# Notifications & Email Preferences VitalSentinel keeps you informed in two places: the **in-app notifications inbox** and your **email preferences**. This page covers both. ## In-App Notifications Inbox [#in-app-notifications-inbox] The notifications inbox lives at `/dashboard/notifications` and is accessible from the bell icon in the top navigation bar. Anything that needs your attention - alert triggers, billing events, system announcements, welcome messages - lands here. ### Notification Types [#notification-types] | Type | What it means | | ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Alert** | An alert rule you configured has triggered | | **System** | Operational status, planned maintenance, or other system events | | **Announcement** | New features and product updates | | **Billing** | Subscription, payment, and plan changes | | **Welcome** | Onboarding messages when you join | ### Severities [#severities] Each notification carries a severity that controls its color: * **Info** - general information, no action required * **Success** - something completed successfully * **Warning** - something that may need attention * **Critical** - something that needs attention now ### Tabs [#tabs] The inbox has two tabs: * **Unread** (default) - only items you haven't read yet * **All** - everything, including read items ### Grouping [#grouping] You can switch the display between a flat list and one grouped by domain. Grouping is useful if you manage many domains and want to see at a glance which sites have outstanding notifications. ### Marking as Read [#marking-as-read] * Click any notification to open its details. It's marked as read automatically. * Use the envelope icon to **Mark as read** without opening, or to **Mark as unread** afterwards. * Use **Mark all as read** to clear the unread count in one action. ### Deleting [#deleting] Delete individual notifications you no longer need with the trash icon. Deleted notifications cannot be recovered. ### Unread Count Badge [#unread-count-badge] The bell icon in the top navigation bar shows a badge with your unread count (it caps at 9+). The count updates in real time as you read or delete items. ## Email Preferences [#email-preferences] Some notifications also send email. Email behavior is configured in two places: ### Per-Alert Email Toggle [#per-alert-email-toggle] Each alert rule has its own **Notify by email** toggle. See [Alert Notifications](/alerts/notifications) for details on what email alerts include and how to configure them. ### Weekly Domain Reports [#weekly-domain-reports] VitalSentinel can send a weekly email summary for each domain you have access to. Reports go out every Monday and include the past week's headline metrics. Configure them in **Settings → Weekly Domain Reports** (`/dashboard/settings`): 1. Open your account **Settings**. 2. Scroll to the **Weekly Domain Reports** card. 3. Toggle each domain on or off individually. You'll only see this card once you have at least one domain. Weekly reports are on by default for every domain (opt-out): a master toggle turns them all off, and each domain has its own switch. Preferences are per user, so team members can subscribe or unsubscribe independently. ## Tips [#tips] * **Use Unread as your inbox.** Treat the Unread tab like an email inbox - read or dismiss items, then move on. * **Group by domain when triaging incidents.** It's the fastest way to see which sites have multiple things going wrong at once. * **Keep weekly reports on for client domains.** They double as a low-effort weekly check-in for your stakeholders. ## Related [#related] Create alert rules that feed into the inbox Configure email channels for alerts Manage your account profile, password, 2FA, and weekly emails