Source: https://docs.planekeeper.com/guides/notifications/settings/
Site: Planekeeper Docs
Title: Notification Settings
Description: Configure organization-level notification defaults including the default channel and template overrides.

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# Notification Settings


Notification settings let you configure organization-wide defaults that apply to all notification channels and rules. These settings control the default delivery channel and provide a layer of template customization between global system defaults and channel-specific overrides.

## Default channel

The default channel is the fallback destination for notification rules that do not specify a channel override. Set it once, and any rule without an explicit channel sends deliveries there.

### Set the default channel

1. Navigate to **Notification Channels** in the sidebar.
2. Find the channel you want to use as the default.
3. Click **Set as Default** (or use the default toggle).

Alternatively, set the default from the **Settings** page under the notifications section.

> **warning:** 
If no default channel is configured and a notification rule does not specify a channel override, deliveries for that rule are silently skipped. Always designate a default channel to avoid missed notifications.


> **success:** 
Choose a broadly accessible channel as the default -- a shared Slack channel or a general-purpose webhook. Reserve specialized channels (PagerDuty, on-call systems) for explicit rule overrides on critical alerts.


## Organization-level template defaults

Templates control the JSON payload format for notifications. Planekeeper resolves templates in a cascading priority:

1. **Channel-specific template** (highest priority)
2. **Organization-level template** (this setting)
3. **Global system template** (lowest priority)
4. **Standard JSON payload** (no template configured at any level)

Organization-level templates let you set a consistent format across all channels in your organization without configuring each channel individually.

### Configure organization templates

Set organization-level templates through the **Settings** page. There are three template keys, one for each notification category:

| Setting | Category | Events covered |
|---|---|---|
| New alert template | `new_alert` | `alert.created`, `alert.escalated` |
| Acknowledged template | `acknowledged` | `alert.acknowledged`, `alert.unacknowledged` |
| Resolved template | `resolved` | `alert.resolved` |

Enter your template using Go template syntax (see the [templates guide](https://docs.planekeeper.com/guides/notifications/templates/) for syntax reference and platform examples). Leave a template blank to fall through to the global default.

## How settings cascade

The cascading priority system means you can configure notifications at the level that makes sense for your organization:

### Scenario: Single platform

If your entire organization uses Slack, set the Slack message format as your organization-level template. Every channel inherits it automatically. No per-channel template configuration needed.

### Scenario: Mixed platforms

If you use both Slack and PagerDuty, set a generic JSON template at the organization level (or leave it blank for the standard payload). Then configure platform-specific templates on the Slack and PagerDuty channels individually.

### Scenario: Mostly the same, one exception

Set the organization-level template for the majority case. Override the template on the one channel that needs a different format. All other channels inherit the organization default.

## Changing settings

Update notification settings from the **Settings** page in the sidebar:

1. Navigate to **Settings**.
2. Find the notification settings section.
3. Update the default channel or template values.
4. Click **Save**.

Changes take effect immediately for all future notification deliveries. In-flight deliveries that have already been queued use the settings that were active when they were created.

## Settings reference

| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| **Default notification channel** | The channel used when notification rules do not specify a channel override |
| **New alert template** | Organization default template for `alert.created` and `alert.escalated` events |
| **Acknowledged template** | Organization default template for `alert.acknowledged` and `alert.unacknowledged` events |
| **Resolved template** | Organization default template for `alert.resolved` events |

## Multi-organization deployments

Each organization in Planekeeper maintains its own independent notification settings. Settings configured for one organization have no effect on another.

This means:

- Each organization sets its own default channel.
- Each organization can define its own template overrides.
- Global system templates (set by the administrator) serve as the baseline for all organizations.

> **info:** 
If your account belongs to multiple organizations, switch to the target organization before updating notification settings. The settings page always shows and modifies the currently active organization's configuration.


## Troubleshooting

### Notifications not being delivered

If notifications are not reaching your expected channel:

1. Verify a **default channel** is set (or that your notification rules specify explicit channel overrides).
2. Check that the default channel is **active** (not toggled off).
3. Confirm that at least one **notification rule** matches the event type and severity.
4. Test the channel to verify the endpoint is reachable.

### Template not applied

If deliveries use the standard JSON format instead of your template:

1. Confirm the template is saved at the correct level (organization vs. channel).
2. Check that the template is not blank -- blank templates fall through to the next level in the cascade.
3. Verify there are no syntax errors in the template. Use the channel test feature to validate output.