Notifications are an essential building block of every modern application and are now a core part of the user experience. They let you interact with your users by, for example, alerting them to potential risks, informing them about new product features, or simply engaging them through friendly check-in messages. Care must be taken, however — from the user’s viewpoint, the line between being engaged by relevant, timely notifications and feeling harassed can be thin.

Web analytics are a standard for online businesses, and product managers rely heavily on web analytics data when making product decisions. Stats like website traffic, conversions, in-app events, or unique users are frequently used as indicators of business health, because they help identify if the product is moving in the right direction or not.

Notifications are a crucial component of most products, but they come with a catch. None of us likes to be interrupted, yet we want to see new information — like direct messages, time-sensitive tasks, or attractive product updates — as soon as it’s available. How can you balance these two needs? It can be frustrating for users when a product or service doesn’t allow them to control their notification experience.