Notifications

Esqase keeps you up to date on the work that matters to you: a task assigned to your name, a new lead, a client payment, an upcoming meeting, and more. Notifications reach you in three places: the in-app bell at the top of the dashboard, desktop alerts (a pop-up your browser shows outside the Esqase window, whether Esqase is in the background or open in front of you), and email. This page explains how to read your notifications, turn on desktop alerts, and choose exactly which events notify you and how.

Before you begin

• Notification settings are personal. Each member of your firm controls their own notifications, so changing yours never affects a colleague.
• You can use notifications in any modern browser. Desktop alerts require you to allow notifications for Esqase in your browser, which you do once per browser.
• Your notifications belong to the firm you are currently working in. If you belong to more than one firm and switch between them, the bell shows the notifications for the firm you are viewing.

The notification bell inbox

The bell is your quick inbox. It lives in the top bar of the dashboard, on every page, so you can glance at what is new without leaving what you are doing.

1. Look at the top-right of the dashboard header for the bell icon.
2. When you have unread notifications, a small red badge sits on the bell showing the number unread. Once you pass 99 unread, the badge shows 99+.
3. Click the bell to open the notification panel.

The panel lists your most recent notifications, newest first. Each row shows:

• An icon that hints at the kind of event (for example, a person icon for a new lead, a calendar icon for an event).
• The notification text: a short bold title and, often, a one-line description.
• How long ago it arrived (for example, "2 hours ago"), shown in your firm's time zone.
• A small dot on the right while the notification is still unread. Unread rows also have a light highlight so they stand out.

Opening a notification

1. In the bell panel, click any notification row.
2. If the notification was unread, Esqase marks it read for you automatically.
3. If the notification points to a record (most do), Esqase takes you straight to that page, for example the assigned task, the new lead, or the matter you were added to.

This is the fastest way to act on something: click it, and you land exactly where you need to be.

Marking notifications as read

You have two ways to clear the unread count from the bell.

• One at a time: opening a notification (clicking its row) marks just that one as read.
• All at once: when you have unread notifications, a Mark all read button appears at the top-right of the bell panel. Click it to mark every notification as read in one step. The red badge disappears.

Seeing your full history

The bell shows only your recent notifications. To see everything, scroll to the bottom of the panel and click View all notifications. This opens the full Notifications page.

The Notifications page

The full page is a searchable, sortable table of every notification you have received in this firm. Use it to review history, tidy up, or work through a backlog.

1. Open it from the bell panel by clicking View all notifications, or go to it directly from the address /notifications.
2. The page title reads Notifications, with a table of your notifications below it.

Filter tabs

Above the table are three tabs that filter what you see:

• All shows everything, active and archived together.
• Active shows notifications you have not archived. This is your working inbox and is selected by default.
• Archived shows notifications you have set aside.

Table columns

Each row shows:

• Description: the notification's icon plus its title and short detail.
• Type: the kind of event in plain language, for example "Task assigned to me" or "Payment received".
• Status: a New badge if you have not read it yet, or a Read badge once you have.
• Last updated: when the notification arrived, in your firm's time zone.

Acting on a single notification

On the right of each row are quick actions:

1. Click View to open the notification. As in the bell, this marks it read (if it was unread) and takes you to the linked record.
2. Click the More button (the three-dots icon) next to View for the rest of the actions:
   • Mark as read (shown only while the notification is unread) clears its unread status without leaving the page.
   • Archive moves the notification out of your Active list and into Archived. Use this to keep your inbox tidy without losing the record.
   • Restore (shown on archived rows) brings a notification back into the Active list.
   • Delete (shown on archived rows) permanently removes the notification. Esqase asks you to confirm because this cannot be undone.

Acting on many at once

You can work on several notifications together.

1. Use the checkboxes on the left of each row to select the notifications you want. The checkbox in the header selects every row on the page.
2. A batch-actions menu appears in the toolbar. Depending on what you selected, you can:
   • Mark as read the selected unread notifications.
   • Archive the selected active notifications.
   • Restore the selected archived notifications.
   • Delete the selected archived notifications (with a confirmation prompt, since this is permanent).

Desktop alerts

A desktop alert is the pop-up your browser shows outside the Esqase window, the same kind of alert you get from a calendar app before a meeting. Esqase raises one whether the Esqase tab is in the background, buried behind another program, or open in front of you. It is the surest way to catch something time-sensitive, like a meeting reminder or a payment, without watching the bell.

