> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pilotflows.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Announcements

> Create and manage announcements for your organization members

# Announcements

The Announcements module allows you to communicate important information to your organization members. Create announcements, schedule them for later delivery, and send them through multiple channels.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/pilotflows/images/placeholder-announcements-page.png" alt="Announcements page showing list of announcements" />
</Frame>

## Overview

Announcements help you keep your organization members informed about important events, safety notices, maintenance updates, social activities, and other information. Send announcements via dashboard, email, or SMS.

## Key Features

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Multi-Channel Delivery" icon="send">
    Send announcements through dashboard notifications, email, SMS, or all channels simultaneously.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Scheduling" icon="clock">
    Schedule announcements for future delivery. Set specific date and time for announcements to be sent.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Targeted Recipients" icon="users">
    Send to all members, specific roles (pilots, students, instructors), or custom groups.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Priority Levels" icon="alert-circle">
    Set priority levels (low, medium, high, critical) to help recipients understand importance.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Categories" icon="tags">
    Organize announcements by category (safety, maintenance, admin, social, general).
  </Card>

  <Card title="Acknowledgments" icon="check-circle">
    Track who has read and acknowledged important announcements. Ensure critical messages are seen.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Getting Started

<Steps>
  <Step title="Access Announcements">
    Navigate to **Organization** → **Announcements** from your dashboard sidebar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="View Existing Announcements">
    See all announcements:

    * Sent announcements
    * Scheduled announcements
    * Draft announcements
    * Filtered by status, category, or priority

    <Frame caption="Announcements list">
      <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/pilotflows/images/placeholder-announcements-list.png" alt="List of announcements with filters" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create Your First Announcement">
    Click **New Announcement** to create your first announcement.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Creating Announcements

### Basic Announcement

<Steps>
  <Step title="Start New Announcement">
    Click **+ New Announcement** button on the announcements page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter Title">
    Provide a clear, descriptive title:

    * Keep it concise
    * Make it informative
    * Use action words when appropriate

    Example: "Annual Safety Meeting - This Saturday"
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Categories">
    Choose one or more categories:

    * **Safety** - Safety-related announcements
    * **Maintenance** - Maintenance updates
    * **Admin** - Administrative notices
    * **Social** - Social events and activities
    * **General** - General information

    <Frame caption="Announcement creation form">
      <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/pilotflows/images/placeholder-create-announcement.png" alt="Form for creating a new announcement" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Write Content">
    Enter the announcement message:

    * Be clear and concise
    * Include all relevant details
    * Use formatting (bold, lists) for readability
    * Add links if needed

    <Tip>
      Use bullet points and short paragraphs for better readability, especially in email announcements.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set Priority">
    Choose priority level:

    * **Low** - Informational, not urgent
    * **Medium** - Important but not critical
    * **High** - Urgent, requires attention
    * **Critical** - Very urgent, immediate action needed

    Priority affects visual styling and notification urgency.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Recipients">
    Choose who receives the announcement:

    * **All Members** - Everyone in organization
    * **All Pilots** - Only pilots
    * **All Instructors** - Only instructors
    * **All Students** - Only students
    * **All Admins** - Only administrators
    * **Custom** - Select specific members

    <Info>
      You can select multiple recipient groups. Members matching any selected group will receive the announcement.
    </Info>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Delivery Channels">
    Select how to deliver:

    * **Internal Message** - Dashboard notification
    * **Email** - Email to recipients
    * **SMS** - Text message (if enabled)

    You can select multiple channels. Recipients receive through all selected channels.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send or Schedule">
    Choose when to send:

    * **Send Now** - Send immediately
    * **Schedule** - Set date and time for future delivery

    <Check>
      Scheduled announcements are sent automatically at the specified time.
    </Check>
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Advanced Options

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Schedule for Later">
    Schedule announcements:

    1. Enable **Schedule for later**
    2. Select date and time
    3. Announcement is queued
    4. Sent automatically at scheduled time

    <Note>
      You can edit or cancel scheduled announcements before they're sent.
    </Note>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Set Expiration Date">
    Set when announcement expires:

    * Announcement automatically hides after expiration
    * Useful for time-sensitive information
    * Prevents outdated announcements from cluttering the list
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Require Acknowledgment">
    For critical announcements:

    * Require recipients to acknowledge
    * Track who has seen the announcement
    * Follow up with those who haven't acknowledged
    * Useful for safety and compliance announcements
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Attach Files">
    Add attachments:

    * Upload documents, images, or PDFs
    * Attachments included in email
    * Available for download in dashboard
    * Useful for forms, documents, or images
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Managing Announcements

### Viewing Announcements

<Steps>
  <Step title="Filter Announcements">
    Use filters to find specific announcements:

