Setting Up Host Notifications

Last updated March 2026

Email Notifications

Email notifications are the default notification method in Porter and are enabled automatically for all hosts. When a visitor checks in and selects a host, Porter immediately sends an email to that host with the visitor's details, ensuring they are promptly informed of their guest's arrival.

The notification email includes the visitor's full name, company, check-in time, and location. If photo capture is enabled, the visitor's photo is embedded directly in the email, making it easy for the host to recognise their guest when heading to reception. The email also includes a quick-action link to check the visitor out remotely when the meeting concludes.

Admins can customise the email notification template from Settings > Notifications > Email Template. You can modify the subject line, add your company branding, include custom text, and choose which visitor fields are displayed in the notification. The template supports HTML formatting and includes merge tags for dynamic content like visitor name and check-in time.

Porter sends emails through a reliable delivery service with high inbox placement rates. Emails are sent from a verified domain and include proper authentication headers (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to avoid spam filters. If your organisation uses strict email filtering, you may need to whitelist the Porter sending domain in your email gateway settings.

• Enabled by default for all hosts — no setup required
• Includes visitor name, company, photo, and check-in time
• Customisable email template with branding and merge tags
• Quick-action link for remote visitor check-out
• Reliable delivery with SPF/DKIM/DMARC authentication

SMS Notifications

SMS notifications provide instant, high-visibility alerts to hosts when their visitors arrive. Text messages are particularly effective for hosts who are frequently away from their desk or in meetings where they may not check email promptly. SMS ensures they receive the notification on their mobile device.

SMS notifications in Porter are powered by Twilio and require a Twilio account to enable. If you do not already have a Twilio account, you can create one at twilio.com. Twilio offers pay-as-you-go pricing for SMS, and most organisations find the cost minimal given the low volume of visitor notification messages.

To set up SMS notifications, navigate to Settings > Notifications > SMS and enter your Twilio credentials: Account SID, Auth Token, and the Twilio phone number you want to send messages from. Porter validates the credentials when you save, confirming the connection is working. You can test the integration by sending a test message to your own phone number.

Once Twilio is configured at the organisation level, SMS notifications must be opted into by each individual host. Hosts can enable SMS from their Profile > Notification Preferences page by entering their mobile phone number and toggling SMS on. This per-host opt-in approach ensures that only hosts who want SMS notifications receive them, and keeps Twilio costs predictable.

The SMS message includes a concise summary: visitor name, company, and check-in time. Due to SMS character limits, the message is kept brief. A link to the Porter dashboard is included so the host can view full visitor details on their phone if needed.

• Requires a Twilio account (pay-as-you-go pricing)
• Setup: add Twilio Account SID, Auth Token, and phone number
• Configure in Settings > Notifications > SMS
• Per-host opt-in via Profile > Notification Preferences
• Concise message with visitor name, company, and time

Slack Integration

The Slack integration sends rich visitor arrival notifications to a Slack channel of your choice. This is ideal for teams that live in Slack throughout the day, as notifications appear right in their workspace without requiring a context switch to email or another app.

To set up the Slack integration, first create an incoming webhook in your Slack workspace. Go to your Slack App Directory, search for "Incoming Webhooks", and add it to your workspace. Choose the channel where you want visitor notifications to appear (e.g., #reception, #visitors, or #front-desk) and copy the generated webhook URL.

In Porter, navigate to Settings > Notifications > Slack and paste the webhook URL. Select which notification events should be sent to Slack: visitor check-in, visitor check-out, pre-registration created, or all events. You can also choose to mention the host using their Slack handle by mapping Porter user emails to Slack usernames in the integration settings.

The Slack notification appears as a rich message card with the visitor's name, company, host, check-in time, visitor photo (if available), and quick-action buttons. Hosts can click the "Check Out" button directly in Slack to check out the visitor when their meeting concludes, without needing to open the Porter dashboard.

You can configure multiple Slack webhooks for different locations. For example, the London office notifications can go to #london-reception while the Manchester office notifications go to #manchester-front-desk. Each location's Slack webhook is configured independently in the location settings.

