Using the notifications center

The notifications center is the bell in the sidebar footer. It shows unread notifications for you and updates while you work.

Owners and admins manage practice-wide notification settings in Settings → Notifications. In the left sidebar, click Settings (at the bottom). In the settings menu, under Account, click Notifications. Those settings control automated email and SMS notifications, visit reminders, intake timing and message templates.

How do I view notifications?

In the left sidebar footer, click Open notifications to open unread notifications without leaving the page you are on.

Use Open notifications (1) to open the unread list, and use the Unread notifications (2) list to review each item. If a notification has an action label, use it to see where the row will take you.

1. In the left sidebar footer, click Open notifications.
2. Review the Unread notifications list.
3. If a notification has an action label, use it to see where the row will take you.

The bell badge shows the unread count. Counts above 9 display as 9+. If there are no unread notifications, the list says You're all caught up.

How do I open a notification?

In the left sidebar footer, click Open notifications when you want to go straight to the work a notification refers to. Notifications with a destination show an action label, such as Go to task or Go to visit.

Use Open notifications (1) to open the popover, then select the Unread notification row (2) you want to handle.

1. In the left sidebar footer, click Open notifications.
2. Find the notification you want to handle.
3. Select the notification row.

Ona opens the related page and marks that notification read. Depending on the event, the notification may open a task, chat, lead, note, visit, billing, lab order, unmatched lab results, a patient's forms, consents, interviews, prescriptions, imaging report, or the caller's call conversation.

Some notifications do not have a destination. Those rows do not show an action label.

How do I dismiss notifications?

On the same page, click Open notifications when you have already handled a notification or do not need to open it.

Use Open notifications (1) to open the popover before you dismiss a row.

1. In the left sidebar footer, click Open notifications.
2. Point to the notification row.
3. Select Dismiss notification on the row.

The notification is marked read and removed from the unread list.

How do I mark all notifications read?

On the same page, click Open notifications when you want to clear the unread list at once.

Use Open notifications (1) to open the popover, then use Mark all read to clear the unread list.

1. In the left sidebar footer, click Open notifications.
2. Select Mark all read.

All currently unread notifications are marked read. The bell count clears when there are no unread notifications left.

How do I change practice notification settings?

On the same page, use Settings → Notifications to change practice-wide notification settings. These settings shape how clinic events reach the team and patients.

Use Settings (1) to open the settings area, then Notifications (2) to open this page.

1. In the left sidebar, click Settings (at the bottom).
2. In the settings menu, under Account, click Notifications.
3. In Emails, turn email notification types on or off.
4. In SMS, turn SMS notification types on or off if SMS is available.
5. In Imaging, turn imaging report notifications on or off.
6. In Intake timing, choose when visit consents, forms and interviews are sent.
7. In Visit reminders, turn reminders on, then add or edit reminder rules.
8. Save the changes from the Unsaved notification changes bar.

If you change your mind before saving, discard the changes from the Unsaved notification changes bar. Ona only saves these settings when you save that bar.

SMS requires a provisioned phone number. If SMS is not available, Ona shows a warning and disables SMS notification settings. Patient texts also require the patient's SMS consent and a phone number on file.

For more detail about configuring notification settings and templates, see Notifications and reminders and Editing notification templates.

What notification types can appear in the bell?

Open the bell in the sidebar footer. Each notification row has a label for the event type. When the row has a destination, the action label tells you where it will take you. Some labels also use different icons and colors in the bell, and a few DoseSpot statuses vary their small indicator dot based on the status details they carry. Use the Tasks (1), Visits (2), Messages & mentions (3), Calls (4), and Imaging categories to turn those bell notification types on or off in Settings → Notifications.

Notification label	Opens
Task reminder	The task
Task assigned	The task
Mention	The related task, chat, lead or note
Missed call, Answered by AI, or Missed call · voicemail	The caller's call conversation
Patient joined	The visit
Visit assigned, New visit, Visit reassigned, Visit moved, Visit cancelled, Recurring visits booked, Recurring visits changed, Recurring visits cancelled, or Patient can't attend	The visit
New referral	The referral
Claim denied or Claim rejected	The claim
Card declined	The patient's Billing tab
New leads and website enquiries	The lead, or the patient when the notification has no lead ID but does have an internal patient ID
Added to a conversation	The chat
Consent signed	The patient's consents
Consent withdrawn	The patient's consents
Form submitted	The patient's forms
Intake reminder	The patient's forms, consents and interviews
Interview completed	The patient's interviews
Critical lab result, Abnormal lab result, Lab result, or Lab results shared	The lab result
Lab order needs attention, Lab order closed, Lab draw appointment, or Lab order placed outside Ona	The lab order, when the notification includes the order
Imaging report	The imaging report
Unmatched lab result	Unmatched lab results
DoseSpot Alert, Prescription update, DoseSpot, Prescription failed, Refill request, Change request, Waiting to sign, Queued prescription sent, Queued prescription deleted, Unmatched request, Pharmacy response, E-prescribing setup, or Prior authorization	The patient's prescriptions, when linked to a patient, or DoseSpot settings for setup alerts
Team invitation	The patient's prescriptions, when linked to a patient, or an informational row if the notification has no patient link
Two-factor reset	An informational row
Prepayment receipt	The patient's prescriptions, when linked to a patient
Visit preparation	The patient's prescriptions, when linked to a patient

Other patient-linked notifications that do not have a more specific destination may open the patient's prescriptions. Notifications without enough information to open a destination stay as informational rows.

What can't I do here?

The notifications center and notification settings have these limits:

• The bell shows unread notifications only. It is not a full notification history.
• The bell does not include a mark-unread action for dismissed notifications.
• The bell type list above is not a complete catalog of every label the bell can show.
• Staff and clinicians can use the bell and manage their own notification preferences from the bell, but they cannot manage Settings → Notifications unless they also have an owner or admin role.
• SMS notification settings cannot be used until SMS is available for the practice.
• Imaging report notifications can be turned on or off from Settings → Notifications only where the Imaging category is available.
• Each reminder rule keeps at least one channel.
• Reminder times must be whole numbers of at least 1 in the chosen unit. Scheduled intake timing uses hours or days.

Common questions

Why does the bell show 9+?

The badge shows exact counts up to 9. When there are more than 9 unread notifications, the badge shows 9+.

Do notifications disappear when I open them?

Yes. Opening a notification's destination marks that notification read, so it leaves the unread list.

What if notifications fail to load?

Open the bell in the sidebar footer, then select Try again. Ona also refreshes notifications while you work.

Can I turn off SMS notifications for patients?

Owners and admins can turn SMS notification types off in Settings → Notifications. You can also manage your own notification preferences from the bell popover. SMS messages also require the patient's SMS consent and a phone number on file.

Can I edit the wording of notification messages?

Yes, if you are an owner or admin. In the left sidebar, click Settings (at the bottom). In the settings menu, under General, click Notifications, then select Edit templates in Message templates. See Editing notification templates.

What is the Imaging notification?

It is the bell notification for a new imaging report. In Settings → Notifications, owners and admins can turn that category on or off when the Imaging controls are available.