How to create notifications in Retool?

 

Creating Notifications in Retool

 

Creating notifications in Retool involves using its versatile features to alert users based on specific triggers or conditions. This guide offers a detailed, technical walk-through to implement notifications in your Retool applications.

 

Prerequisites

 

• Familiarize yourself with Retool's interface and components.
• Ensure you have access to a Retool project where you can experiment with notifications.
• Optionally, have basic knowledge of JavaScript for advanced notification logic.

 

Setting Up Retool Components

 

• Log into your Retool account and open the desired project where you want notifications.
• Navigate to the Retool editor, where you can configure components and queries.

 

Adding a Notification Trigger

 

• Decide what event or condition will trigger the notification. This could be based on a query result, a button click, or another component interaction.
• Create or select the component that will serve as the trigger. For example, a button to send a notification on click.

 

Configuring the Notification Logic

 

• Select the trigger component and navigate to the "Inspector" pane on the right.
• In the "Event Handlers" section, choose the event (e.g., "onClick" for a button) that will trigger the notification.
• Click to add an event handler and choose the action "Open a Notification."

 

Customizing the Notification Message

 

• In the notification configuration, input the message you want the notification to display. This can be a static string or dynamic value from data sources or components.
• For dynamic messages, use the double curly braces syntax to inject variables, such as {{table1.selectedRow.data.name}}.
• You can specify additional notification options, like type (info, success, warning, error) and duration.

 

Advanced Notification Logic with JavaScript

 

• If your notification requires complex logic, utilize JavaScript in Retool components.
• Create a "Query JSON with SQL" resource or JavaScript query to define your conditional logic.
• Integrate the query within the event handler, leveraging Retool's utils.showNotification() function in a JavaScript query to display notifications based on your logic.

 

Example of JavaScript for Notifications

 

• Under the “Queries” section, add a new JavaScript query and name it accordingly.
• Write your JavaScript notification logic, for instance:

  <pre>
  if (table1.selectedRow.data.status === 'Error') {
    utils.showNotification({
      title: 'Alert',
      message: 'An error has occurred!',
      type: 'error'
    });
  }
  </pre>
  

• Bind this JavaScript query to the desired component trigger, setting it to run when the event occurs.

 

Testing Notifications

 

• Utilize Retool’s preview mode to test your notification setup.
• Interact with your trigger components, observing whether notifications appear as expected.
• Debug any issues by checking the console for errors or logic missteps in your configuration.

 

Deployment and User Verification

 

• Once your notifications are set up and tested, deploy your Retool app to ensure notifications work in the intended environments.
• Have users verify notification receipt and ensure messages are clear and actionable.

 

By following these steps, you can effectively implement a notification system within your Retool applications, enhancing user engagement and real-time feedback. Always ensure testing on various user scenarios to maintain the robustness of your notification logic.