✅ For travel companies
Learn how to effectively communicate with your clients throughout their trip via push notifications.
In this article:
How to set up notification templates
How to set up shared timed notifications
How to use shared timed notifications
How to create trip-specific timed notifications
How to set up shared GPS notifications
How to use shared GPS notifications
How to create trip-specific GPS notifications
How to send a force update notification
Introduction to notifications
- Vamoos Notifications allow you to effectively communicate with your clients before, during and after their trip. Notifications ensure your clients can have all the key information they need and feel they have your constant support.
- Create pre-set notifications to send triggered by time or geographical location e.g 3 days before they go, remind them of what to pack
- Send instant updates to let your clients know of any important updates
Types of notifications
There are three types of notifications on Vamoos:
- Timed Notifications - send push notifications at any time or date that you would like. These work relative to the departure date of the itinerary and you can send them before, during or after their trip. These also work offline!
- GPS Notifications - these trigger a notification to come through when your client is 1km from a set location
- Force Update Notifications - send an instant message to your clients with updates, reminders or announcements. This also force refreshes the content of their app, so any new changes you have made on the portal are visible on the app.
TOP TIP: When sharing your login details with your guests, add in a note to remind people to Allow notifications when they download the app so they don't miss your messages! 
How to set up notification templates
- To start using Notifications, you can set up some Notification Templates. You can then view, enable and personalise these for each trip
- To set up your Notification templates, head to Shared in the top menu bar then click on Notifications
- Press the + CREATE TEMPLATE button and choose the type of notification you want to create
- Then in the pop-up that appears, write the message that you would like to be displayed as a notification in the Notification text box
- There is also an option to insert a URL link with your notification, why not try sharing a link to a feedback form with a notification?
- To add a URL link to the notification template, simply insert the link in the Notification URL box
- Once you have created your Notification templates, they will be visible in all of your Vamoos trips and can be enabled and personalised for each trip
How to set up shared timed notifications
- You can now create Timed Notifications that will apply automatically to all of your trips. For example, you may have a welcome message that is sent to all trips on the start day of their trip?
- To set up shared Timed Notifications, head to Shared in the top menu bar then click on Notifications
- Go to Notifications down the left-hand side menu and select Timed notifications
- Click on the + CREATE TEMPLATE button and select Timed
- Then in the pop-up that appears, write the message that you would like to be displayed as a notification in the Notification text box
- There is also an option to insert a URL link with your notification. To add a URL link to the notification template, simply insert the link in the Notification URL box
- Press the Enable Notification switch to automatically turn on the notification for all of your trips
- You can decide when you want the notification to be set by using the Period box
- Press ADD to create the shared notification
How to use shared timed notifications
- To start using Shared Timed Notifications go to your Vamoos List and open up a trip
- Go to Notifications on the left-hand side menu and select Timed notifications
- You will see there are two sections, Trip Specific Settings and Shared notification settings
- If you have created any Shared notifications, these will automatically appear in the Shared notification settings section
- To make amendments to Notifications shown for this trip only, find the Notification template in the Shared notification settings section, scroll to the right-hand side and press the Pencil icon
- If you make edits or disable a Shared notification, this will then move up into the top section to show is a trips-specific setting and is different from your Shared notification settings
- The notification will also appear as 'modified' to show that edits have been made
- It will also show as greyed out in the Shared settings section just to show you it has been moved up
- You can also delete notification templates within a trip by selecting the Trash icon
PLEASE NOTE - Any modifications or previous uses of a notification template within a trip will override the shared notifications settings and you will see that the notification has been 'modified'
How to create trip-specific timed notifications
- You can also create timed notifications specific to a trip. To do this, go to the Notifications section on the left-hand side menu
- Press + ADD to create a notification
- In the pop-up that appears, add your message to the Notification text box
- The Period allows you to decide what day the notification is sent and works in relation to the dates that you set in the General section
- Device local time means that the notification will go through at this time whatever timezone your clients are in (so no risk of timezone discrepancies and these accidentally going through in the middle of the night for example)
TOP TIP: Timed Notifications work offline, so these will go through even if your clients don't have an internet connection
How to set up shared GPS notifications
- You can now create GPS Notifications that will apply automatically to all of your trips. For example, you may have a welcome message that is sent to all trips that arrive at their safari camp?
