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Host Notifications

When a visitor checks in and selects a host, that host receives an email notification instantly. This replaces the receptionist calling or texting the host — the system handles it automatically.

How It Works

  1. A visitor checks in (staff-assisted or self-service kiosk) and selects a host from the host directory
  2. The system sends an email to the host's Hub-registered email address
  3. The host knows their visitor has arrived and can head to reception

Notifications are sent asynchronously — the check-in completes immediately, and the email follows within seconds.

What the Notification Contains

The host notification email includes:

  • Visitor's full name
  • Visitor's company (if provided)
  • Location name (which office or site)
  • Check-in time

Who Can Be a Host

A host must be a Hub user in your organization. When a visitor checks in, the host directory is populated from your Hub user list. Visitors cannot select a host who is not a Hub user.

ℹ️If someone should be able to receive visitor notifications but doesn't need access to any product, they can be added as a Hub-only user with no product access. They will still appear in the host directory and receive notifications.

Notification Channels

Currently, host notifications are delivered by email only. The email is sent to the address registered in Hub for that user.

ChannelStatus
EmailAvailable
SMSPlanned — future release
Microsoft TeamsPlanned — future release
SlackPlanned — future release

You can configure which notification channels are active for your tenant in Admin Settings (Enterprise plan). When SMS and Teams integrations are available, you will be able to configure them per-tenant or per-location.

Notifications Without a Host

Hosts are optional — a visitor can check in without selecting a host (for deliveries, for example). No notification is sent for check-ins with no host selected.

If your workflow requires a host for all visitors, you can enforce this by configuring a kiosk to require host selection.

No Notifications for Denied Visitors

Hosts are not notified when a visitor is denied entry. The denial is recorded in the audit log and visible to staff in the visitor log, but the host receives no email.

Host Directory on Kiosk

When a visitor uses a self-service kiosk, they see the host directory to select who they are visiting. The directory shows all active Hub users for your organization, sorted alphabetically by first name.

If a visitor doesn't know their host's last name, they can type the first few letters to filter the list.

Checking Notification Delivery

If a host reports they didn't receive a notification:

  1. Verify the visitor record shows a host was selected (visible on the visitor detail)
  2. Confirm the host's email address is correct in Hub (Hub → Users → [user] → email)
  3. Ask the host to check their spam or junk folder
  4. Check your email domain's DKIM/SPF configuration if notifications are consistently landing in spam
ℹ️Notification delivery uses The One Stack's shared email infrastructure (AWS SES). Delivery is typically under 30 seconds. If your Hub account's email domain has strict SPF/DMARC policies, whitelist the sending domain.