When developing applications and managing other resources within an environment. It is so vital to have a notification system. It makes it easier to notify and engage users and contributors in the project. Open-source notification tools allow developers to create notification systems that can be integrated into their environment. There are many notification systems some of them include OneSignal, Google Firebase, Leanplum, PushBots, PushCrew, Airship, Catapush etc.
Today, we will learn about Novu – an open-source notification infrastructure for developers. Novu provides a single API, that makes the process of sending notifications across several channels such as In-App, Push, Email, SMS, and Chat so simple. It also allows you to build your own workflows and set specific conditions for each channel. This ensures that notifications reach their intended recipients most effectively.
There are many features offered by Novu. They include:
- Consolidated API for diverse messaging platforms (In-App, Email, SMS, Push, Chat)
- Inclusive CMS for sophisticated layout and design control
- Swift and seamless setup and integration
- Driven by a vibrant community of users and developers
- Effortlessly oversee notifications across multiple channels
- Streamlined debugging and analysis of cross-channel messages through a unified dashboard
- Incorporate an embeddable notification centre with live updates
- Upcoming feature: Safeguard against missing variables
Follow the below steps to install and use Novu.
Step 1. Install Novu on Your System
Novu offers two deployment methods:
- The cloud option
- Self-hosted Option
Install Docker and Docker Compose
In this guide, we will learn how to install self-hosted Novu. Here, we will use the easiest option- the docker option. You need to ensure that you have docker installed on your system. To achieve that, follow the below guides:
You also need to install docker-compose:
Once installed, you also need to have git
##On Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt update && sudo apt install git
##On Rhel-based Systems
sudo yum install gitYou need to ensure that you have a CPU with AVX support for MongoDB 5.0+.
Clone the Novu Git Repo
The next thing is to clone the Novu repo:
git clone https://github.com/novuhq/novuCreate a file with the environment variables:
cd novu/docker
cp .env.example ./local/deployment/.envConfigure the Environment Variables
You can now modify the .env file as desired:
$ vim ./local/deployment/.env
Secrets
# YOU MUST CHANGE THESE BEFORE GOING INTO PRODUCTION
JWT_SECRET=your-secret
STORE_ENCRYPTION_KEY="<ENCRYPTION_KEY_MUST_BE_32_LONG>"
....Generate and update your secrets in the file above. For this setup, all settings are simple as the database is in the same deployment and also uses local stack instead of S3 for storage.
Run the Novu Containers
Once the desired changes have been made, you can start the container with the command:
docker-compose -f ./local/deployment/docker-compose.yml up -dCheck if the containers are up:
$ docker ps
CONTAINER ID IMAGE COMMAND CREATED STATUS PORTS NAMES
b636eb05d497 ghcr.io/novuhq/novu/embed:0.18.0 "pnpm start:docker:e…" 4 minutes ago Up 4 minutes 0.0.0.0:4701->4701/tcp, :::4701->4701/tcp embed
72587f77601c ghcr.io/novuhq/novu/widget:0.18.0 "pnpm start:static:w…" 4 minutes ago Up 4 minutes 0.0.0.0:4500->4500/tcp, :::4500->4500/tcp widget
377d098ee36e ghcr.io/novuhq/novu/web:0.18.0 "docker-entrypoint.s…" 4 minutes ago Up 4 minutes 0.0.0.0:4200->4200/tcp, :::4200->4200/tcp web
cb4c2551ef18 ghcr.io/novuhq/novu/worker:0.18.0 "pm2-runtime start d…" 4 minutes ago Up 4 minutes worker
61564b1cffcb ghcr.io/novuhq/novu/api:0.18.0 "pm2-runtime start d…" 4 minutes ago Up 4 minutes 0.0.0.0:3000->3000/tcp, :::3000->3000/tcp api
27b553d5f1d9 ghcr.io/novuhq/novu/ws:0.18.0 "docker-entrypoint.s…" 4 minutes ago Up 4 minutes 0.0.0.0:3002->3002/tcp, :::3002->3002/tcp ws
3bcec428d86c mongo "docker-entrypoint.s…" 4 minutes ago Up 11 seconds ago mongodb
19bd436a6a63 redis:alpine "docker-entrypoint.s…" 4 minutes ago Up 4 minutes 6379/tcp redisStep 2. Access Novu Web Interface
You can now access the Novu web interface using the URL http://localhost:4200
Create a New User
We need to create a new user by clicking on Sign Up
Create an Organization
Once the user has been created, you will be granted the below page. Create your own organization.
Create a Provider
You will then be granted the Novu dashboard. Begin by creating your provider:
In this guide, we will configure Email. You can still configure chat, SMS, In-App or SMS as desired. To configure Email, select the provider.
Provide the required details. For example, for outlook.
Create a Workflow
After adding the provider, you can proceed and create the workflow.
Provide the name of the workflow.
Now modify your provider and the desired message to be triggered.
After clicking on it, you can make adjustments as desired
Test Novu by Triggering Notification
To test if Novu is working, we will trigger the notification by clicking on the icon shown, and the run the trigger.
If all is okay, you will see this:
The members subscribed will receive the notification as shown:
Voila!
Final Thoughts
We have learned how to install and use Novu – an open-source notification infrastructure for developers. You are now free to explore the other features provided by Novu by visiting the official Novu page.
Interested in more?
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