Create custom push notifications

Last updated: March 1, 2026

Custom push notifications offer a powerful way to engage your members, delivering timely and targeted messages through your branded iOS and Android apps.

Custom push notifications give you more control over your messaging strategies. They allow you to keep members informed, drive traffic to specific content, and increase app engagement—all in just a few steps.

When sent, these custom push notifications appear prominently on lock screens and notification centers of members’ mobile devices, just like any other mobile notification. Tapping the notification seamlessly directs members to your branded app or a designated custom page in their mobile browser, ensuring a smooth and targeted user experience.

ℹ️ Availability: Custom push notifications are only available for branded apps. Note that creating, managing, and accessing notification analytics is available only through the web browser.

Here are a few everyday use cases:

• Announce new content: Alert members with a custom notification when a new post, event, or resource is available.

• Promote engagement: Nudge members to join conversations, RSVP to events, or visit specific areas of the app.

• Target by audience: Send relevant notifications to specific segments, such as new members, event attendees, or members with a particular tag.

• Share external updates: Use a custom URL to link out to external content, surveys, or landing pages.

💡 Tip: While you can still use workflows to send a mobile push notification, we recommend using this dedicated push notifications builder for the ability to preview your notifications, and get performance metrics on how each one performs.

1. On the top navigation bar, click your community name or logo, or the dropdown icon next to it, and select Branded app.

2. From the sidebar menu, go to Push notifications.

3. Click New notification at the top right of the page.

4. In the dialog, provide the internal name. This name is only for your reference and will not be visible to users.

5. Click Create push notification. The notification builder will now appear on the screen.

The notification builder is designed with a clear, dual-panel layout to streamline your workflow.

• The left panel allows you to configure key sections for notification, including the target audience, content, and send time. As you set up every section, you can save changes for each section.

• The right panel features a preview pane that dynamically updates to display a sample notification based on your current configuration. You can also click the light or dark mode icons at the bottom of the preview to see how the notification looks.

• At the top of the builder, you can utilize the Actions dropdown menu to send a test notification, rename, duplicate, or delete it. You will also have options to save notifications as drafts and finalize the delivery.

💡 Tip: Click Save draft at the top right of the builder if you’re stepping away and plan to finish later. When you are on the Push notifications page, simply locate and click the notification’s internal name to resume setting it up.

In the To section, choose the audience you wish to send the notification to.

To select your audience, click the Send to dropdown menu and choose from the following:

• All members: Target all community members for this notification.

• Custom filters: Use this option to send the notification to individuals who meet specific criteria.

If you choose custom filters, you’ll be able to refine your audience by applying various criteria similar to the filters found on the Manage audience page. This lets you narrow down the notification recipients based on criteria such as:

• Segments

• Role

• Activity score

• Paywall subscriptions

• Tags

• Custom profile fields

• And more

To apply custom filters, follow these steps:

1. Select a filter: Click Add filter and select your desired option from the list of filters. You can use various CRM, platform, and profile fields as filters.

2. Set your criteria: After selecting a filter, enter the relevant criteria. Certain filters support advanced conditions for more precise filtering.

   • Using filter conditions: These conditions are available to text type and list type filters such as name, headline, and location (including checkbox and dropdown type profile fields). Depending on the type of field you are using as a filter, you can use one of the following conditions:

     • Contains (available only to text, link, and number type fields)

     • Does not contain (available only to text, link, and number type fields)

     • Is

     • Is not

     • Is empty

     • Is not empty

3. Apply the filter: Click Apply or Done to finalize your selection.

   • 💡 Tip: As you apply filters, the recipient count updates in real time, reflecting the refined audience. Click the recipient count to view the list of included members. Use the search bar at the top of the recipient list to quickly find specific individuals.

Note that these filters are applied with the “And” condition, meaning the refined recipient list only includes members meeting all selected filter criteria. To refine your audience further, you can apply the same filter multiple times, creating highly specific combinations for more granular results.

Once you have reviewed the audience, make sure to click Save.

In the Content section, click Add content to create the notification content. This is where you define what members will see and where they’ll go when they tap the notification.

As you enter the details, a live preview updates in real time in the preview pane on the right. This helps you fine-tune your message and ensure it looks great.

Here are the details about the notification content:

This appears as the bolded title of your push notification. Keep it concise and action-oriented to spark interest or highlight urgency. You can enter a subject with up to 40 characters.

This is the main message below the subject line. Use this space to provide a clear and concise reason to tap. For example, highlight key details, deadlines, or benefits.

• You can enter up to 140 characters.

• To include emojis, type a colon (:) followed by the emoji's name to search and select it from the list.

Decide where members will be taken when they tap the notification. You can choose from two options at the top of the Link to field and enter the relevant details:

• Community page: Direct members to specific spaces, posts, events, or course lessons within your community. Start typing the name of the content in the Link to field and select one from the search results. Linking to relevant in-app content helps keep members engaged.

• Custom URL: If you want to send members to an external page (e.g., your website, a survey, blog, or offer page), enter the full URL in the URL field. Make sure the link opens in a mobile-friendly format.

Once you have finalized the content, click Save.

Before sending or scheduling the notification, you can preview how it will appear on a mobile device by sending a test notification to yourself. This lets you verify the content, formatting, and link behavior, exactly as your members will experience it.

Test notifications are delivered only to your branded app, and only on devices where you’re logged in with your admin account.

To send a test notification, click the Actions dropdown menu at the top right of the editor and select Send a test. Then, confirm the action. Note that test sends do not affect notification analytics, so feel free to use them as needed while setting up the notification.

You have the flexibility to choose how you want to deliver the notification by choosing a send time.

To do so, in the Send time section, click Add send time and choose from the following options:

• Send now: To send it immediately after the confirmation, choose this option and click Save. Don’t worry, choosing this option won’t send the notification right away; it will just save your choice for the send time. You’ll still need to confirm the final send.

• Schedule for later: Select this option if you prefer to send the notification at a specific date and time in the future. Click the Date and time field and select your preferred schedule from the calendar.

  • ℹ️ Note: The time you select in the calendar will follow your admin account’s time zone.

Once you have configured and saved the audience, content, and send time sections, you're ready to send or schedule the notification. Each completed section will show a checkmark. If a section is incomplete, you’ll need to finish it before proceeding.

At the top right of the builder, you’ll see Send now or Schedule options based on your send time configuration. Click the option and confirm the action to finalize the delivery.