Turning alerts on

The first time you sign in to the dashboard, Esqase asks your browser for permission to show notifications. You only need to allow it once per browser on each device you use.

1. Sign in to the Esqase dashboard.
2. When your browser shows a permission prompt asking whether Esqase can show notifications, click Allow.
3. That is it. New notifications now reach you as desktop alerts.

If you missed or dismissed the prompt, you can re-enable alerts from your browser:

1. Click the small icon at the left of the address bar (often a lock or a sliders/tune icon) while on the Esqase dashboard.
2. Find the Notifications setting for the site.
3. Set it to Allow.
4. Reload the Esqase tab so the change takes effect.

What an alert looks like and what it does

• The alert shows the notification's title and its short detail, for example Event reminder with the name of the meeting.
• Click the alert to act on it. Esqase brings its tab to the front and opens the linked record (the event, the task, the invoice, and so on), exactly as clicking the row in the bell would.
• Event reminders stay on screen until you dismiss them, so a meeting alert cannot slip past while you are away from your desk. Every other kind of alert clears itself after a few seconds.

When Esqase is open in front of you

You still get the desktop alert while you are working in Esqase, and a small message appears in the top-right corner of the screen at the same time. The bell badge and your Notifications list update along with them.

Esqase never doubles up: one notification produces one desktop alert, whether it reached you with the tab in the background or with the tab in front of you. If a batch of notifications lands at once, Esqase alerts you about the first few rather than covering your screen, and the rest are waiting in the bell.

What alerts do and do not depend on

• Alerts are tied to the browser and device where you allowed them. If you use Esqase on a laptop and a desktop, allow notifications on each so alerts reach you everywhere.
• Your browser still needs to be running. Closing it entirely stops desktop alerts, and those notifications wait for you in the bell and on the Notifications page.
• Alerts respect your per-type preferences below. While Esqase is open, an alert follows that event's In-app setting. When Esqase is in the background, the event also needs Push turned on. Turning In-app off silences the event everywhere, including the bell.

Managing your per-type notification preferences

You decide which events notify you and through which channels. Preferences are set per member, so this only affects you.

1. Click your account, then open Settings.
2. In the account settings sidebar, click Notifications.
3. The page header reads Notifications with the line "Choose which notifications you receive and how."

The three channels

Each row is one kind of event. For each event, you control three independent checkboxes:

• In-app: whether the event appears in your bell inbox and on the Notifications page, and, while you are working in Esqase, as a corner message and a desktop alert. On by default.
• Push: whether the event also reaches you as a desktop alert while Esqase is in the background (requires browser permission, above). On by default.
• Email: whether Esqase emails you about the event. Off by default.

Tick or untick any box to turn that channel on or off for that event. Changes save immediately, and Esqase confirms with a small Notification settings updated message. There is no separate Save button.

The events you can be notified about

The preferences page lists each event type with a plain-language label. The current list:

• New lead created: a new potential client (lead) comes into your firm.
• Lead assigned to me: a lead is assigned to you.
• Task assigned to me: a task is assigned to you.
• Added to a matter: you are added to a matter (a case or legal file).
• Document shared with me: a document is shared with you.
• Signature requested: someone requests your signature on a document.
• Invited to an event: you are added to a calendar event or meeting.
• Event change requested: a client or attendee asks to reschedule an event.
• Event canceled: an event you are part of is canceled.
• Event reminders: a reminder before an event you are attending.
• Form request completed: an intake form you are tracking is filled out and submitted.
• Payment received: a client payment is recorded.
• Invoice due today: an invoice reaches its due date.
• Comment on my task: someone comments on a task you created, are assigned to, or previously commented on.
• Mentioned in a task comment: someone @mentions you in a comment on a task.
• Comment on my document: someone comments on a document you own, have access to, or previously commented on.
• Mentioned in a document comment: someone @mentions you in a comment on a document.
• Comment on my invoice: someone comments on an invoice you created or previously commented on.
• Mentioned in an invoice comment: someone @mentions you in a comment on an invoice.
• Comment on my contact: someone comments on a contact you created or previously commented on.
• Mentioned in a contact comment: someone @mentions you in a comment on a contact.
• Comment on my matter: someone comments on a matter you created, are assigned to, or previously commented on.
• Mentioned in a matter comment: someone @mentions you in a comment on a matter.
• Comment on my lead: someone comments on a lead you created, are assigned to, or previously commented on.
• Mentioned in a lead comment: someone @mentions you in a comment on a lead.
• Approval requested: you have been asked to review an invoice or a document.
• Approval granted: an invoice or document you submitted was approved.
• Changes requested: a reviewer asked for changes on an invoice or document you submitted.
• Feedback implemented: someone told you the changes you asked for on an invoice or document have been made.
• My review was marked done: every point you raised as a reviewer has been marked done, so the invoice or document is ready for another look.
• Plan changed: your firm moved between the Standard and Professional plans. It goes to the firm owner and to anyone whose role lets them administer the firm.
• Statute of limitations approaching: a matter's statute of limitations date is coming up.
• Records follow-up due: a records or bills request on a personal injury case is due to be chased.
• Personal injury deadline due: a deadline on a personal injury case has reached its reminder window.
• Lien response due: a lien on a personal injury case is due for a response.
• Demand response due: a demand you sent is due for a response.
• Settlement funded: a personal injury settlement has been marked funded.

