User Guide
Introduction
Notifications in BriefSpec let you control when alerts are sent and who receives them for Test Cycles, Service Requests, Defects, and Phases. Instead of relying on people to remember deadlines and status changes, you define simple rules that BriefSpec can use to keep the right team members informed at the right time.
This feature is intended for Application Admins and Project leads who manage how the workspace communicates about upcoming due dates, overdue work, escalations, and key workflow events.
This guide explains how to open Notifications under Settings, understand each tab, configure rules and recipients, and save your changes.
Accessing Notifications
From the main BriefSpec navigation, open Settings. On the Settings hub, select Notifications.
The Notifications page shows four tabs across the top: Test Cycle, Service Requests, Defects, and Phase. Use the checkmark Save button in the top-right corner to save changes for all tabs.
Before you configure Notifications:
- Your role should have access to Settings.
- Decide which roles should receive reminders for each module, such as Project Manager, Assignee, or Client Reviewer.
- Review the default rules first. BriefSpec ships with sensible starter rules that you can keep, adjust, or turn off.
How Notification Rules Work
Each tab follows the same pattern. You turn a section on or off with a master toggle, then configure one or more rules. Each rule can also be turned on or off individually.
Calendar offsets
Calendar offsets send reminders relative to a due date or end date. The Day offset value works like this:
- Negative numbers (for example -5) send a reminder 5 days before the event date.
- 0 sends a reminder on the event date.
- Positive numbers (for example 3) send a reminder 3 days after the event date (overdue).
Recipients
Every rule has a recipients list. Recipients are roles related to the item, not free-form email addresses. Common examples include Project Manager, Tester, Assignee, Requester, Creator, Client Reviewer, and Review Submitter.
Adding and removing rules
Use the plus button in a section header to add a new rule. Use the trash icon on a rule row to remove it. Turn a whole section off if you do not want that category of alerts at all.
Test Cycle Tab
Use the Test Cycle tab to remind testers and project leaders about Test cycle deadlines and execution pace.
Calendar offsets
These reminders are based on the Test Cycle end date. Typical starter rules remind people five days before the end date, on the end date, and three days after the end date if work is still pending.
Available recipients include:
- Tester
- Project Manager
- Cycle Owner
Pace checkpoints
Pace checkpoints watch how far the Test Cycle has progressed through its planned duration. At each checkpoint, BriefSpec can alert recipients if execution completion is below the threshold you set.
For example, a rule at 50% elapsed time with a completion threshold of 50% means: when half the cycle duration has passed, notify the selected people if less than half of executions are complete.
Each pace rule has an Elapsed % value, a Completion < % threshold, and a recipient list.
Service Requests Tab
Use the Service Requests tab to stay ahead of due dates, escalations, and status changes on service requests.
Calendar offsets
These reminders are based on the service request due date. You can remind people before the due date, on the due date, and after the due date when a request is overdue.
Available recipients include Assignee, Requester, and Project Manager.
Priority / Severity escalated
Use escalation rules to notify people when Priority or Severity is set to High or Critical. You can create separate rules for Priority and Severity, choose which levels trigger the alert, and select recipients such as Assignee and Project Manager.
Closed / Reopened
Turn this section on to notify selected people when a service request is closed or reopened. Recipients can include Assignee, Requester, and Project Manager.
Defects Tab
Use the Defects tab to configure reminders and escalations for project defects. The layout is similar to Service Requests, with defect-specific recipients.
Calendar offsets
These reminders are based on the defect due date. Configure day offsets and recipients the same way as other calendar rules.
Available recipients include Assignee, Creator, and Project Manager.
Priority / Severity escalated
Notify selected people when a defect Priority or Severity is set to High or Critical. Create separate rules if you want different handling for Priority versus Severity.
Closed
Turn this section on to notify selected people when a defect is closed. Defects do not use a Reopened rule in this settings tab since defects cannot be reopened.
Available recipients include Assignee, Creator, and Project Manager.
Phase Tab
Use the Phase tab for reminders related to project Phases and Phase requirements. This is where you keep delivery dates, client review aging, build-complete nudges, and overdue requirements under control.
Available Phase recipients include:
- Assignee – the builder on the Phase requirement.
- Review submitter – the person who submitted the requirement for client review.
- Client reviewer – the client-side reviewer.
- Project Manager
- Phase creator – the person who created the Phase.
Calendar offsets
These reminders are based on the Phase end date while the Phase is in progress. Use them for advance warnings, end-date reminders, and overdue alerts at the Phase level.
Pending Review aging
Aging rules watch how many days a Phase requirement remains in Pending Review. Use escalating day thresholds to nudge the Client Reviewer first, then escalate to the Review Submitter and Project Manager.
Each aging rule has a Days value and a recipient list. For example, notify the Client Reviewer after 3 days if it still exists in their queue, then include the Review Submitter and Project Manager as well if it still has not moved after 7 days.
Build Complete to ready for review
This rule nudges people when Build Status is Build Complete but Review Status is still Draft. It helps close the gap between finishing build work and submitting for client review.
You can set Delay days to 0 for an immediate reminder, or choose a number of days to wait before notifying. Typical recipients are Assignee and Review Submitter.
Overdue requirements
These reminders focus on individual Phase requirements whose effective end date has passed while build is still not complete. BriefSpec uses the requirement end date when available, otherwise the Phase end date, otherwise the project end date.
Use Day offset values such as 0, 3, and 7 to remind Assignees and Project Managers as requirements slip.
Saving Your Changes
After you update any tab, click the checkmark Save button in the page header. BriefSpec saves the full Notifications configuration for your tenant, including Test Cycle, Service Requests, Defects, and Phase.
A success message confirms that your settings were saved. If saving fails, review your connection and try again. Unsaved changes are not applied until you save successfully.
Tips for Better Results
- Start with the defaults. Turn off only the sections you know you do not need.
- Keep recipient lists focused. Too many recipients on every rule can create alert fatigue.
- Use negative day offsets for early warnings and positive offsets for overdue escalation.
- For Phase Pending Review aging, escalate gradually – first to the reviewer, then to internal owners.
- After major process changes, revisit Notifications so rules still match how your teams work.
Important Notes
Notifications Settings control when and who should be alerted for the modules listed above. Existing transactional emails for individual actions, such as assignment or review outcomes, may still exist separately from these configurable rules.
Important: Always Save after making changes. Switching tabs does not discard your edits on the page, but your configuration is only stored when you click Save.