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Most notifications are useless: Use automation to get what you need where you need it

By Krystina Martinez · December 29, 2020
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We're drowning in notifications. They're on our phones, in our apps, and clogging up our email. The worst part: Most of them are useless. 

Tech companies want you to spend more time in their app, so unless you're ruthless with your preferences, you'll get notifications for all kinds of things that you don't necessarily care about. It's not just annoying, it's distracting and overwhelming.

While shutting off those alerts is a manual process (we're deeply sorry), the good news is that you can take control. After all, your computer is a tool and you can tell it what to do. 

How? Zapier can help you wrangle the alerts you care about in one place, without knowing any code. Our automatic workflows, which we call Zaps, send information from one app to another, helping you reduce manual tasks. Learn more about how Zapier works.

Because notifications are a really broad category, we'll focus this article on two different approaches to streamlining alerts from important apps. 

To get started with a Zap template—what we call those pre-made workflows—just click on it, and we'll guide you through the set-up process. You can read more about setting up Zaps here.

You'll need a Zapier account to use the workflows in this piece. If you don't have an account yet, it's free to get started.


Table of contents:


Purge your notifications

The first step to streamline your notifications is to get rid of them. Yes, turn every notification off. We wish there was a way to speed this process up, but there's not. Trust us when we say it'll be much easier to evaluate what notifications you need once you have complete silence.

Sketch out your daily app routine

It's easier to think when you have peace and quiet, right? Now that you don't have any apps pinging you, mentally walk through your daily routine at work and home. Write it down if you like. 

While you're sketching out your day, think about the following:

  • What app or apps do you use the most? What do you use them for? This isn't the time to be thinking about every app you use, just the main ones that help you manage your day. For example, you may rely on a team chat app for all communication, organize everything you need to do in a task management app. This is about your preferences. 

  • What apps do you hate checking, though it's necessary for your work or personal life? For example, maybe you hate digging into your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) app to find out which leads are assigned to you, but it's a necessary part of your role. Be honest here. This is about what you have to do. 

Take control of the alerts you really need

Though app developers want you to spend more time in their app, they also try to anticipate how users interact with their app. However, they can't think of everything a user might want to accomplish—especially between other apps. 

Here's an example: The Zapier blog team uses Airtable for our editorial calendar, where we track assignments and the status of articles. We write our drafts in Google Docs, and our editors Deb and Janine leave suggestions and comments in our draft. 

I don't need notifications for every comment or suggestion, but I do need to know when they're done with edits on my articles so I can make any revisions. Whenever Janine finishes editing an article like this one, she changes the status in Airtable. This is a specific notification that I need that neither Airtable nor Google Docs can anticipate.  So I shut off all the other notifications and use a Zap to make sure I know when Janine is done with one of my drafts. 

A screenshot of a Slackbot message in Slack. The icon is a pair of scissors and the bot is called RevisionBot. The message reads: The first pass for this story is done! It's time to make your changes.

Now, make a list of the specific actions or processes where you need alerts at some point. Don't think about the notifications you normally get or what's available to you in the app. Don't even think about the apps you have on your computer and phone. Think about the notifications you actually need to do your job or carry out your day. 

The point here is to be ruthless and prioritize. For example, you may not need alerts for every email in your inbox, but perhaps only the emails from specific clients, vendors, or your manager. Maybe you don't even want those alerts on your desktop and you prefer notifications in your team chat app. Write that down as well.  

Once you've made your list, you can start creating Zaps to make sure you're getting those notifications where you'd like—such as SMS, a direct message in your team chat app, or wherever else you'd like. 

Decide where you want your notifications to go

One problem with notifications is that they're in too many places. With the pre-planning you've done so far, you've narrowed down the places where you prefer to receive alerts. 

Route alerts to one place

One way to streamline alerts is to pick a single place you'd like all your notifications to go. This is for folks who are guaranteed to check the same app all the time. For example, maybe you ignore email notifications but always check your team chat app.

