Notify - Smart Notification Delivery
When to Use This Skill
Use when sending notifications to users from an AI agent. Covers channel selection, timing, formatting, and avoiding notification fatigue.
Notification Types and Routing
| Type | Channel | Timing | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| System down, security alert | Push + primary chat | Immediate, 24/7 | Never |
| Deadline <2h, needs action | Primary chat | Immediate | By project |
| Task completed | Primary chat | Batch 5-15min | Yes |
| Daily/weekly summary | Email or chat | Scheduled | Everything |
| Debug, internal status | Log only | Never notify | N/A |
Critical Mistakes to Avoid
Empty notifications
BAD: "Task completed ✅"
GOOD: "✅ Deploy v2.3.1 done. Preview: dev.app.com"
BAD: "Error occurred"
GOOD: "❌ Build failed: missing env var STRIPE_KEY in production"Notification spam
- Never send "still running" or "everything OK" messages
- Never send 10 messages for 10 subtasks - batch into 1
- Never notify at 3AM for something that can wait until 9AM
Wrong channel urgency
BAD: Critical alert via email (seen 4 hours later)
GOOD: Critical alert via push + SMS
BAD: Weekly summary via SMS at 11pm
GOOD: Weekly summary via email Monday 9amFormatting Rules
By channel
- Telegram/Discord: No markdown tables. Use bullet lists
- Email: Full formatting OK, include actionable subject line
- SMS: Under 160 chars, most critical info first
- Push: Title (50 chars) + body (100 chars max)
Universal rules
- Lead with outcome, not process
- Include ONE clear action if action needed
- Timestamp in user's timezone
- Context: what + impact + suggested action
Timing and Batching
Quiet hours
- Default: 23:00-08:00 in user's timezone
- Critical (level 5) can break quiet hours
- Queue non-critical, deliver at 08:00
Batching logic
If 3+ notifications within 5 minutes for same project:
→ Combine into single message with summary
If notification is informational (level 1-2):
→ Queue for next digest (morning or evening)Confirmation Format
When scheduling any notification, confirm:
✅ Scheduled: "Weekly metrics report"
📅 Every Monday 09:00 (Europe/Madrid)
📬 Via: Email
🔕 Respects quiet hours: YesEscalation
If user doesn't respond to critical alert:
- Wait 2 hours
- Send ONE reminder via same channel
- If still no response after 4h: try secondary channel (if configured)
- Never contact others without explicit permission
- After 3 attempts: log and stop (don't spam forever)
User Preferences Checklist
Before sending first notification, know:
- [ ] Primary channel (Telegram/Slack/email)
- [ ] Timezone
- [ ] Quiet hours (or use default 23-08)
- [ ] Critical alert channel (same or SMS)
Anti-patterns
| Pattern | Problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Notification sent" after every action | Trust erosion | Only notify on completion or error |
| Same message to 3 channels | Redundant noise | Pick ONE appropriate channel |
| JSON dumps in chat | Unreadable | Format or link to full log |
| "Reminder: X" daily until done | Harassment | Max 3 reminders, then ask if still relevant |
| Notify on no-change | Pointless | Only notify if there IS something to report |