 10 keys passed to your app untouched, such as a deep-link path. Your developer tells you which keys the app reads |
| Replace key | A newer notification with the same key replaces the older one on the device, so people see only the latest, such as an order’s current status |
| Sound | The name of a sound your app includes, such as default. Android uses the sound of the app’s notification channel instead |
| Badge (iOS only) | The number on the app’s icon. Send the number you want shown; it doesn’t count up by itself |
| Stop trying after | How many hours Apple or Google may keep trying a device that’s offline, up to 672 (28 days). Empty uses one day |
Customise for iOS, Android or web
Open Customize for iOS, Android or web to change the notification on one platform, for example a shorter title for phones or an app link instead of a web link. Choose the platform, then set its own:
- Title and Message;
- When tapped, open: on iOS and Android, an HTTPS link or an app link such as
myapp://orders/1; on the web, an HTTPS link; - Image;
- Android notification channel: the ID of a channel your app has already created, such as
orders. Android posts the notification there, with that channel’s sound and importance. Left empty, your app’s default channel is used.
A platform with its own content shows (changed). Each field you set replaces the shared one on that platform only.
Size limit
A notification can be up to 3,072 bytes in all: title, message, links, buttons and app data together. The counter under the fields shows how much you’ve used, for example 1,204 of 3072 bytes. Personalisation can add more when it’s sent, so leave room for long names. If it’s over, shorten the text, data or links.
Preview it
The preview shows the notification on a lock screen. To see it for a real person, choose a contact under Preview as, then Render for this contact. Once a platform has its own content, a switch shows each platform’s version.
The shape is illustrative: devices shorten text differently, and an unlocked phone, a watch or a browser banner shows less. Send a test to see it on a real device. See Test a push notification.
A/B test a push notification
A campaign that sends push only can test versions of its notification, for example two titles. See A/B test a campaign.