Then, once you've identified your preferred alert channel, start setting up notifications. Here are some examples on how you can funnel notifications into a team chat app for things like calendar events, database updates, CRm changes, and form submissions:

Get Slackbot notifications for approaching Google Calendar events

  • Google Calendar logo
  • Slack logo
Google Calendar + Slack
More details
    "Oh no, I'll be late!" Get rid of this occurance with this Slackbot Google Calendar integration that reminds you of upcoming events. You can customize what information shows up from Google Calendar, pulling in the start time, end time, location and more.

    Send messages in Microsoft Teams from new Airtable records

    • Airtable logo
    • Microsoft Teams logo
    Airtable + Microsoft Teams
    More details
      Organization and communication can feel like two separate workflows, but why not do both at once? This integration lets you do exactly that, automatically sending new messages within a Microsoft Teams channel when new records become available in Airtable. Collaborate on tasks as you update your database to double your productivity!

      Send Slack channel messages for new Salesforce opportunities

      • Salesforce logo
      • Slack logo
      Salesforce + Slack
      More details
        Quick outreach and followup are essential when working a new opportunity. Make sure you and your team get notified when new opportunities are available. This integration helps by sending channel messages in Slack when there are new opportunities in Salesforce. Now your whole team can be ready to support new potential clients.

        Get Slack notifications for new HubSpot form submissions

        • HubSpot logo
        • Slack logo
        HubSpot + Slack
        More details
          Wouldn't it be great to get a Slack message every time someone fills out your HubSpot form? This HubSpot Slack integration automatically notifies you of new form submissions so you'll instantly know when you've got a new entry.

          If streamlining email is what you need, try these:

          Get alerts in Microsoft Teams for new emails in Microsoft Outlook

          • Microsoft Outlook logo
          • Microsoft Teams logo
          Microsoft Outlook + Microsoft Teams
          More details
            When you're mostly communicating with your team in chat, it's easy to neglect your inbox before it's too late. Stay on top of your emails with this integration. Whenever you receive a new email in Microsoft Outlook, this Zap will automatically send a message to Microsoft Teams.

            Send Slack notifications for new emails matching Gmail search queries

            • Gmail logo
            • Slack logo
            Gmail + Slack
            More details
              Looking for an eaiser way to relay Slack notifications for specific emails in Gmail? Rely on this Business Gmail-Slack integration. Set it up to automatically receive a notification in Slack as soon as a new email in your Gmail Business account matches specified search criteria.

              Get email notifications or send follow-ups to new Typeform respondents

              • Typeform logo
              • Gmail logo
              Typeform + Gmail
              More details
                After someone fills out a form on your site, you often want to receive an email notification or send a follow-up email to the individual who completed the form. This Zapier automation handles both gracefully, sending an email (customizable)—either to you or the form respondent—when a new form entry is submitted.

                If you like SMS messages for your most important alerts, try one of these:

                Send SMS messages for new leads from Facebook Lead Ads

                • Facebook Lead Ads logo
                • SMS by Zapier logo
                Facebook Lead Ads + SMS by Zapier
                More details
                  Catching new customers when they're most engaged increases your chances of conversion. With this automation on your side, Zapier will let you know whenever someone expresses interest: It will trigger with every new lead captured by your Facebook ads and send you an SMS with their details in response, ensuring you can act on them right away.

                  Get SMS messages for new Jotform submissions

                  • Jotform logo
                  • SMS by Zapier logo
                  Jotform + SMS by Zapier
                  More details
                    Those form submissions are important, but that doesn't mean you need to check on them half a dozen times every day. Leave it to this Jotform-SMS integration! Once it's active, Zapier will watch Jotform for you and capture every new form submission. We'll then automatically send you an SMS with every detail you need from those responses, keeping you updated no matter where you are.

                    Get an SMS message for new Calendly invitees

                    • Calendly logo
                    • SMS by Zapier logo
                    Calendly + SMS by Zapier
                    More details
                      Calendly is a simple way to let others book appointments with you at the time that works best for them—and Zapier can make sure you know about every new appointment. Just set up this Zap, and whenever an invitee schedules an event, Zapier will send you an SMS message with the details.

                      Redirect priority notifications where you need them

                      Another way you can streamline notifications is to route those priority alerts when and where you need them. For example, if my manager assigns an article for me to write, I need a Slack alert and that assignment added to Todoist. Anything I need to know about is messaged in Slack. Anything I'm required to do goes in Todoist. 

