novuhq/novu-manage-preferences

Manage Preferences

Novu has a two-level preference system:

1. Workflow defaults — configured in the dashboard for UI based workflows or via code in framework based workflows, apply to all subscribers.
2. Subscriber overrides — set by end users, override workflow defaults

Workflow-Level Preferences

Set default preferences when defining a workflow with @novu/framework:

import { workflow } from "@novu/framework";

const alertWorkflow = workflow("system-alert", execute, {
  preferences: {
    all: { enabled: true, readOnly: false },
    channels: {
      email: { enabled: true },
      sms: { enabled: false },
      push: { enabled: true },
      chat: { enabled: false },
      inApp: { enabled: true },
    },
  },
});

Authoring workflows in code? See framework-integration for the full Framework setup, Bridge Endpoint, step controls, and deployment.

Channel Types

| Channel | Description | | --- | --- | | email | Email notifications | | sms | SMS text messages | | push | Mobile/web push notifications | | chat | Slack, Discord, Teams, etc. | | inApp | In-app Inbox notifications |

Read-Only Preferences

Set readOnly: true to hide a workflow's channels from the Preferences UI — subscribers can't toggle them on or off:

const criticalAlertWorkflow = workflow("critical-alert", execute, {
  preferences: {
    all: { enabled: true, readOnly: true },  // subscriber CANNOT disable
  },
});

readOnly vs critical — pick the right one

These are different mechanisms with different guarantees. See design-workflow/references/severity-and-critical.md for the full matrix.

| Flag | What it does | | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | preferences.all.readOnly: true | UI only. Hides the workflow from the Preferences UI so subscribers can't toggle it. | | critical: true (workflow-level) | Runtime. Bypasses subscriber preferences, skips digest, runs without delays. |

If you need the notification to always be delivered (account suspended, security alert, password reset), set critical: true — readOnly: true alone won't override existing subscriber overrides at runtime.

Optional (Subscriber-Editable) Preferences

const marketingWorkflow = workflow("weekly-newsletter", execute, {
  preferences: {
    all: { enabled: true, readOnly: false },  // subscriber CAN disable
    channels: {
      email: { enabled: true },
      sms: { enabled: false },  // off by default, subscriber can enable
    },
  },
});

Subscriber-Level Preferences

Subscribers can override workflow defaults (unless readOnly: true).

Get Subscriber Preferences

import { Novu } from "@novu/api";

const novu = new Novu({
  secretKey: process.env.NOVU_SECRET_KEY,
});

const preferences = await novu.subscribers.preferences.list({
  subscriberId: "subscriber-123",
});

Update Subscriber Preferences

await novu.subscribers.preferences.update(
  {
    workflowId: "weekly-newsletter",
    channels: {
      email: false,   // opt out of email
      inApp: true,    // keep in-app
    },
  },
  "subscriber-123"
);

Global Preferences

Update preferences across all workflows by omitting workflowId:

await novu.subscribers.preferences.update(
  {
    channels: {
      sms: false,  // disable SMS for all workflows
    },
  },
  "subscriber-123"
);

Preference Resolution Order

When Novu determines whether to deliver a notification:

1. Subscriber workflow preference (most specific) — subscriber's override for this specific workflow
2. Subscriber global preference — subscriber's default across all workflows
3. Workflow default — developer-defined default in code
4. System default — all channels enabled

The most specific preference wins. If a subscriber disables email for a specific workflow, that takes precedence even if their global email preference is enabled.

Preferences UI Component

React

import { Inbox } from "@novu/react";

function App() {
  return (
    <Inbox
      applicationIdentifier="YOUR_NOVU_APP_ID"
      subscriberId="subscriber-123"
      subscriberHash="HMAC_HASH"
    >
      {/* The Preferences panel is built into the Inbox */}
    </Inbox>
  );
}

The <Inbox /> component includes a built-in Preferences panel accessible via the settings icon.

Standalone Preferences

Use the <Preferences /> component independently:

import { Inbox, Preferences } from "@novu/react";

function PreferencesPage() {
  return (
    <Inbox
      applicationIdentifier="YOUR_NOVU_APP_ID"
      subscriberId="subscriber-123"
    >
      <Preferences />
    </Inbox>
  );
}

Common Patterns

Critical Alerts (Always On)

preferences: {
  all: { enabled: true, readOnly: true },
}

Subscribers cannot opt out. Use for security alerts, payment notifications, legal notices.

Marketing (Opt-Out Friendly)

preferences: {
  all: { enabled: true, readOnly: false },
  channels: {
    email: { enabled: true },
    sms: { enabled: false },
  },
}

Subscribers can toggle channels. SMS is off by default.

In-App Only by Default

preferences: {
  all: { enabled: false },
  channels: {
    inApp: { enabled: true },
  },
}

Only in-app is on. Subscribers can enable other channels if desired.

Common Pitfalls

1. readOnly: true is per-workflow, not per-channel — you set readOnly on the all level. Individual channels inherit it.
2. Subscriber overrides don't apply to readOnly workflows — if the workflow is read-only, subscriber preferences are ignored.
3. enabled: false in the workflow default means the channel is off — subscribers can still enable it (unless readOnly: true).
4. The Preferences UI only shows non-readOnly workflows — read-only workflows are hidden from the subscriber's preference panel.
5. Global preferences apply across all non-readOnly workflows — they're a convenient "disable all email" setting, but workflow-specific preferences take precedence.

References

• Workflow Preferences Examples
• Subscriber Preferences Examples
• Preferences UI Examples