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Announcements

Purpose​

Create and manage organization-wide announcements that display as a banner marquee at the top of all pages throughout the application. Announcements are visible to all users until closed or expired.

Access​

Navigate to: /organize/announcements or Organize → Announcements

Screenshots​

Announcements list
Announcements list
Create new announcement
Create new announcement
Announcement displayed on dashboard
Announcement displayed on dashboard

Description​

The Announcements feature allows administrators to create important messages that display prominently as a banner at the top of every page in the application. These announcements appear as a marquee-style banner that all users can see, making them perfect for organization-wide communications, important updates, system maintenance notices, or urgent information.

Key Features​

Banner Display

  • Displays at top of all pages
  • Marquee-style presentation
  • Visible to all users
  • Closeable by users (X button)
  • Persistent across page navigation

Announcement Management

  • Create new announcements
  • Set display mode (Until Closed, Always)
  • Configure start and end dates
  • Edit existing announcements
  • Search and filter announcements

Display Modes

  • Until Closed: Shows until end date or user closes banner
  • Always: Shows continuously regardless of user actions

Page Structure​

  • Icon: 📢 Megaphone/announcement icon
  • Title: "Announcements"
  • Organization: Current organization (e.g., "Team, Nithya")
  • User Avatar: Profile picture in top-right

Action Toolbar​

➕ Create Button​

  • Position: Top-left
  • Color: Green
  • Icon: Plus icon
  • Label: "Create"
  • Action: Opens New Announcement form
  • Purpose: Add new organization-wide announcement
  • Position: Top-right
  • Icon: 🔍 Magnifying glass
  • Placeholder: "Search..."
  • Function: Filter announcements by title
  • Real-time: Updates table as you type

Announcements Table​

Column Headers​

Title​

  • Header: "Title"
  • Sort Icon: ↕️ Up/down arrows
  • Content: Announcement title
  • Example: "Test Announcement"
  • Sortable: Click header to sort alphabetically
  • Searchable: Filterable via search box

Mode​

  • Header: "Mode"
  • Sort Icon: ↕️ Up/down arrows
  • Values:
    • Until Closed: Shows until end date or user closes
    • Always: Shows continuously
  • Sortable: Sort by mode type
  • Purpose: Control announcement persistence

Start Date​

  • Header: "Start Date"
  • Content: Date announcement begins displaying
  • Format: YYYY-MM-DD (e.g., "2026-01-01")
  • Purpose: Schedule when announcement becomes visible

End Date​

  • Header: "End Date"
  • Content: Date announcement stops displaying
  • Format: YYYY-MM-DD (e.g., "2026-01-10")
  • Purpose: Schedule when announcement expires

Actions​

  • Icon: ⚙️ Settings/gear icon or similar
  • Options:
    • Edit announcement
    • Delete announcement
    • View details

Table Features​

Pagination

  • Controls: ⏮ First, ◀ Previous, Page Number, ▶ Next, ⏭ Last
  • Current Page: Highlighted (e.g., "1")
  • Info: "Showing 1 to 1 of 1 records"
  • Page Size: Dropdown showing "25"
  • Options: Typically 10, 25, 50, 100 records per page

Empty State

  • Message: "No announcements available to list"
  • Shown: When no announcements exist or match search

New Announcement Form​

Form Header​

  • Title: "New Announcement"
  • Close Button: Red X icon in top-right corner
  • Purpose: Create organization-wide announcement

Form Fields​

Title (Required)​

  • Label: "Title" with red asterisk
  • Type: Text input
  • Required: Yes
  • Purpose: Short headline for announcement
  • Display: Shows in announcements list
  • Example: "Test Announcement"

Mode (Required)​

  • Label: "Mode" with red asterisk
  • Type: Dropdown select with search
  • Required: Yes
  • Options:
    • Until Closed: Displays until end date or user closes banner
    • Always: Displays continuously, cannot be closed by user
  • Default: "Until Closed" (shown highlighted in green)
  • Search: Dropdown includes search box for filtering
  • Purpose: Control announcement persistence behavior

Start Date (Required)​

  • Label: "Start Date" with red asterisk
  • Type: Date picker
  • Required: Yes
  • Format: YYYY-MM-DD
  • Purpose: When announcement begins displaying
  • Example: "2026-01-01"

End Date (Required)​

  • Label: "End Date" with red asterisk
  • Type: Date picker
  • Required: Yes
  • Format: YYYY-MM-DD
  • Purpose: When announcement stops displaying
  • Example: "2026-01-10"
  • Validation: Must be after Start Date