                      Try these Zaps for notifications that require an action: 

                      Add new tasks on Asana to Any.do

                      • Asana logo
                      • Any.do Personal logo
                      Asana + Any.do Personal
                      More details
                        Tired of managing your to-do lists in multiple apps? Use this integration to streamline things. Set it up to automatically add each new task for a specified Asana project to Any.do, no clicks or keystrokes needed.

                        Add new tasks from Salesforce to Any.do

                        • Salesforce logo
                        • Any.do Personal logo
                        Salesforce + Any.do Personal
                        More details
                          Tired of managing to-do lists in multiple apps? Rather than having to create a task in multiple lists, use this integration to automatically add each new Salesforce task to Any.do.

                          Turn Google Sheets rows into Any.do tasks

                          • Google Sheets logo
                          • Any.do Personal logo
                          Google Sheets + Any.do Personal
                          More details
                            Easily turn your Google spreadsheet into a to-do list with this Google Sheets to Any.do. Set it up, and each time a new row is added to a selected Google Sheets spreadsheet, Zapier will create a new task in Any.do. Stay on top of tasks and maintain your organizational skills when you use this integration.

                            Add new Facebook Lead Ads leads to Todoist as tasks

                            • Facebook Lead Ads logo
                            • Todoist logo
                            Facebook Lead Ads + Todoist
                            More details
                              Keeping tabs on your list of new leads is important. Make sure you never miss a lead by adding them to Todoist: this Zap adds new leads from Facebook Lead Ads to Todoist automatically. That way you can take care of lead-related tasks (like reaching out to them) right away and turn the new leads into dedicated customers!

                              Create Todoist tasks for new records in view from Airtable

                              • Airtable logo
                              • Todoist logo
                              Airtable + Todoist
                              More details
                                Sometimes you'll need to create tasks for records that reach a specific view. This Zap helps by automatically creating a task in Todoist when a record reaches a specified view in Airtable. You won't miss a task for follow up again.

                                And if you just need to know what's going on, these workflows will get you started: 

                                Get messages in Microsoft Teams for upcoming Microsoft Outlook calendar events

                                • Microsoft Outlook logo
                                • Microsoft Teams logo
                                Microsoft Outlook + Microsoft Teams
                                More details
                                  Are you tired of people showing up late for meetings? Try this integration, which sends a message in a specific Microsoft Teams channel for upcoming calendar events in Microsoft Outlook.

                                  Share new Facebook Page posts in Slack

                                  • Facebook Pages logo
                                  • Slack logo
                                  Facebook Pages + Slack
                                  More details
                                    Slack is a great way to keep all of your team up to date, but what about sending social media posts there as well? Enter Zapier, which can send any new post you make on your Facebook Page straight to Slack, automatically.

                                    Get Slack direct messages for new posts in your RSS feed

                                    • RSS by Zapier logo
                                    • Slack logo
                                    RSS by Zapier + Slack
                                    More details
                                      Share new posts in your RSS feed with specific people on your team when you use this automation. Set it up, and each time a new post is added into your RSS feed, Zapier will send a direct message via Slack. Send notifications to the right people in your team when you use this integration.

                                      Post Microsoft Teams messages with new Calendly invitees

                                      • Calendly logo
                                      • Microsoft Teams logo
                                      Calendly + Microsoft Teams
                                      More details
                                        Good meetings don't just happen. Preparing for success can take time, though, and once the appointment is set the clock is ticking. Get a jump on your pre-meeting tasks with this integration, which automatically creates a new message in Microsoft Teams whenever an invitee schedules a Calendly event. Start collaborating right away, without any added effort, and make sure your next meeting is the best one yet.

                                        Adjust notification frequency 

                                        You've made your list. You've created your Zaps. But despite your best efforts, you're still getting too many notifications. There are two ways in Zapier you can fix this: Filters and Digest. 

                                        Filter when you need specificity

                                        Filters, available on our paid plans, allow you to set a specific condition on your Zap. Your Zap will only continue if your trigger—the event that starts a Zap—meets that condition. For example, you'd add a filter if you wanted to get alerted for tasks assigned to you in your project management app. 