When alerts carry no details

Once your firm accepts the compliance agreement that comes with the Professional plan, what leaves Esqase changes. Push alerts and notification emails stop naming anything about the case.

• A push alert reads the kind of thing that happened and nothing else, for example Task assigned with the body Open Esqase to see it. No client, matter, document, or provider name appears. A type Esqase has no short name for reads New activity in Esqase.
• A notification email does the same. Billing emails also drop your firm's name from the subject and the body.
• The notifications inside Esqase are unchanged. The bell, the Notifications page, and the corner message you see while you are working all still carry the full title and body.

This is not a preference. It is switched on with the agreement and stays on for as long as the agreement stands. The firm owner can see it under Settings > Firm, in a Notifications section showing Content-free notifications with an On badge and the reason underneath. See Compliance agreements (BAA and DPA).

How notifications relate to assignments, bookings, payments, and reminders

Notifications are not a separate feature you have to configure for each record. They are generated automatically by the everyday work happening across Esqase, so understanding what triggers them helps you predict what you will see.

Assignments

When work is routed to you, you get a notification:

• Being assigned a task triggers Task assigned to me.
• Being assigned a lead triggers Lead assigned to me.
• Being added to a matter as a team member triggers Added to a matter.

This means you do not need to keep refreshing your task list to learn that something landed on your plate; the bell tells you.

Intake and leads

• A new lead arriving at your firm (whether typed in by a colleague or submitted through a public form) triggers New lead created.
• A public intake form being completed triggers Form request completed.

These keep your intake team responsive without watching the leads board all day. See Managing leads and Reviewing form submissions.

Bookings and events

Scheduling generates several notification types:

• Being invited to an event triggers Invited to an event.
• A client or attendee asking to move a meeting triggers Event change requested.
• A cancellation triggers Event canceled.
• An upcoming event triggers an Event reminders notification once, at the lead time set on the event (for example 15 minutes before it starts).

So when a client books or reschedules through your public booking page, the relevant team member is alerted automatically. See Calendar and events and How clients book meetings.

Documents and signatures

• A document being shared with you triggers Document shared with me.
• A request for your signature triggers Signature requested.

See Sharing documents and Requesting eSignatures.

Comments and mentions

Discussion on tasks, documents, invoices, contacts, matters, and leads keeps the people involved in the loop:

• A comment on a task triggers Comment on my task for the task's creator, its assignees, and anyone who has already commented on it.
• A comment on a document triggers Comment on my document for the document's owner, everyone it is shared with, and anyone who has already commented on it.
• A comment on an invoice triggers Comment on my invoice for the person who created the invoice and anyone who has already commented on it.
• A comment on a contact triggers Comment on my contact for the person who created the contact and anyone who has already commented on it.
• A comment on a matter triggers Comment on my matter for the person who created the matter, everyone on the matter's team, and anyone who has already commented on it.
• A comment on a lead triggers Comment on my lead for the person who created the lead, its assignees, and anyone who has already commented on it.
• Being @mentioned in any of those comments triggers the matching Mentioned in a ... comment event. A mention takes priority, so if you are both a participant and mentioned, you get the mention notification rather than a duplicate.

You are never notified about your own comments. See Creating and managing tasks, Editing documents (the file editor), and Creating and sending invoices.

