Add or edit an email notification rule

You can set up rules to automatically send email notifications based on different changes to actions and topics or create a rule to remind users when an action’s completion date is near, due, or overdue.

In the left navigation pane, click the Settings icon ().
In the Configure System section, click Manage Topic Workflow Configurations.
Click the configuration's Row Action menu (), and then click Edit.
On the Edit Topic Workflow Configuration page, click the Email Notifications card.
Add or edit an email notification rule:
- To add a rule, click the Add Email Notification Rule link.
- To edit a rule, click the notification rule's Row Action menu (), and then click Edit.
  
  Note:
  You can edit any email notification rule, even one you didn't define.
See the table below for details on defining the email notification rule.
Click OK.

Table 10-1 Fields dependent on Notification Reason

Additional Field Description

Additional Field	Description
Notification rule name Topic-based Action-based	Email notification rule name.
Notification reason Topic-based Action-based	The activity selected to initiate an automated email notification. You can define multiple rules for each email notification reason. Note: In Edit mode, the Notification reason field is disabled and cannot be modified. Activities include: Topic Added—A new topic is created. Topic Deleted—A topic is deleted. Topic Modified—A topic is modified. Topic Field Modified—A topic field is modified. Topic State Changed—The workflow state of a topic changes. Topic Assignment Changed—A topic assignment changes. Topic Assignment Changed (to User)—New rule, only triggered when the new assignee is a user. Topic Assignment Changed (to Work Team)— New rule, only triggered when the new assignee is a work team. Action Added—An action is added to a topic. By default, the Planned state check box is not selected. An initial state is selected. You must select at least one check box. Action Deleted—An action is deleted. By default, the Planned state check box is not selected. All other states are checked with individual states disabled and checked. You must select at least one check box. Action Modified—An action is modified. By default, the Planned state check box is not selected. All other states are checked with individual states disabled and checked. You must select at least one check box. Action Field Modified—An action field is modified. By default, the Planned state check box is not selected. All other states are checked with individual states disabled and checked. You must select at least one check box. Action State Changed—The workflow state of an action changes. Action Assignment Changed—An action assignment changes. By default, the Planned state check box is not selected. All other states are checked with individual states disabled and checked. You must select at least one check box. Action Assignment Changed (to User)—New rule, only triggered when the new assignee is a user. By default, the Planned state check box is not selected. All other states are checked with individual states disabled and checked. You must select at least one check box. Action Assignment Changed (to Work Team)—New rule, only triggered when the new assignee is a work team. By default, the Planned state check box is not selected. All other states are checked with individual states disabled and checked. You must select at least one check box. Email Reminder—Daily, at a time specified in Site Options. The Planned check box doesn't appear as an applicable state.
Send to Topic-based Action-based	Click Select Recipients to display the Select Recipients page and select recipients from the Available Values list, then click OK. Message recipients: Visible to Work Team Members—All members of the work team, or teams that can view the topic. New Assignee—User or work team currently assigned to the topic or action. If the New Assignee is a work team, notifications will be sent only to work team members who can view the topic. Previous Assignee —User or work team previously assigned to the topic. If the Previous Assignee is a work team, notifications will be sent only to work team members who can currently view the topic. Individual users—Enabled users in the login group, regardless of topic visibility. Approvers—Enabled users with edit access to the topic and approval work team permission. Note: Users must have an email address associated with their username to receive emails. A single email will be sent to an individual only once, even if, for example, a particular user is in multiple work teams or both the Assigned To user AND in a work team to which the topic was visible. Disabled or deleted users will not receive email notifications.
Message subject Topic-based Action-based	Enter the Email subject you want to use for email messages generated for the selected reason. Click the Show Fields link to select items from a list of field variables. When the message is generated, the current values replace the field variables you selected. Note: You must provide a message subject to save the email notification rule. Before including fields in the subject, ensure that the resulting emails will not contain sensitive or confidential information.
Message text Topic-based Action-based	Enter the body of the message in the Message text field. Click the Show Fields link to select items from a list of field variables. When the message is generated, the current values replace the field variables you selected. Field variables appear as`<<topic.FieldName>>` or `<<action.FieldName>>`. Note: Before including fields in the message, ensure that the resulting emails will not contain sensitive or confidential information.
Applicable states Action-based	Select action states to further refine the notification rule. The action states available for selection depend on the notification reason. Action Added—Planned and Init. Email Reminder—All active states and individual active (non-Planned) states. All other action-based notification reasons—Planned, All active states, and individual active (non-Planned) states. Selecting the `All` active states check box selects and disables the individual active states. If `All` active states is selected and an active action state is added or removed from the configuration, the rule’s Applicable states field is automatically updated. Deselecting the All active states check box enables individual active states, allowing you to select specific states.
Component modified Topic-based Action-based	For the `Topic Modified` notification reason, the Component modified field appears as a multiple selection list that includes: Link Added Link Removed Topic Comments Added Topic Attachment Added Topic Attachment Deleted Topic Attachment Modified Topic Attachment Comments Added Topic Field Values Changed For the `Action Modified` notification reason, the Component modified field appears as a multiple selection list that includes: Action Comments Added Action Attachment Added Action Attachment Deleted Action Attachment Modified Action Attachment Comments Added Action Field Values Changed
Modified field Topic-based Action-based	For the `Topic Field Modified` notification reason, the values include the display names of all fields where Context is `Topic`, or for `Action Field Modified` notification reason, the list includes all fields where Context is `Action`
Email Notification State changes Topic-based Action-based	For `Topic State Changed` and `Action State Changed` notification reasons, the Notification state changes field appears as a matrix of check boxes with `Current State` as the rows and `Transitioned State` as the columns. Only valid transitions are enabled. Select specific transitions, or use the top row of check boxes to select or clear all valid transitions to the respective transitioned state. To require approval when the state changes, select the Requires Approval check box.
Send reminder Action-based	For Email Reminder reasons, only, use the date to monitor Send reminder days and `on`, `after`, or `before` selection fields to control when an email reminder will be sent. Email reminders can be sent daily based on time specified in the Time to send topic email reminder notifications field on the Site Options page. Date to monitor is set to the Planned Completion date field and cannot be changed. In the Date to Monitor field, specify the number of days before, after, or on that the message is to be sent. Note: The days field is disabled when `on` is selected and enabled when `before` or `after` is selected.

