# Notifications

## Overview

Notifications in Servoy are essential tools for improving user interaction by delivering timely feedback, alerts, or updates. They ensure that users are informed about application states or background processes without disrupting their workflow. Servoy provides flexibility in implementing notifications to suit different contexts, whether it's within the browser or at the desktop level.

## Types of Notifications

### Web notifications

1. [Web Notifications - ToastR](/guides/develop/programming-guide/browser-utilities/notifications/web-notifications-toastr.md#overview):
   * These notifications are rendered directly within the browser window and are typically transient.
   * Ideal for informing users about system events, validation messages, or minor updates while staying within the app's context.
2. [Native Notifications](/guides/develop/programming-guide/browser-utilities/notifications/web-notifications-native.md#overview):
   * Desktop-level alerts that appear even when the browser is minimized or the user is working on another application.
   * Useful for drawing attention to critical updates or long-running processes that complete in the background.

**Key Differences**:

* **Visibility**:
  * ToastR Web Notifications appear only within the browser window.
  * Native Notifications are visible system-wide, even when the browser is minimized or inactive.
* **Use Case**:
  * Web Notifications are ideal for quick, in-app updates (e.g., form validation errors, save confirmations).
  * Native Notifications are better for critical alerts that need user attention, such as process completions or system errors.
* **Permission**:
  * Web Notifications do not require special permissions and work directly in the browser.
  * Native Notifications require explicit user consent to enable.
* **Delivery Context**:
  * Web Notifications are visible only during active browser sessions.
  * Native Notifications can reach users even when they are working outside the browser or on other applications.

### Block UI

When the application is busy performing a long-running task, [BlockUI](/guides/develop/programming-guide/browser-utilities/notifications/block-ui.md#overview) notifications provide a visual indicator to the user that interaction is temporarily paused. These notifications can help prevent user actions that might conflict with the ongoing operation.

**Use Case**:\
Running a batch update: While updating a large dataset or generating a report, BlockUI notifications can display a progress message, reassuring users that the operation is in progress.

### Expanding Your Notification Toolkit

To explore additional ways to enhance user interactions with notifications, see the [Dialogs](/guides/develop/programming-guide/scripting-the-ui/windows-dialogs-and-popups.md#overview) chapter. This chapter provides insights into using dialogs for custom messaging, user prompts, and advanced UI features that complement notifications.


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