    * **Status** - Sent, scheduled, draft
    * **Category** - Filter by category
    * **Priority** - Filter by priority level
    * **Date Range** - Show announcements within period
    * **Search** - Search by title or content
  </Step>

  <Step title="Sort Announcements">
    Sort by:

    * **Date** - Most recent first (default)
    * **Priority** - Highest priority first
    * **Title** - Alphabetical
  </Step>

  <Step title="View Details">
    Click on an announcement to see:

    * Full content
    * Recipients
    * Delivery channels
    * Send date/time
    * Acknowledgments (if required)
    * Attachments
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Editing Announcements

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Edit Draft Announcements">
    Draft announcements can be edited:

    1. Open the announcement
    2. Click **Edit**
    3. Make changes
    4. Save updates
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Edit Scheduled Announcements">
    Scheduled announcements can be modified:

    * Change content
    * Update schedule time
    * Modify recipients
    * Cancel if needed

    Changes apply before the announcement is sent.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Cannot Edit Sent Announcements">
    Once sent, announcements cannot be edited. This maintains a record of what was actually sent.

    If you need to correct information, create a new announcement.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### Deleting Announcements

<Steps>
  <Step title="Delete Announcement">
    1. Open the announcement
    2. Click **Delete**
    3. Confirm deletion

    <Warning>
      Deleted announcements cannot be recovered. Consider if you need to keep a record before deleting.
    </Warning>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Announcement Statuses

Announcements have different statuses:

* **Draft** - Created but not sent
* **Scheduled** - Queued for future delivery
* **Sent** - Successfully delivered
* **Failed** - Delivery failed (check errors)

<Frame caption="Announcement statuses">
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/pilotflows/images/placeholder-announcement-statuses.png" alt="Announcements showing different status badges" />
</Frame>

## Delivery Channels

### Dashboard Notifications

Internal messages appear in:

* Dashboard notification center
* Announcements page
* Persistent until acknowledged (if required)
* Always visible to recipients

### Email Delivery

Email announcements include:

* Formatted content
* Attachments (if any)
* Links back to dashboard
* Professional formatting
* Organization branding

<Info>
  Email delivery requires valid email addresses for recipients. Check that member emails are current.
</Info>

### SMS Delivery

SMS announcements:

* Short text messages
* Link to full announcement
* Requires SMS to be enabled
* May have character limits
* Additional charges may apply

<Warning>
  SMS delivery may incur additional costs. Check your plan and billing settings before enabling SMS.
</Warning>

## Acknowledgments

### Requiring Acknowledgments

For critical announcements:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Enable Acknowledgment">
    When creating announcement, enable **Require Acknowledgment**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Track Acknowledgments">
    After sending, view who has acknowledged:

    * See acknowledgment status
    * List of members who acknowledged
    * List of members who haven't
    * Acknowledgment timestamps
  </Step>

  <Step title="Follow Up">
    For unacknowledged recipients:

    * Send reminder (if needed)
    * Contact directly if critical
    * Track compliance

    <Tip>
      Use acknowledgments for safety-critical announcements to ensure everyone has seen important information.
    </Tip>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Best Practices

<Steps>
  <Step title="Use Clear Titles">
    Write descriptive titles that immediately convey the announcement's purpose. Members should understand what it's about from the title.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Appropriate Priority">
    Use priority levels correctly. Overusing "critical" reduces its impact. Reserve high/critical for truly urgent matters.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Target Your Audience">
    Send announcements only to relevant recipients. Don't send everything to everyone - it leads to notification fatigue.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Use Categories Consistently">
    Use categories consistently to help members filter and find relevant announcements. Establish category guidelines.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Schedule Thoughtfully">
    Schedule announcements for times when recipients are likely to see them. Avoid sending late at night or very early morning.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Keep Content Concise">
    Be brief and to the point. Include essential information but avoid lengthy messages. Use attachments for detailed information.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Announcement not received">
    * Check recipient email addresses are correct
    * Verify recipient is in selected group
    * Check spam/junk folder
    * Verify delivery channel is enabled
    * Check announcement status (may have failed)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Scheduled announcement didn't send">
    * Verify scheduled time has passed
    * Check announcement status
    * Review error messages
    * Ensure system is running
    * Contact support if issue persists
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can't create announcement">
    * Verify you have permission to create announcements
    * Check if announcements module is enabled
    * Ensure required fields are filled
    * Try refreshing the page
    * Contact admin if permissions seem incorrect
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related Documentation

* [Organization Overview](/business/organization/overview) - Learn about organization features
* [Members](/business/organization/members) - Manage announcement recipients
* [Calendar](/business/organization/calendar) - Link announcements to events