Practice 03.01 · Push notifications
Bring users back to a valuable action
A good push starts with an event, not with copy: a specific user now has a reason to return. Design one scenario from the send condition through the useful action after the tap.
60 minutes for the first scenario
In plain language
A trigger answers the question “why now?”
What you will need
01
When to send a push
Trigger the message only when the user has a clear reason to return right now.
An unfinished action
The user started a useful journey and did not reach the result, but the progress was actually saved.
“Continue from the document step — your previous data is saved.”New value is available
Content, a status, or a feature tied to the user's confirmed interest has been released.
“A new short analysis appeared in your saved topic.”Personal progress
The user can see a result or continue toward their goal without searching again.
“The verification result is ready — open the status and the next step.”In plain language
What to check before setup
First make sure the event is reliable, the audience refreshes, and the destination screen works. Pretty copy will not fix a bad trigger.
Product events
Check when the action's start and completion events arrive and whether users who already got the result can be excluded.
Without events, start with one reliable server-side status and a test group of employees.Send history
See which other messages a user might receive around the same time and set a shared cap.
If there is no shared log, collect a one-week calendar of active sends from every team.Deep link and analytics
On iOS and Android, walk from a closed app to the promised screen and the useful action.
If the direct route is not ready, do not launch a mass push — use an in-app message on the relevant screen first.02
Build the first trigger in five steps
Choose a useful action
Name the result of the return. “Open the app” does not count — viewing a status, continuing a step, or reading material does.
- Where to do it
- In the “Success” row of the specification and the analytics event.
- What the result looks like
- The user read the new analysis at least halfway after tapping the push.
Define the audience by an event
Set the action and the period that put a user into the scenario. Do not start with the broad “inactive” group.
- Where to do it
- In the CRM segment builder.
- What the result looks like
- Saved a topic in the last 30 days and has not opened the new analysis yet.
Set the moment and the exclusions
Define the delay after the event and who the message is no longer relevant for. Exclusions are checked before every send.
- Where to do it
- In the trigger logic and frequency rules.
- What the result looks like
- Send after 30 minutes; exclude those who already read it, are active right now, or got a push in the last 24 hours.
Write the benefit and one CTA
Say what changed and what the user can do. Remove generic calls, pressure, and unverified urgency.
- Where to do it
- In the notification title and body.
- What the result looks like
- “A new analysis appeared in your saved topic. Open the material” instead of “Come back now!”
Check the route to the result
The push must open the right screen after sign-in and from a closed app. Record the target-action event.
- Where to do it
- On test iOS and Android devices.
- What the result looks like
- The tap opens the new analysis, and at 50% read the content_half_read event fires.
03
Practical examples
The matching profile gets it; the excluded one does not
The user saved the topic and has not read the new analysis — the push arrives once. Those who already read it or received another message today are excluded before the send.
The route ends with an action
The push “A new analysis appeared in your saved topic” opens the material itself. Success is reading at least 50% — not just opening the app.
First push-trigger specification
One card is enough for product, CRM, development, and analytics to read the scenario the same way.
| Field | Decision | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| Audience | Saved a topic in the last 30 days | The segment refreshes daily |
| Trigger | A new analysis appeared in the topic | The event fires once |
| Delay | 30 minutes after publication | The content is already live |
| Exclusions | Already read it or got a push today | Test profiles are excluded |
| Destination | Deep link to the new analysis | The screen opens on iOS/Android |
| Success | The analysis is read to 50% | The event is visible after the tap |
Before launch, check three test profiles: the matching one gets the push, the excluded one does not, and the one who already read it gets no repeat.
04
Draft the message
Fill in the card — a working draft of the first push will appear on the right.
Copy the completed example manually and adapt it to your scenario.
Notification preview
A new short analysis appeared in your saved topic. Open it whenever it suits you.
- Audience
- Saved a topic in the last 30 days and has not seen the new analysis yet
- Trigger
- New material appeared in the saved topic
Do not promise income, create fake urgency, or use push as direct pressure to deposit. Trust and timing matter more than a one-off tap.
05
Pre-launch checklist
Run the scenario on three test profiles first, then on a small real group.
06
How to know the trigger helps
Technical quality
The event fires once, the exclusions work, and the deep link opens the right screen.
Useful action
Push recipients complete the promised journey more often than a comparable group without the message.
Trust
Notification opt-outs, complaints, and repeat messages to users who already finished do not grow.
A good first trigger is one truthful reason, a precise route, and a useful action after the tap.