• Create an Incoming Webhook in your Slack workspace
• Paste the webhook URL in Settings > Notifications > Slack
• Choose which events trigger Slack notifications
• Rich message cards with visitor details and photo
• Quick-action buttons for check-out directly from Slack
• Configure different channels per location

Microsoft Teams Integration

For organisations that use Microsoft Teams as their primary communication platform, Porter offers a Teams integration that delivers visitor notifications as adaptive cards in a Teams channel. The setup process is similar to Slack and takes just a few minutes.

To get started, create an incoming webhook in your Microsoft Teams channel. Open the channel where you want notifications to appear, click the three-dot menu, select "Connectors" (or "Workflows" in newer versions), and add an "Incoming Webhook" connector. Give it a name like "Porter VMS" and optionally upload the Porter logo as the connector icon. Copy the generated webhook URL.

In Porter, go to Settings > Notifications > Microsoft Teams and paste the webhook URL. Porter will send a test notification to verify the connection. Once confirmed, all visitor check-in events for the associated location will trigger a notification in your Teams channel.

The Teams notification uses an adaptive card format that includes the visitor's name, company, host name, check-in time, and photo. The card is visually rich and formatted to match the Teams interface. Hosts are mentioned using their Microsoft 365 email address, triggering a personal notification within Teams.

Like Slack, you can configure separate Teams webhooks for each location. This allows different offices to receive notifications in their relevant Teams channels. The Teams integration supports all the same notification events as the Slack integration: check-in, check-out, and pre-registration.

• Create an Incoming Webhook connector in your Teams channel
• Paste the webhook URL in Settings > Notifications > Microsoft Teams
• Adaptive card format with visitor details and photo
• Hosts are mentioned via their Microsoft 365 email
• Separate webhook configuration per location

Per-Host Preferences

Porter allows each host to control how they receive visitor notifications. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach, individual hosts can choose which notification channels work best for their workflow. This flexibility ensures that every team member gets notified through their preferred method.

Hosts manage their notification preferences from Profile > Notification Preferences in the Porter dashboard. On this page, they can toggle each available notification channel (email, SMS, Slack mention, Teams mention) on or off independently. For example, a host might enable both email and Slack but disable SMS.

Organisation admins set the available notification channels at the organisation level. If Twilio is not configured, the SMS option will not appear in host preferences. Similarly, Slack and Teams options are only available if the respective integrations are set up. Admins can also set default preferences that apply to newly added hosts.

Hosts can override organisation defaults for their own account. If the organisation default is email-only but a host prefers Slack, they can add Slack to their preferences without affecting other hosts. However, admins can enforce certain channels as mandatory (e.g., requiring email notifications for compliance) so that hosts cannot disable them.

• Each host chooses their preferred notification channels
• Managed from Profile > Notification Preferences
• Available options depend on organisation-level integrations
• Admins set defaults for new hosts
• Certain channels can be enforced as mandatory by admins

Two-Way Messaging

Two-way messaging bridges the communication gap between hosts and visitors during the check-in process. When a visitor checks in and the host is notified, the host can send a message back to the kiosk screen. This creates a seamless communication channel without requiring the visitor to have the host's phone number or email address.

Common use cases for two-way messaging include letting the visitor know you are on your way down, asking the visitor to take a seat in the waiting area, or informing them of a short delay. Pre-written quick responses are available for common scenarios, such as "I'll be right down", "Please take a seat, I'll be 5 minutes", and "Please proceed to Meeting Room 3".

To send a message, the host clicks the "Send Message" button in their visitor notification (available in email, Slack, and Teams) or from the visitor's entry on the Porter dashboard. Type a custom message or select a quick response. The message appears immediately on the kiosk screen alongside the check-in confirmation.

Admins can customise the list of quick responses from Settings > Notifications > Quick Responses. Add, edit, or remove pre-written messages to match your office environment. Quick responses are shared across all hosts in the organisation and can be configured per location if different sites have different needs.

The message is displayed on the kiosk for a configurable duration (default 60 seconds) before the screen returns to the welcome state. If multiple messages are sent, they queue and display sequentially. Visitors do not need to take any action — the message simply appears on screen for them to read.

• Hosts send messages directly to the kiosk screen
• Pre-written quick responses for common scenarios
• Send from email notification, Slack, Teams, or dashboard
• Customisable quick response list per organisation or location
• Messages display for a configurable duration (default 60s)