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Create Announcement

Overview​

This workflow guides administrators through creating and scheduling important announcements that display as a banner at the top of all pages throughout the application.

Who This Is For​

  • Administrators communicating organization-wide updates
  • Operations Managers announcing system changes
  • Event Coordinators notifying users of important information

Prerequisites​

  • Admin access to Announcements module
  • Announcement message prepared
  • Start and end dates determined
  • Display mode decision (Until Closed or Always)

Workflow Diagram​

Steps​

1. Plan Your Announcement​

Before creating, determine:

  • Purpose: What needs to be communicated?
  • Audience: All users will see this
  • Urgency: How critical is the information?
  • Duration: How long should it display?
  • Dismissibility: Can users close it?

2. Prepare Announcement Content​

Write your message:

  • Keep it concise (displays in banner)
  • Use clear, direct language
  • Include action items if needed
  • Proofread carefully
  • Example: "System maintenance tonight 11 PM - 1 AM. Please save your work."

3. Access Announcements Module​

  1. Navigate to Organize → Announcements
  2. Review existing announcements
  3. Check if any announcements currently active
  4. Avoid overlapping announcements

4. Create New Announcement​

  1. Click green ➕ Create button
  2. New Announcement form opens
  3. Form displays with blank fields

5. Enter Announcement Title​

  1. Click in Title field (required)
  2. Enter short, clear headline
  3. Keep brief (shows in announcements list)
  4. Examples:
    • "System Maintenance Tonight"
    • "Updated Privacy Policy"
    • "Holiday Schedule Changes"
    • "New Features Available"

6. Select Display Mode​

  1. Click Mode dropdown (required)
  2. Choose appropriate mode:
  • Use when: Most announcements
  • Behavior:
    • Users can click X to dismiss
    • Dismissal is user-specific
    • Better user experience
    • Reduces banner fatigue
  • Best for:
    • General updates
    • Policy changes
    • Event announcements
    • Feature releases

Always Mode (Use Sparingly)​

  • Use when: Critical information
  • Behavior:
    • Users cannot dismiss
    • Displays continuously
    • Can frustrate users if overused
  • Best for:
    • Emergency notices
    • System outages
    • Urgent deadlines
    • Critical compliance issues

7. Set Start Date​

  1. Click Start Date field (required)
  2. Date picker opens
  3. Select when announcement should begin:
    • Today: For immediate display
    • Future date: For scheduled announcement
  4. Format: YYYY-MM-DD
  5. Example: 2026-01-04

8. Set End Date​

  1. Click End Date field (required)
  2. Date picker opens
  3. Select when announcement should stop:
    • Must be after Start Date
    • Choose reasonable duration
    • Don't leave active too long
  4. Format: YYYY-MM-DD
  5. Example: 2026-01-10
  6. System validates End Date > Start Date

9. Write Announcement Content​

  1. Click in large text area
  2. Type full announcement message
  3. Content will display in banner on all pages
  4. Keep concise but complete
  5. Include:
    • What is happening
    • When it's happening
    • What users need to do (if anything)
    • Where to get more info (if applicable)

Example Content​

System maintenance scheduled for tonight from 11 PM to 1 AM EST. 
Please save all work before 11 PM. System will be unavailable 
during maintenance. Contact IT if you have questions.

10. Review Announcement​

Before saving, verify:

  • Title is clear and concise
  • Mode is appropriate (Until Closed for most)
  • Start Date is correct
  • End Date is after Start Date
  • End Date is reasonable duration
  • Content is clear and complete
  • No typos or errors
  • Message is professional

11. Save Announcement​

  1. Click green Save button
  2. Form validates required fields
  3. If validation passes:
    • Announcement created
    • Form closes
    • Returns to announcements list
  4. If validation fails:
    • Error messages display
    • Correct issues
    • Save again

12. Verify Announcement Display​

If Start Date is today or earlier:

  1. Navigate to any page (e.g., Dashboard)
  2. Check banner appears at top
  3. Verify:
    • Message displays correctly
    • Content is readable
    • No truncation issues
    • Close button appears (if Until Closed mode)
  4. Test close button if applicable