Notification rule name

Topic-based
Action-based

Email notification rule name.

Notification reason

Topic-based
Action-based

The activity selected to initiate an automated email notification. You can define multiple rules for each email notification reason.

Note: In Edit mode, the Notification reason field is disabled and cannot be modified.

Activities include:

Topic Added—A new topic is created.
Topic Deleted—A topic is deleted.
Topic Modified—A topic is modified.
Topic Field Modified—A topic field is modified.
Topic State Changed—The workflow state of a topic changes.
Topic Assignment Changed—A topic assignment changes.
Topic Assignment Changed (to User)—New rule, only triggered when the new assignee is a user.
Topic Assignment Changed (to Work Team)— New rule, only triggered when the new assignee is a work team.
Action Added—An action is added to a topic. By default, the Planned state check box is not selected. An initial state is selected. You must select at least one check box.
Action Deleted—An action is deleted. By default, the Planned state check box is not selected. All other states are checked with individual states disabled and checked. You must select at least one check box.
Action Modified—An action is modified. By default, the Planned state check box is not selected. All other states are checked with individual states disabled and checked. You must select at least one check box.
Action Field Modified—An action field is modified. By default, the Planned state check box is not selected. All other states are checked with individual states disabled and checked. You must select at least one check box.
Action State Changed—The workflow state of an action changes.
Action Assignment Changed—An action assignment changes. By default, the Planned state check box is not selected. All other states are checked with individual states disabled and checked. You must select at least one check box.
Action Assignment Changed (to User)—New rule, only triggered when the new assignee is a user. By default, the Planned state check box is not selected. All other states are checked with individual states disabled and checked. You must select at least one check box.
Action Assignment Changed (to Work Team)—New rule, only triggered when the new assignee is a work team. By default, the Planned state check box is not selected. All other states are checked with individual states disabled and checked. You must select at least one check box.
Email Reminder—Daily, at a time specified in Site Options. The Planned check box doesn't appear as an applicable state.