Approvals

If your firm requires invoices or documents to be reviewed before they go out, the people involved are told automatically:

• Being added as a reviewer triggers Approval requested, whether you were picked by hand or added as one of the firm's default reviewers. Being taken off a review notifies nobody.
• A reviewer approving triggers Approval granted for whoever submitted the item.
• A reviewer asking for changes triggers Changes requested for whoever submitted the item.
• Someone clicking Mark all feedback implemented triggers Feedback implemented for every reviewer who asked for changes.
• Every point one reviewer raised being marked Done triggers My review was marked done for that reviewer, so they know to look again.

So nobody has to check an invoice or a document to find out that it is waiting on them. Note that a reviewer asking for changes also posts a comment on the item, which carries its own comment notifications on top of these. See Approvals for invoices and documents.

Payments and billing

• A client payment being recorded triggers Payment received.
• An invoice reaching its due date triggers Invoice due today.

This lets billing staff confirm money in and chase invoices on time without manually scanning the ledger. See Creating and sending invoices and Recording and managing payments.

Reminders arrive on their own

Some notifications are not triggered by a person clicking something. Event reminders and Invoice due today are produced by Esqase on a schedule, so they reach you at the right time even if no one is logged in. As long as your preferences allow the channel, they will reach you.

For an event, you receive one reminder, at the time you chose on the event itself: pick 15 minutes before and the reminder arrives 15 minutes before the start, once, and not again. Everyone invited to the event gets it, along with whoever created it. Set the lead time in the event's Notification field, or choose None there for an event you do not want to be reminded about. See Calendar and events.

Personal injury reminders

If your firm runs injury cases, Esqase watches five kinds of date for you and sends a reminder when one comes due. Each one opens the matter on the tab where you can act on it.

The five reminders go to the people assigned to the matter. If nobody is assigned and the matter is visible to the whole firm, they go to everyone whose role can work on that part of a case instead. On a matter restricted to specific members with nobody yet assigned, nothing is sent, and the reminder waits until someone is put on the matter. Settlement funded goes to everyone assigned to the matter.

Three things are worth knowing about how often they arrive:

• One reminder per record, per date. However many times a day the check runs, a given deadline or request produces one notification for a given due date. Move the date and it arms again for the new one.
• A statute reminder fires once for each reminder you set up. A matter with a six-month, a thirty-day, and a seven-day reminder produces three notifications over the life of the case, one as each is reached.
• A missed date stops reminding. Statute reminders stop once the date has passed or the matter's statute is marked satisfied, and a deadline reminder only fires inside the window you set. The Statute of limitations at risk card on the personal injury overview is what surfaces a date that has already gone by. See The personal injury workspace and reports.

Common questions

Why didn't I get a notification I expected? Check three things: that the event type's channel is turned on under Settings > Notifications; that you are viewing the right firm in the bell; and, for desktop alerts, that your browser is set to Allow notifications for Esqase. Note that Email is off by default, so you will not be emailed unless you turn it on.

Why do I get a desktop alert even though Esqase is already open? That is deliberate. An alert outside the window reaches you when you have scrolled away, switched programs, or stepped back from the screen, which a corner message inside the tab cannot do. To stop alerts for a particular kind of event, untick its In-app box under Settings > Notifications.

An event reminder alert is sitting on my screen and will not clear. Event reminders are meant to wait for you, so they stay until you dismiss them. Click the alert to open the event, or close it the way your operating system closes notifications. Other kinds of alert clear themselves after a few seconds.

Am I going to get the same reminder over and over? No. An event reminder is sent once, at the lead time set on the event, and never repeats.

I'm getting too many desktop alerts. Open Settings > Notifications and turn off the Push checkbox for the noisier event types to stop alerts while Esqase is in the background. To stop them entirely for an event, untick In-app as well, which also removes it from your bell.

Do my colleagues see my notifications? No. Notifications are personal. Each person is notified about the work assigned to or relevant to them, based on their own preferences.

Are read notifications gone? No. Marking a notification read only clears the unread badge and highlight. To remove notifications from your working list, Archive them on the Notifications page, and only archived notifications can be permanently Deleted.

Related

• Integrations overview
• How clients get portal notifications
• Connecting Google (Gmail, Calendar, Meet)
• Your profile and personal settings
• Calendar and events
• Recording and managing payments
• Creating and sending invoices
• Approvals for invoices and documents
• Personal injury overview
• Activity timelines and audit logs