Announcement Content​

  • Type: Large multiline text area
  • Height: Approximately 10-12 lines
  • Purpose: Full announcement message text
  • Display: Shows in banner marquee on all pages
  • Format: Plain text
  • Optional: Appears not to have asterisk (check if required)

Action Buttons​

❌ Cancel Button​

  • Position: Bottom-left
  • Color: Red background
  • Icon: X icon
  • Label: "Cancel"
  • Action: Close form without saving
  • Result: Returns to announcements list

💾 Save Button​

  • Position: Bottom-right
  • Color: Green background
  • Icon: Save/disk icon
  • Label: "Save"
  • Action: Save announcement
  • Validation: Checks all required fields
  • Result:
    • Creates announcement
    • Closes form
    • Returns to list
    • Announcement begins displaying if within date range

Announcement Display Banner​

  • Position: Top of every page
  • Background: Light blue color
  • Width: Full width of page
  • Style: Marquee/banner presentation
  • Text: Full announcement message
  • Example: "This is an org announcement and all users can see this till its closi..." (truncated if long)
  • Visibility: All users can see
  • Pages: Displays on all pages throughout application

Close Button​

  • Icon: ❌ X icon
  • Position: Right side of banner
  • Action: Closes/dismisses banner
  • Availability: Only for "Until Closed" mode
  • Behavior:
    • User-specific (closes for that user only)
    • Does not affect other users
    • May not reappear for that user until next announcement

Creating an Announcement​

Step-by-Step Process​

1. Open Create Form​

  1. Navigate to Announcements page
  2. Click green Create button
  3. New Announcement form opens

2. Enter Title​

  1. Click in Title field
  2. Type short, clear headline
  3. Keep concise (displays in table)
  4. Example: "System Maintenance Tonight"

3. Select Mode​

  1. Click Mode dropdown
  2. Choose display behavior:
    • Until Closed: User can dismiss (recommended for most announcements)
    • Always: Cannot be dismissed (use for critical information)
  3. Selection highlights in green

4. Set Start Date​

  1. Click Start Date field
  2. Use date picker to select
  3. Choose when announcement should begin displaying
  4. Can be current date or future date

5. Set End Date​

  1. Click End Date field
  2. Use date picker to select
  3. Choose when announcement should stop displaying
  4. Must be after Start Date
  5. Announcement automatically expires at end date

6. Write Announcement Content​

  1. Click in large text area
  2. Type full announcement message
  3. This text displays in banner on all pages
  4. Be clear and concise
  5. Include any necessary details or instructions

7. Save Announcement​

  1. Review all information
  2. Ensure required fields filled:
    • Title
    • Mode
    • Start Date
    • End Date
    • Announcement content (if required)
  3. Click Save button
  4. Form closes
  5. Announcement appears in list
  6. If current date is within range, banner displays immediately

Editing an Announcement​

Access Edit Form​

  1. Find announcement in table
  2. Click settings/gear icon in Actions column
  3. Edit form opens with current information

Edit Process​

  1. Update any fields as needed
  2. Change dates to extend or shorten display period
  3. Modify mode if needed
  4. Update announcement text
  5. Click Save button
  6. Changes apply immediately
  7. Active banner updates if currently displaying

Use Cases​

System Maintenance Notice​

Scenario: Scheduled maintenance tonight

Process:

  1. Create announcement
  2. Title: "System Maintenance Tonight"
  3. Mode: "Until Closed"
  4. Start Date: Today
  5. End Date: Tomorrow
  6. Content: "System will be unavailable from 11 PM to 1 AM for scheduled maintenance. Please save your work."
  7. Save announcement
  8. Banner displays immediately on all pages
  9. All users see the notice
  10. Users can close if acknowledged
  11. Automatically expires after end date

Important Policy Update​

Scenario: New policy all users must know

Process:

  1. Create announcement
  2. Title: "Updated Privacy Policy"
  3. Mode: "Always"
  4. Start Date: Today
  5. End Date: One week from now
  6. Content: "Our privacy policy has been updated. Please review the changes in Settings."
  7. Save announcement
  8. Banner displays and cannot be closed by users
  9. Ensures all users see critical information
  10. Expires automatically after one week

Event Announcement​

Scenario: Upcoming organization event

Process:

  1. Create announcement
  2. Title: "Annual Meeting Next Friday"
  3. Mode: "Until Closed"
  4. Start Date: One week before event
  5. End Date: Day after event
  6. Content: "Don't forget our Annual Meeting next Friday at 10 AM in Conference Room A. Attendance is mandatory."
  7. Save announcement
  8. Users see reminder leading up to event
  9. Can close once acknowledged
  10. Automatically removed after event