Send to

Topic-based
Action-based

Click Select Recipients to display the Select Recipients page and select recipients from the Available Values list, then click OK.

Message recipients:

Visible to Work Team Members—All members of the work team, or teams that can view the topic.
New Assignee—User or work team currently assigned to the topic or action. If the New Assignee is a work team, notifications will be sent only to work team members who can view the topic.
Previous Assignee —User or work team previously assigned to the topic. If the Previous Assignee is a work team, notifications will be sent only to work team members who can currently view the topic.
Individual users—Enabled users in the login group, regardless of topic visibility.
Approvers—Enabled users with edit access to the topic and approval work team permission.

Note: Users must have an email address associated with their username to receive emails.

A single email will be sent to an individual only once, even if, for example, a particular user is in multiple work teams or both the Assigned To user AND in a work team to which the topic was visible.

Disabled or deleted users will not receive email notifications.

Message subject

Topic-based
Action-based

Enter the Email subject you want to use for email messages generated for the selected reason. Click the Show Fields link to select items from a list of field variables. When the message is generated, the current values replace the field variables you selected.

Note: You must provide a message subject to save the email notification rule. Before including fields in the subject, ensure that the resulting emails will not contain sensitive or confidential information.

Message text

Topic-based
Action-based

Enter the body of the message in the Message text field. Click the Show Fields link to select items from a list of field variables. When the message is generated, the current values replace the field variables you selected.

Field variables appear as<<topic.FieldName>> or <<action.FieldName>>.

Note: Before including fields in the message, ensure that the resulting emails will not contain sensitive or confidential information.

Applicable states

Action-based

Select action states to further refine the notification rule. The action states available for selection depend on the notification reason.

Action Added—Planned and Init.
Email Reminder—All active states and individual active (non-Planned) states.
All other action-based notification reasons—Planned, All active states, and individual active (non-Planned) states.

Selecting the All active states check box selects and disables the individual active states. If All active states is selected and an active action state is added or removed from the configuration, the rule’s Applicable states field is automatically updated.

Deselecting the All active states check box enables individual active states, allowing you to select specific states.

Component modified

Topic-based
Action-based

For the Topic Modified notification reason, the Component modified field appears as a multiple selection list that includes:

Link Added
Link Removed
Topic Comments Added
Topic Attachment Added
Topic Attachment Deleted
Topic Attachment Modified
Topic Attachment Comments Added
Topic Field Values Changed

For the Action Modified notification reason, the Component modified field appears as a multiple selection list that includes:

Action Comments Added
Action Attachment Added
Action Attachment Deleted
Action Attachment Modified
Action Attachment Comments Added
Action Field Values Changed

Modified field

Topic-based
Action-based

For the Topic Field Modified notification reason, the values include the display names of all fields where Context is Topic, or for Action Field Modified notification reason, the list includes all fields where Context is Action

Email Notification State changes

Topic-based
Action-based

For Topic State Changed and Action State Changed notification reasons, the Notification state changes field appears as a matrix of check boxes with

Current
                                        State

as the rows and

Transitioned
                                        State

as the columns.

Only valid transitions are enabled.
Select specific transitions, or use the top row of check boxes to select or clear all valid transitions to the respective transitioned state.
To require approval when the state changes, select the Requires Approval check box.

Send reminder

Action-based

For Email Reminder reasons, only, use the date to monitor Send reminder days and on, after, or before selection fields to control when an email reminder will be sent. Email reminders can be sent daily based on time specified in the Time to send topic email reminder notifications field on the Site Options page.

Date to monitor is set to the Planned Completion date field and cannot be changed.
In the Date to Monitor field, specify the number of days before, after, or on that the message is to be sent.

Note: The days field is disabled when on is selected and enabled when before or after is selected.

Parent topic: Manage email notification rules