User Guide: Automated Reminders & Confirmations

Last updated: January 15, 2026

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Overview

The Permitting System automatically sends reminders and confirmations to keep citizens, inspectors, and staff informed about appointments, status changes, and important deadlines. This guide explains what notifications are sent, when they're sent, and how to configure them.

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Notification Types

Appointment Notifications

Notification Channels

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For Citizens: Notifications You'll Receive

Confirmation Emails

When you schedule an inspection, you receive:

Email Contents:

• Permit number and type
• Inspection type (e.g., Foundation, Framing, Final)
• Scheduled date and time window
• Property address
• Inspector name (if assigned)
• Preparation instructions
• Cancellation/reschedule policy

Example Confirmation:

Subject: Inspection Confirmed - Building Permit #BLD-2025-001234

Your Foundation Inspection has been scheduled:

Field	Value
Date	January 15, 2025
Time	9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Address	123 Main Street, Columbia, MD 21044
Inspector	John Smith

Please ensure: Site is accessible, work is ready for inspection, someone is available on-site.

To reschedule or cancel, visit the Citizen Portal or call (410) 555-0100.

Reminder Notifications

Before your scheduled inspection:

Timing:

• 24 hours before (default)
• Same morning (if configured)

Example Reminder:

Subject: Reminder: Inspection Tomorrow

Your Foundation Inspection is scheduled for tomorrow:

Field	Value
Date	January 15, 2025
Time	9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Address	123 Main Street, Columbia, MD 21044

Need to reschedule? Log in to the Citizen Portal.

Status Change Notifications

When your inspection is completed:

Pass Notification:

Subject: Inspection Passed - Foundation Inspection

Great news! Your Foundation Inspection has passed.

Field	Value
Result	APPROVED
Date	January 15, 2025
Inspector	John Smith

Next steps: Schedule your next required inspection (Framing Inspection).

Fail Notification:

Subject: Inspection Requires Corrections - Foundation Inspection

Your Foundation Inspection was not approved.

Field	Value
Result	CORRECTIONS REQUIRED
Date	January 15, 2025
Inspector	John Smith

Issues identified: [Inspector comments will be listed here]

Please make the required corrections and schedule a re-inspection.

Cancellation Notifications

When an appointment is cancelled:

Subject: Inspection Cancelled - Foundation Inspection

Your Foundation Inspection has been cancelled.

Field	Value
Original Date	January 15, 2025
Cancelled By	[You / Staff]
Reason	[If provided]

To reschedule, log in to the Citizen Portal or call (410) 555-0100.

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For Citizens: Managing Your Notifications

Notification Preferences

To manage your notification settings:

1. Log in to the Citizen Portal
2. Go to Profile → Notification Preferences
3. Toggle preferences:
   • Email notifications (on/off)
   • SMS notifications (on/off)
4. Save changes

Note: Some critical notifications cannot be disabled for compliance reasons.

SMS Opt-In/Opt-Out

For SMS notifications:

• Opt-In: Provide your mobile number in your profile
• Opt-Out: Remove mobile number or toggle SMS off
• Quick Opt-Out: Reply "STOP" to any SMS message

Updating Contact Information

1. Log in to the Citizen Portal
2. Go to Profile → Contact Information
3. Update your:
   • Email address
   • Phone number
   • Mobile number (for SMS)
4. Save changes

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For Administrators: Configuring Notifications

Accessing Notification Settings

1. Navigate to Calendar App → Calendar Settings
2. Select a calendar (e.g., Building Inspections)
3. Go to Notifications & Additional Options tab

Notification Configuration Cards

The system provides cards for each notification type:

For each notification, configure:

• Email (Enabled/Disabled)
• In-App (Enabled/Disabled)
• Message template
• Timing (for reminders)

Status Labels

Notifications show status with visual indicators:

• Enabled (Green badge) - Notification is active
• Disabled (Gray badge) - Notification is inactive