Urgent Update​

Scenario: Immediate attention needed

Process:

  1. Create announcement quickly
  2. Title: "URGENT: Check Your Email"
  3. Mode: "Always"
  4. Start Date: Right now
  5. End Date: End of day
  6. Content: "Important time-sensitive information has been sent to your email. Please check and respond by 5 PM today."
  7. Save immediately
  8. Banner displays on all pages instantly
  9. Cannot be dismissed (Always mode)
  10. Ensures maximum visibility
  11. Auto-expires at end of day

Best Practices​

Title Guidelines​

  • Be Concise: Keep titles short and clear
  • Action-Oriented: Use imperative language when appropriate
  • Clear Purpose: Make it obvious what the announcement is about
  • Keywords First: Put most important words at beginning

Mode Selection​

  • Until Closed: Use for most announcements
    • Allows users to dismiss after reading
    • Reduces banner fatigue
    • Better user experience
  • Always: Reserve for critical information
    • Use sparingly
    • Only for truly urgent matters
    • Can annoy users if overused

Date Range Planning​

  • Start Date:
    • Use current date for immediate announcements
    • Use future date for scheduled announcements
    • Consider time zones if applicable
  • End Date:
    • Set reasonable expiration
    • Don't leave announcements active too long
    • Account for weekends and holidays
    • Clean up expired announcements

Content Writing​

  • Be Clear: Use simple, direct language
  • Be Brief: Users won't read long messages in banner
  • Include Action: Tell users what to do if applicable
  • Proofread: Check for errors before saving
  • Test Display: Check how it looks in banner after saving

Announcement Management​

  • One at a Time: Avoid multiple active announcements
  • Regular Review: Check for expired announcements
  • Delete Old Ones: Remove announcements no longer needed
  • Plan Ahead: Schedule announcements in advance
  • Update Rather Than Create: Edit existing for related updates

Troubleshooting​

Announcement Not Displaying​

Problem: Saved announcement doesn't show on pages

Possible Causes:

  • Start date is in the future
  • End date has passed
  • User already closed "Until Closed" announcement
  • System cache issue

Solutions:

  1. Check Start Date is today or earlier
  2. Check End Date is today or later
  3. For "Until Closed" mode, user may have dismissed
  4. Refresh browser page
  5. Clear browser cache
  6. Check announcement is actually saved in list

Cannot Save Announcement​

Problem: Save button doesn't work

Possible Causes:

  • Required fields missing
  • End Date before Start Date
  • Invalid date format

Solutions:

  1. Ensure all required fields filled:
    • Title
    • Mode
    • Start Date
    • End Date
  2. Verify End Date is after Start Date
  3. Check dates are in correct format
  4. Look for error messages on form
  5. Try refreshing page and re-entering

Problem: Announcement still displaying after it should end

Possible Causes:

  • End Date set too far in future
  • Mode set to "Always"
  • Date not entered correctly

Solutions:

  1. Edit announcement
  2. Check End Date is correct
  3. Update End Date to sooner date
  4. Save changes
  5. Banner will disappear at end date
  6. Or delete announcement immediately

Users Cannot Close Banner​

Problem: X button not working or missing

Possible Causes:

  • Mode set to "Always"
  • This is intentional design

Solutions:

  1. Check announcement Mode in list
  2. If "Always" mode, X button won't appear
  3. This is by design for critical announcements
  4. Edit to "Until Closed" mode if should be closeable
  5. Or wait for End Date to expire
  6. Or delete announcement

Multiple Announcements Showing​

Problem: Too many banners displaying at once

Possible Causes:

  • Multiple announcements have overlapping dates
  • All are within active date range

Solutions:

  1. Review announcements list
  2. Check which have overlapping dates
  3. Adjust dates to avoid overlap
  4. Delete or expire old announcements
  5. Keep only one announcement active at a time
  6. Consider combining related announcements

Tips​

  1. Marquee Display: Announcements appear as banner at top of every page
  2. Organization-Wide: All users see the announcement
  3. Until Closed Mode: Best for most announcements, allows users to dismiss
  4. Always Mode: Use only for critical information that must be seen
  5. Set End Dates: Always set reasonable end dates to auto-expire
  6. Be Concise: Users won't read long messages in banners
  7. One at a Time: Avoid multiple active announcements
  8. Test Immediately: Check banner display right after saving
  9. Clean Up: Delete old announcements regularly
  10. Plan Ahead: Can schedule future announcements with Start Date
  11. User Dismissal: "Until Closed" allows each user to close individually
  12. Auto-Expiration: Announcements automatically stop displaying after End Date