13. Monitor and Update​

Throughout announcement period:

  1. Check that message remains relevant
  2. Update if information changes:
    • Click edit icon in announcements list
    • Modify content
    • Save changes
  3. Extend or shorten duration if needed:
    • Edit End Date
    • Save changes

14. Close or Delete When Done​

After End Date or when no longer needed:

  1. Announcement automatically expires at End Date
  2. Or manually delete:
    • Find in announcements list
    • Click delete icon
    • Confirm deletion
  3. Banner disappears from all pages

Quick Reference Checklist​

  • Announcement purpose and message clear
  • Title entered (short and descriptive)
  • Mode selected (Until Closed or Always)
  • Start Date set correctly
  • End Date set (after Start Date)
  • Content written (clear and concise)
  • Message proofread (no errors)
  • Announcement saved successfully
  • Banner verified on pages
  • Close button works (if Until Closed)
  • No overlapping announcements

Common Issues​

  • Problem: Saved announcement doesn't display
  • Solution:
    • Check Start Date is today or earlier
    • Check End Date hasn't passed
    • Refresh browser (Ctrl+F5)
    • Clear browser cache
    • Verify announcement saved in list

Cannot Close Banner​

  • Problem: X button not appearing
  • Solution:
    • Check Mode setting
    • If "Always", no X button (by design)
    • Edit announcement to "Until Closed" mode
    • Save changes

Content Too Long​

  • Problem: Message truncated in banner
  • Solution:
    • Shorten content
    • Remove unnecessary details
    • Keep to 1-2 sentences
    • Link to details page if needed

End Date Validation Error​

  • Problem: "End Date must be after Start Date"
  • Solution:
    • Check End Date is later than Start Date
    • Verify correct dates selected
    • Try selecting dates again

Multiple Banners Showing​

  • Problem: More than one announcement displays
  • Solution:
    • Review announcements list
    • Check for overlapping date ranges
    • End or delete older announcements
    • Keep only one active at a time

Announcement Examples​

System Maintenance​

  • Title: "Scheduled Maintenance Tonight"
  • Mode: Until Closed
  • Dates: Today to Tomorrow
  • Content: "System unavailable tonight 11 PM - 1 AM for maintenance. Save your work before 11 PM."

Policy Update​

  • Title: "New Privacy Policy"
  • Mode: Always
  • Dates: Today to 7 days from now
  • Content: "Our privacy policy has been updated. Please review the changes in Settings → Privacy Policy."

Event Reminder​

  • Title: "Annual Meeting Friday"
  • Mode: Until Closed
  • Dates: 3 days before to day after event
  • Content: "Annual Meeting this Friday 10 AM in Conference Room A. Attendance mandatory. Review agenda in Documents."

Feature Release​

  • Title: "New Features Available"
  • Mode: Until Closed
  • Dates: Today to 2 weeks from now
  • Content: "Check out new calendar features including drag-and-drop scheduling and mobile app updates!"

Emergency Notice​

  • Title: "URGENT: Security Update"
  • Mode: Always
  • Dates: Today only
  • Content: "Security incident detected. Change your password immediately. Contact IT at x5555 if you need assistance."

Time Estimate​

  • Planning: 5-10 minutes
  • Creating: 2-5 minutes
  • Verification: 2-3 minutes
  • Total: 10-15 minutes per announcement

Tips​

  1. One at a Time: Avoid multiple active announcements
  2. Until Closed: Use for most announcements
  3. Be Concise: Keep banner messages short
  4. Clear Title: Make purpose obvious at a glance
  5. Set End Date: Always set reasonable expiration
  6. Proofread: Check for errors before saving
  7. Test Display: Verify banner immediately after saving
  8. Plan Ahead: Can schedule future announcements with Start Date
  9. Update Rather Than Create: Edit existing for related updates
  10. Clean Up: Delete old announcements regularly
  11. User Experience: Don't overuse "Always" mode
  12. Action-Oriented: Tell users what to do if action needed