Notification Options

Additional Settings:

1. Calendar Integration: Allow Google/Outlook Calendar to send invitation & update emails to attendees
2. Auto-Assignment: Assign contacts to their respective calendar team members when appointments are booked

Cancellation and Reschedule Policy

Configure whether citizens can cancel or reschedule:

Meeting Invite Notes

Add custom notes to all meeting invitations:

• Include contact phone numbers
• Add special instructions
• Use template variables (e.g., {{contact.phone}})

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Notification Templates

Available Template Variables

Email Template Structure

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For Staff: Understanding Automated Notifications

When Notifications Are Sent

Staff actions that trigger notifications:

Viewing Notification History

To see what notifications were sent:

1. Open the appointment record
2. Go to Activity tab
3. View notification events in the timeline
4. See delivery status (Sent, Failed, Pending)

Manual Notification Sending

If automatic notification failed:

1. Open the appointment record
2. Click Send Notification
3. Select notification type
4. Preview the message
5. Click Send

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Reminder Scheduling

How Reminders Work

1. When appointment is booked, system schedules reminders
2. Reminder jobs run at configured intervals
3. System checks upcoming appointments
4. Sends reminders to applicants meeting criteria
5. Logs notification in activity trail

Reminder Timing Configuration

Default reminder schedule:

• 24 hours before - Email and SMS reminder
• Same morning - Optional SMS reminder (if configured)

Reminder Suppression

Reminders are NOT sent if:

• Appointment was cancelled
• Appointment was rescheduled (new reminders scheduled)
• Applicant opted out of reminders
• Reminder window has passed

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Follow-Up Notifications

After Inspection Completion

Automatic follow-up sent after inspection:

Contents:

• Inspection result (Pass/Fail/Corrections)
• Inspector notes and comments
• Next steps based on result
• Link to view full results in portal

Follow-Up Timing

• Sent immediately after inspector submits results
• Or within configured delay (e.g., 1 hour after)

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Troubleshooting

For Citizens

Q: I didn't receive a confirmation email. A: Check your spam/junk folder. Verify your email address in your profile. Contact the county if still missing.

Q: I received too many notifications. A: Adjust your notification preferences in your profile. Disable SMS if email is sufficient.

Q: Can I stop all notifications? A: You can disable most notifications, but some critical messages (like cancellations) may always be sent for compliance.

Q: The notification had wrong information. A: Contact Permitting Support to report the discrepancy and verify your appointment details.

For Administrators

Q: Notifications aren't being sent. A: Check:

1. Notification is enabled for that event type
2. Email/SMS service is configured correctly
3. Applicant has valid contact information
4. No delivery failures in logs

Q: How do I test notifications? A: Create a test appointment with your own email and trigger the notification event. Review the received message.

Q: How do I change notification content? A: Notification templates are configured in the Automation Builder. Contact your system administrator for template changes.

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Best Practices

For Administrators

1. Test all notifications - Verify templates work before go-live
2. Clear messaging - Use plain language citizens understand
3. Actionable content - Tell recipients what to do next
4. Appropriate timing - Send reminders at useful intervals
5. Monitor delivery - Review failed notifications regularly

For Citizens

1. Verify contact info - Keep email and phone current
2. Check spam folders - Notifications may be filtered
3. Enable SMS - Get time-sensitive alerts via text
4. Review preferences - Adjust notification frequency as needed

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Related Features

• Appointment Status Automation - Automated workflows
• Inspection Scheduling - Scheduling process
• User Accounts & Profile - Managing your profile

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Technical Notes

Notification Options Component:

• Location: /apps/calendar-app/src/pages/CalendarDetails/components/NotificationOptions/
• Cards: /component/NotificationsCard/NotificationsCard.tsx
• Constants: /consts.ts

Channels:

• Email: Configured via email service integration
• SMS: Configured via SMS gateway
• In-App: Real-time via notification service

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For additional assistance, contact your System Administrator.