Set up push notifications
Just ask Hercules to:Set up push notifications for my app, making sure to handle enabled, disabled, and not available states.
Prompt users to opt into notifications
We strongly recommend your app handles all of the following 4 permission states.| Status | What to show |
|---|---|
| Not enabled | Show a pre-prompt explaining why notifications are valuable, then request permission |
| Explicitly enabled | n/a (Notifications work normally) |
| Explicitly disabled | Guide user to device settings to re-enable (you cannot re-prompt them to enable) |
| Not available on device | Hide notification-related UI or explain limitations |
Send notifications
From the Hercules UI
Go to the Push Notifications tab to send notifications manually.
Compose your message
Write a title (required) and body (optional). Keep messages short and valuable.
Triggered by events
Send notifications automatically when something happens in your app. Ask Hercules:- “Send a notification when an order is placed”
- “Notify users when their order ships”
- “Send a notification when an order is out for delivery”
- “Notify users when their order is delivered”
Scheduled from your app
Schedule notifications to send at specific times or after delays. Ask Hercules:- “Send a welcome notification 1 hour after sign up”
- “Remind users about abandoned carts after 24 hours”
- “Let me schedule notifications from an admin page”
Test push notifications
Push notifications do not work in Hercules preview. Follow the mobile app testing instructions to test on a real device:- Publish your app
- Install on a real device (Add to Home Screen)
- Grant notification permission when prompted
- Send a test notification from Mobile → Push Notifications
FAQ
Do notifications work in Hercules preview?
Do notifications work in Hercules preview?
No. Push notifications do not work inside the Hercules preview. You must test on a published URL
Can I send notifications to specific users?
Can I send notifications to specific users?
Yes. From the Push Notifications UI, search by email, name, or visitor ID to select specific
users.
How do I re-request permission if a user denied?
How do I re-request permission if a user denied?
You can’t re-prompt programmatically. Guide users to their device settings to enable notifications
for your app. Show a helpful message with instructions.
Do notifications work on iOS Safari?
Do notifications work on iOS Safari?
Yes, as of iOS 16.4+. Users must add your PWA to home screen first. Notifications won’t work from
Safari directly, only from the installed PWA.
What can I customize in a notification?
What can I customize in a notification?
- Title: Bold headline (keep it short, max 200 characters) - Body: Main message (optional, max 500 characters) Known limitation: Notifications currently can’t deep-link to a specific screen. They open the app generically. Deep linking is planned.