How to configure the notifications that go out when an Assignment is delivered, becomes due, or is completed — for any Assignment or Automation type.
Notifications are the way Continu reaches learners about their assignments outside of the in-app Dashboard. Configure them once during Assignment or Automation creation, and Continu sends them automatically based on the events you define.
For the strategic frame on Notifications across Continu, see Notifications: Architecture and Strategy.
When to Configure Notifications
Notification configuration happens near the end of the Assignment or Automation creation flow, after you've defined audience, content, and due date. The configuration is per-Assignment (or per-Instance), so different deliveries can have different notification cadences.
How to Create a New Notification
1. After updating the Assignment or Automation Settings, proceed to the Notifications section.
2. Click + New Notification.
3. Add the notification name. Use something descriptive — "Initial assignment email" rather than "Notification 1."
4. Select the Notification Type. Types include:
- Initial — sent when the assignment is delivered to a user
- Reminder — sent on a schedule before the due date
- Due soon — sent a fixed number of days before the due date
- Overdue — sent after the due date passes if not completed
- Completion — sent when a user completes the assignment
- Custom — manually triggered, useful for ad-hoc reminders
5. Select the channel(s). Email, Slack, in-app, Microsoft Teams (depending on what's enabled on your instance). You can send the same notification on multiple channels at once.
6. Configure timing. For Reminder or Due Soon types, set how many days before the due date the notification fires.
7. Choose or edit the template. Use the default template or customize the subject and body. Variables like the assignment name and due date are auto-populated.
8. Save the notification. Repeat to add more notifications to the same Assignment.
How to Edit an Existing Notification
From the Assignment's Notifications section, click the notification to open it. Edit any field and Save. Changes apply to future sends — past notifications already delivered are unchanged.
Common Mistakes
Notification overload. A reminder every day until the due date is rarely the right cadence. Three thoughtful notifications (initial, mid-cycle reminder, due-soon) are more effective than ten frequent ones.
Wrong channel for the audience. Email works for office workers; deskless workers may need Slack or SMS. Match the channel to where your audience reads.
Forgetting to test the template. Send a test notification to yourself before activating broadly. Variable substitution issues (missing assignment name, broken due-date format) are easier to catch in a test than in a real send.
Editing a notification on a duplicated Automation. Notifications on duplicated Automations link back to the original — editing the duplicate's notification updates the original too. To get fully independent notifications, recreate them from scratch on the duplicate.
See Also
- Notifications: Architecture and Strategy — strategic frame.
- Creating a Direct Assignment — where notifications fit in the Direct flow.
- Creating an Automated Assignment — where notifications fit in the Automated flow.
- Your Account and Notification Settings — the user side: how learners control which notifications they receive.
Create notifications during Assignment or Automation setup. Pick the type, channels, timing, template. Three thoughtful notifications outperform ten frequent ones.