How to Ensure Your Push Notifications Reach Users Without Being Marked as Spam

Implementing an effective push notification system can significantly enhance user engagement for your web application. However, even when perfectly configured, notifications sometimes end up in spam folders or are ignored. Below, we’ll explore common challenges and best practices to optimize your push notifications, particularly when using services like Ably in a Next.js environment.

Building a Reliable Push Notification System in Next.js

If you’re developing a social media platform with Next.js and aiming to incorporate real-time notifications, you might opt for third-party services like Ably, especially since native WebSocket support isn’t directly feasible within Next.js due to server-side rendering constraints. Successfully setting up and testing push notifications can be straightforward, but expect some hurdles along the way.

Common Issue: Notifications Being Marked as Spam

One recurring challenge is that notifications, despite correct setup—such as specifying icons, badges, TTL, tags, collapse keys, renotify options, and silents—still end up being treated as spam or ignored by users. This often stems from how browsers and OS handle push notifications and user perceptions.

Key Requirements for Effective Notifications

To maximize the chances your notifications are seen and respected, aim to:

• Wake Up Devices Effectively: Ensure your notifications prompt devices to alert users, not just silently appear.
• Visible in Notification Bar: Confirm that notifications prominently appear in the OS notification tray.
• Branding & Icons: Use your app’s logo or relevant images to establish trust and recognition, replacing generic or browser icons.
• Smart Grouping: Utilize tags and collapse keys so that multiple notifications of the same type are grouped rather than cluttering the notification tray.

Enhancing Notification Engagement

Adding interactive actions, such as “Like” or “Reply” buttons, can significantly boost user interaction. While support for actions in web push notifications varies across browsers, many modern browsers do support actionable notifications. Implementing this feature involves defining action buttons within your notification payload, enhancing user experience.

Best Practices to Avoid Spam Filters

• Maintain Consistent Branding: Use recognizable icons and titles.
• Limit Frequency & Timing: Avoid excessive notifications within short periods.
• Personalize Content: Tailor notifications to user preferences whenever possible.
• Obtain Clear Consent: Always ensure users opt-in to receive notifications and understand what they’ll receive.
• Test Across Devices and Browsers: What works in Chrome might differ in Firefox or Edge.