Basic Concepts

Content

Content refers to actionable messages sent within the Heed App to one or more recipients. It can exist in various states that represent different conditions at specific times:

• Active: The message is unread and requires attention. The recipient can either dismiss it or take action via optional action buttons, which marks the content as dismissed.
• Dismissed: The message is no longer active, indicating that the recipient has read and responded, if applicable.

Content is flexible and customizable to drive specific actions, improving user engagement and productivity. Key features include:

• Expiry: Set a time limit for content’s activity, after which it is automatically escalated, dismissed, or archived.
• Color: Use visual indicators to convey urgency or importance.

Content can be distributed through various channels, including:

• Desktop Notification
• Mobile Push Notification
• Email
• Text Message (SMS)

Channels

Channels are groups of users that serve as distribution lists for sending content. These can represent departments, activities, or teams within your organization. Channels help organize messaging, reduce unnecessary alerts, and improve the efficiency of notifications.

You can manage Channels through the Channel Browser section of the Heed App, where you can edit channel members, view subscriptions, and control notification preferences.

Channel Tags

To further organize and segment your channels, you can assign customizable tags to each channel. Tags help group and separate channels according to your organization’s internal structure. 

Users

Users are individual accounts within your system that can access the Heed App via multiple devices (e.g., browser, desktop client, mobile). Users can be assigned one or more roles. Predefined roles include:

• User: Basic level user.
• Manager: User with various management permissions.
• Admin: Full permissions for system activities.

Roles can also be customized, and permissions can be adjusted accordingly. For more details, refer to the Roles and Permissions section.

Roles and Permissions

Heed uses a role-based permission system to control user access. The three built-in roles are User, Manager, and Admin, each with its set of permissions:

• User: Can receive messages and interact with notifications.
• Manager: Has access to core features, including managing channels, users, workflows, and sending messages.
• Admin: Full access to all features and permissions, including the ability to assign roles and manage system settings.

Permissions in Heed can be assigned based on roles. Some examples include:

• SMS Receiver: Enables users to receive SMS alerts.
• Email Receiver: Enables email-based alerts.
• Edit Alert Preferences: Allows users to modify their alert settings.
• Manage Channels: Allows the creation and management of channels.
• Manage Users: Enables user management (add, edit, delete).
• Manage Workflows: Enables workflow creation and modification.
• Send Messages: Grants the ability to send notifications.
• Edit System Settings: Allows admins to configure system settings (OnPremise customers only).
• Edit Profile: Allows users to edit their profile details.

The Heed Client

The Heed Client is available on Windows and Mac and enables users to access the web portal and receive desktop notifications. 

Workflows

Workflows in Heed automate many processes within the app and integrate with other enterprise applications. Workflows are triggered by various activities, such as:

• Connection-based triggers (e.g., ServiceNow)
• Response Trigger
• HTTP Trigger
• Email-in Trigger
• Scheduled Trigger

Once triggered, workflows can perform multiple actions, including:

• Sending and updating Heeds
• Running HTTP requests
• Executing custom scripts
• Finding users, channels, and content

For more detailed information on creating workflows, configuring activities, and using integrations, refer to the Workflows section.