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Configuring Email Notifications

Created: March 22, 2021 | Updated: April 01, 2021 | Applies to versions: 4.0 and 4.1
Now reading version 4.1. For the latest, read: Configuring Email Notifications for version 5.0

This documentation page references NEXUS Server (part of the deployed NEXUS solution), which has been discontinued. All your PCB design, data management and collaboration needs can now be delivered by Altium Designer and a connected Altium 365 Workspace. Check out the FAQs page for more information.

 

Parent page: Configuration

The Altium NEXUS Server provides the ability to configure email notifications from the NEXUS Server – flagging a variety of events to key stakeholders.

Enabling & Configuring the Feature

The feature to send notification emails from your NEXUS Server instance is enabled and configured on the Email Notifications page (Admin – Settings – Email Notifications) of the NEXUS Server's browser interface. This page is an element of the interface that can only be accessed by Administrative users of the NEXUS Server – those who are part of the Administrators role.

The Altium NEXUS Server supports mail notifications using SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) only, since the majority of email systems that send mail over the internet use this protocol.

The Email Notifications page of the Admin – Settings area provides the interface for enabling and configuring the NEXUS Server's email notifications functionality.The Email Notifications page of the Admin – Settings area provides the interface for enabling and configuring the NEXUS Server's email notifications functionality.

By default, the NEXUS Server email notifications feature is disabled. Enable the Send Mail Enabled option to turn it on.

Configure the fields of the page (detailed below) to set up the feature for your organization:

  • Email From – the email account from which the emails will originate, appearing as the sender in the From field of an email, for example notificationsbot@yourcompany.com. When using Gmail, this is the originating email address from which the notification emails are sent (for example mycompanynotifications@gmail.com).
  • When using an external Gmail, Hotmail, or Office365 SMTP server, the entry in this field will be ignored. Instead, the From field of the email will use the Smtp User Name field entry. The Email From field will only be used when using an internal SMTP server.
  • If the Email From field has been specified with a domain that differs from the Smtp User Name domain, the emails may be rejected or regarded as spam.
  • Smtp User Name – this is the username portion of the credentials to access your SMTP server, for example smtpserver@yourcompany.com. When using Gmail, this is the originating email address from which the notification emails are sent (for example mycompanynotifications@gmail.com).
  • Smtp User Password – this is the password portion of the credentials to access your SMTP server. When using Gmail, this is the password to access the email account from which the notifications will be sent.
  • Smtp Host – this is the host name of your SMTP server, for example smtp.yourcompany.com. When sending through Gmail this entry will be smtp.gmail.com.
  • Smtp Port – the SMTP port (typically 25, or 587 when sending mail through Gmail).
  • Smtp SSL Enabled – used to enable SMTP communications. Check the box if your SMTP server uses TLS/SSL.
  • Interval to check notification (ms) – the interval for dispatching new notifications within the server, specified in milliseconds. By default this is set to 20000ms.
It is recommended to set this interval to a value greater than 10000.
  • Send email notifications interval (ms) – the interval for checking new notifications to send via email, specified in milliseconds. By default this is set to 35000ms.
It is recommended to set this interval to a value greater than 30000.

Example email configuration, when using SMTP to send email notifications from a defined Gmail account.Example email configuration, when using SMTP to send email notifications from a defined Gmail account.

Once enabled and configured as required, click the button to test sending of emails from the nominated account. The Check Email Settings window will appear, use this to enter a target email address and click . The dialog will show progress of Checking... and, if the sending account has been configured correctly, the final message of Sent Successful.

In case there are issues with using a Google account, try allowing access to less secure applications.

Checking the email notifications setup, by sending a test email to a target account. Hover over the image to see the successful result of the check.Checking the email notifications setup, by sending a test email to a target account. Hover over the image to see the successful result of the check.

And of course, checking the target email will yield a Notifications Service Test Email, from the sending email account.

Test email from the NEXUS Server's notifications service, as received by the target email supplied for the check.Test email from the NEXUS Server's notifications service, as received by the target email supplied for the check.

With the notifications email configured and tested successfully, be sure to click the button at the top-right of the page.

Supported Notifications

A number of email notification events are supported by this feature:

Events Related to a Managed Project

Related Page: Managed Projects

Notifications include:

  • Project Commit – notification when a project has been commited to the NEXUS Server.
  • Project Update – notification when the properties of a project have changed in some way (the project's Name and/or Description).
  • Project Release – notification when a project has been released to the NEXUS Server.
  • Project Revision State Change – notification when there is a change in the lifecycle state for a project.
  • Project Activity Start – notification of the start of a project-related activity (Ad Hoc Review, Handoff Review, or Milestone Review).
  • Project Activity Complete – notification of the completion of a project-related activity (Ad Hoc Review, Handoff Review, or Milestone Review).
  • Project Delete – notification when a project has been deleted.
Click on the hyperlink text in the main summary area of a mail or the main Open button, to open the detailed page for the managed project in the NEXUS Server's browser interface. Click on the Open in Altium NEXUS link to view the project or revision in an instance of Altium NEXUS.
A notification email is sent to all users who are currently collaborators for the project AND who are actively watching that project. For more detail, see the section Watching a Managed Project. For the activity-related events (Project Activity Start, Project Activity Complete), emails are sent to those users/roles involved in the activity.

