---
layout: page
title: "Notifications"
description: "Instructions how to add user notifications to Home Assistant."
date: 2015-01-20 22:36
sidebar: true
comments: false
sharing: true
footer: true
---

The `notify` component makes it possible to send notifications to a wide variety of platforms. Please check the sidebar for a full list of platforms that are supported.

## {% linkable_title Configuration %}

```yaml
# Example configuration.yaml entry
notify:
  platform: pushbullet
  # Optional name for the notify service
  name: paulus
  # api_key is a required config key by the pushbullet platform
  api_key: ABCDEFG
```

The **name** parameter is optional but needed if you want to use multiple platforms. The platform will be exposed as service `notify/<name>`. The name will default to `notify` if not supplied.

### {% linkable_title Service %}

Once loaded, the `notify` platform will expose a service that can be called to send notifications.

| Service data attribute | Optional | Description |
| ---------------------- | -------- | ----------- |
| `message`              |       no | Body of the notification.
| `title`                |      yes | Title of the notification. Default is `Home Assistant`.
| `target`               |      yes | Some platforms will allow specifying a recipient that will receive the notification. See your platform page if it is supported.

The notification component supports specifying [templates] for both the `message` and the `title`. This will allow you to use the current state of Home Assistant in your notifications.

[templates]: /getting-started/templating/

### {% linkable_title Test if it works %}

A simple way to test if you have set up your notify platform correctly is to use **Call Service** from the **Developer Tools** to call your notify service. Choose your service (*notify/xyz*) from the list of **Available services:** and enter something like the sample below into  the **Service Data** field and hit **CALL SERVICE**.

```json
{
  "message": "The sun is {% raw %}{% if is_state('sun.sun', 'above_horizon') %}up{% else %}down{% endif %}{% endraw %}!"
}
```