                                        Filters help you tailor your Zaps so they only run when you need them to. You can learn about setting up filters  in our help doc. Want even more inspiration? Check out this blog post about making your Zaps as efficient as possible.

                                        Digest when you need a summary

                                        Digest, also available on our paid plans, lets you aggregate trigger items for a specific amount of time before releasing them to your app of choice. For example, instead of getting a notification for every new lead you acquire from Facebook Lead Ads, you can add a digest step in your Zap so you only get alerted about leads you've acquired that day. 

                                        These Zap templates are just a few examples of how digests can streamline your notifications:

                                        Get Slack DMs with digests of new Facebook Lead Ad leads

                                        • Facebook Lead Ads logo
                                        • Slack logo
                                        Facebook Lead Ads + Slack
                                        More details
                                          You don't need to be distracted with a notification for every new prospect—we can summarize them for you. This integration will react to every new lead that gets captured by your Facebook Lead Ad and append it to your digest. When your scheduled release time comes (daily, weekly, or monthly), Zapier will then send you the digest of the last new leads, wiping the digest clean and starting again.

                                          Get a daily, monthly, or weekly email summaries of new Calendly events

                                          • Digest by Zapier logo
                                          • Email by Zapier logo
                                          Digest by Zapier + Email by Zapier
                                          More details
                                            Keep an eye on your calendar without any extra effort. This workflow watches for new invitees that book an event in Calendly, adds their event to a digest, and automatically delivers that digest via email. You can pick when we drop the digest in your inbox—on a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule.

                                            Email yourself a digest of Unbounce form submissions on a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule

                                            • Unbounce logo
                                            • Digest by Zapier logo
                                            • Email by Zapier logo
                                            Unbounce + Digest by Zapier + Email by Zapier
                                            More details
                                              Don't clutter your inbox with notifications about new form submission you receive from Unbounce - but still stay in the loop. Use this Zap to automatically add new Unbounce form submissions to Zapier's Digest tool. Then Zapier will deliver a digest of your form submissions via email to you every day, week, or month.

                                              Post a digest of RSS items to a Slack direct message on a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule

                                              • RSS by Zapier logo
                                              • Slack logo
                                              RSS by Zapier + Slack
                                              More details
                                                Turn Slack into a totally custom feed reader. This Zap lets you plug in RSS feeds from your favorite blogs. From there, we'll automatically gather new posts into daily, weekly, or monthly digests, and send them to in a Slack direct message.

                                                Bonus tip: Adjust your Zapier notifications with Zapier Manager

                                                We rarely use email internally. Because of that, I'm more aware of the email notifications that end up in my inbox. One day, I noticed I was getting too many emails from my employer about my Zaps. (The Zap for my office lights were acting up.)

                                                Though I appreciate the notifications, that doesn't change the fact that I deeply despise checking my email. Enter Zapier Manager, a housekeeping tool for your Zaps. You can turn a Zap on or off, get alerted if your Zap suddenly turns off, and more. 

                                                These Zaps will make sure you stay on top of what's going on in your Zapier account. 

                                                Send Slack private channel messages for new zaps turned off

                                                • Zapier Manager logo
                                                • Slack logo
                                                Zapier Manager + Slack
                                                More details
                                                  You'll want to know anytime an integration is turned off. This automation helps by automatically sending a private channel message in Slack with the details of a new zap that has been turned off. You'll always know when an integration is turned off.

                                                  You'll still need to turn off your email notifications in your Account Settings.

                                                  Streamline your notifications for inner peace

                                                  These are just a few examples of how you can use Zapier to streamline your notifications. If you work with tools we didn't list here, don't worry! Zapier works with thousands of apps. Head to our App Directory and search for the one you use, or browse to find the right solution for your needs.

                                                  Zapier is the leader in workflow automation—integrating with thousands of apps from partners like Google, Salesforce, and Microsoft. Use interfaces, data tables, and logic to build secure, automated systems for your business-critical workflows across your organization's technology stack. Learn more.

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                                                  A Zap with the trigger 'When I get a new lead from Facebook,' and the action 'Notify my team in Slack'