Events Related to a Managed Component

Related Page: Component Management with a Connected Workspace

Notifications include:

  • Component Create – notification when a new component has been created in the NEXUS Server.
  • Component Release – notification when a new revision of a component has been released to the NEXUS Server.
  • Component Revision State Change – notification when there is a change in the lifecycle state for a component.
  • Component Delete – notification when a component has been deleted.
Click on the hyperlink text in the main summary area of a mail or the main Open button, to open the detailed page for the component on the Explorer page of the NEXUS Server's browser interface. Click on the Open in Altium NEXUS link to view the component or revision through the Explorer panel in Altium NEXUS.
A notification email is sent to all users who are actively following the parent folder in which the component resides. For more detail, see the section Following a Component Folder.

Events Related to an Approval Request

Related page: Controlling Transitions between Lifecycle States

Notifications include:

  • New Approval Request – notification when a request for transition between lifecycle states for a revision of a Component Item has been submitted for approval.
  • Approval Request Reminder – notification when the original requestor uses the Reminder feature for a pending approval request.
  • State Change Request Processed – notification when a pending approval request has been processed by a member of the relevant approval group. The type of action that has been taken with respect to the request can be one of the following:
    • Cancelled – the original requestor for approval has decided to cancel the request.
    • Rejected – a member of the relevant approval group has rejected the request.
    • Approved – if the request is being passed through multiple defined approval groups, this action will be applied if a member of an intermediate approval group has approved the request.
    • Completed – a member of the approval group (or final approval group where multiple groups have been defined) has approved the request.
Click on the hyperlink text in the main summary area of a mail or the main Open button, to open the detailed page for the Component Item, on the Explorer page of the NEXUS Server's browser-based interface. Click on the Open in Altium NEXUS link to view the revision of the Item through the Explorer panel in Altium NEXUS.
For a New Approval Request and Approval Request Reminder, the members of the relevant approval group receive the email notifications. When a state change request has been processed, both the original requestor and all members of the next approval group (where multiple approval groups have been defined), receive the notification email. If the approval request has been approved by a member of the approval group (or a member of the final approval group, where multiple have been defined), the state transition will be effected automatically and all stakeholders will receive a mail notification of the state change.

Events Related to Tasks

Related page: Working with Tasks

Notifications include:

  • Task Assigned – notification when a task has been assigned and needs action (for example a task related to a project reviewing activity, or a part request).
Click on the hyperlink text in the main summary area of a mail or the main Open button, to open the Tasks page of the NEXUS Server's browser interface.
An email will only be received by those users who are required to complete the current task, within the associated overall process workflow.

Events Related to Part Requests

Related page: Requesting a New Managed Part

Notifications include:

  • Part Request Created – notification when a new part request has been submitted.
  • Part Request Complete – notification when a part request has been completed (either the part has successfully been created, or the request has been ultimately rejected).
Click on the hyperlink text in the main summary area of a mail or the main Open button, to open the detailed page for the Part Request, on the Part Requests page of the NEXUS Server's browser interface.
Only the original requestor will receive these notifications.

Watching a Managed Project

Related page: Managed Projects

To receive email notifications with respect to a managed project, you need to not only be a collaborator on that project, but also be 'subscribed' to that project. This is done by watching that managed project.

If you have created the project – and are therefore its owner – you will automatically be set to watch that project.

Watching managed projects is performed only through the NEXUS Server's browser interface. To do so:

  1. Browse to, and click on once to select, the required managed project within the NEXUS Server, from the Projects page of the interface.
  2. Click the control at the top-right of the projects listing, then choose the Watch entry in the associated menu that appears.

Accessing the control to Watch a managed project.Accessing the control to Watch a managed project.

Also available in the graphical view of the Projects page by selecting the tile for the required project, then clicking the control and choosing the Watch command from the context menu. When the Projects page is presented in its list view, click the control at the far right of the entry for the required project and choose the Watch command from the associated menu.

You will receive applicable notifications related to the project through the email notifications system (if enabled).

To stop watching a managed project:

  1. Browse to, and click on once to select, the required managed project within the NEXUS Server, from the Projects page of the interface.
  2. Click the control at the top-right of the projects listing, then choose the Unwatch entry in the associated menu that appears.

Click Unwatch to essentially unsubscribe to getting notifications for a Managed Project.Click Unwatch to essentially unsubscribe to getting notifications for a Managed Project.

Also available in the graphical view of the Projects page by selecting the tile for the required project, then clicking the control and choosing the Unwatch command from the context menu. When the Projects page is presented in its list view, click the control at the far right of the entry for the required project and choose the Unwatch command from the associated menu.

You will also no longer receive applicable notifications for that project through the email notifications system (if enabled).

Following a Component Folder

Related Page: Component Management with a Connected Workspace

To receive email notifications with respect to a component, you need to be 'subscribed' to the parent folder in which that component resides. This is done by following that component folder. Following component folders is performed only through the NEXUS Server's browser interface. To do so:

  1. Browse to the required component folder within the NEXUS Server, from the Explorer page of the interface.
  2. Right-click on the folder entry and choose the Follow command from the context menu.

Accessing the control to Follow a component folder, and therefore all activity for components created therein.Accessing the control to Follow a component folder, and therefore all activity for components created therein.

You will receive applicable notifications related to any component activity in that folder through the email notifications system (if enabled).

To stop following a component folder, right-click on the folder entry and choose the UnFollow command from the context menu.

Click UnFollow to essentially unsubscribe to getting notifications for component activity within the parent component folder.Click UnFollow to essentially unsubscribe to getting notifications for component activity within the parent component folder.

You will also no longer receive applicable notifications through the email notifications system (if enabled).

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