> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.couchdrop.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.couchdrop.io/automations/actions/notification-actions.md).
# Notification Actions
Learn how to send custom notifications from Couchdrop Automations
## Overview
Custom Notification actions let you send a notification from within an Automation Workflow. Because the action can be added to a specific branch, notifications can be tied to a particular workflow outcome, condition, or exception rather than being sent every time the workflow runs.
For example, you can notify a team when files have been moved to a specific location, alert someone when a [conditional branch](/automations/conditional-filtering.md) is triggered, or include workflow context such as the **User**, **Filename**, or custom variables created earlier in the workflow.
{% hint style="info" %}
Because Custom Notification Actions can be added to branches, the notification can be tied to a specific workflow outcome rather than being sent every time the workflow runs.
{% endhint %}
### Available Methods
Channel
Decription
Email
Send a custom email notification to one or more recipients. This is the default notification method.
Slack
Send a custom notification to a selected Slack channel using a configured Slack integration.
## Email notifications
Select **Email** to send a custom email from the workflow.
You can configure the:
* **Recipient**
* **Subject**
* **Body**
[Automation Variables](/automations/variables.md) can be used in these fields to include information available at that point in the workflow, such as filenames, users, or values extracted by earlier actions.
## Slack notifications
Select **Slack** to send the notification to a Slack channel.
Couchdrop uses its configured Slack integration to retrieve available channels and send workflow messages. Select the destination channel and enter the message that should be sent.
Automation Variables can also be inserted into the Slack message so the notification includes context from the workflow.
Slack notifications are useful for operational workflows where the people responsible for responding to an event already work from a shared Slack channel.
{% hint style="info" %}
A [Slack integration](/integrations/business-systems/slack.md) must be configured before Slack can be selected as the notification destination.
{% endhint %}
---
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