- To set up shared GPS Notifications, head to Shared in the top menu bar then click on Notifications
- Go to Notifications down the left-hand side menu and select GPS notifications
- Click on the + CREATE TEMPLATE button and select GPS
- Then in the pop-up that appears, write the message that you would like to be displayed as a notification in the Notification text box
- There is also an option to insert a URL link with your notification. To add a URL link to the notification template, simply insert the link in the Notification URL box
- Press the Enable Notification switch to make the template automatically appear across your trips
- You can decide when you want the notification to be active by using the Active from and Active to box. Set the Active from dates so your notification doesn't go through every time they return to a location. For example, you may only want this to be active the first time your clients arrive at a location
- You need to add the coordinates for the location in the Coordinates box. This will trigger this notification to be sent when they get within a 1-kilometre radius
- Press ADD to create the shared notification
How to use shared GPS notifications
- Open up your trip and go to Notifications down the left-hand side menu and select GPS notifications
- You will see there are two sections, Trip Specific Settings and Shared notification settings
- If you have created any Shared notifications, these will automatically appear in the Shared notification settings section
- To make amendments to Notifications shown for this trip only, find the Notification template in the Shared notification settings section, scroll to the right-hand side and press the Pencil icon
- If you make edits or disable a Shared notification, this will then move up into the top section to show is a trips-specific setting and is different from your Shared notification settings
- The notification will also appear as 'modified' to show that edits have been made
- It will also show as greyed out in the Shared settings section just to show you it has been moved up
- You can also delete notification templates within a trip by selecting the Trash icon
PLEASE NOTE - Any modifications or previous uses of a notification template within a trip will override the shared notifications settings and you will see that the notification has been 'modified' How to create trip-specific GPS notifications
- You can also create GPS notifications specific to a trip. To do this, go to the Notifications section on the left-hand side menu
- Press + ADD to create a notification
- In the pop-up that appears, add your message to the Notification text box
- Then in the pop-up that appears, write the message that you would like to be displayed as a notification in the Notification text box
- There is also an option to insert a URL link with your notification. To add a URL link to the notification template, simply insert the link in the Notification URL box
- Press the Enable Notification switch to make the template automatically appear across your trips
- You can decide when you want the notification to be active by using the Active from and Active to box. Set the Active from dates so your notification doesn't go through every time they return to a location. For example, you may only want this to be active the first time your clients arrive at a location
- You need to add the coordinates for the location in the Coordinates box. This will trigger this notification to be sent when they get within a 1-kilometre radius
- Press ADD to create the shared notification
How to send a force update notification
- Force update notifications have 2 functions: they allow you to send an instant message to this trip & also allow you to force refresh the content of your client's app, making sure they have the most up-to-date version of information
- To send a force update notification, open a Vamoos trip and press the Force Update button on the top of your screen
- You then have 2 options, either choose Notification template to use one of your existing template messages or select Bespoke notification to free-type a message
- If you would like the app to refresh when you send the notification, ensure you have the Force app update switch enabled (if you don't, it will simply go out as a instant notification)
- If you are using the People section and have email addresses added, you can also choose whether you would like the notification to be sent directly to your traveller's email aswell.
- To do so, make sure the Also send by email switch is enabled
- To send the force update notification, press SEND
- This will be sent right away and if you have selected Force app update, will refresh the app (if your clients don't have internet connection, this will happen when they next connect to the internet)
TOP TIP: the app does automatically refresh and update usually every 24 hours (provided there is an internet connection during this time), so if you have made a small change (e.g. a spelling mistake) you do not need to send a force update notification
FAQs
- Q: Why isn't my timed notification coming through?
A: First, make sure you have notifications enabled for Vamoos in your phone settings. If you have added a timed notification on the portal after logging in to the trip on the app, you need to have pressed force update so the app has connected to the server and received the most up to date version of information. Otherwise it won't know a new notification has been added and it will not go through.
- Q: Do force update notifications required internet connection?
A: Yes force update notifications require internet connection. If your client is not connected to the internet when you send this, they will receive it the next time they connect.
- Q: I have edited a notification template, why is it not showing in my trip?
A: Any edits made to templates will only show in newly created trips (not existing or duplicated ones).
If you have any further questions or need help with this, you can contact us at support@vamoos.com.