---
title: "Configure program and certification notifications"
slug: "configure-program-and-certification-notifications"
tags: ["Content Creator", "How-to", "Totara Learn"]
updated: 2026-08-13T16:01:41Z
published: 2026-08-13T16:01:41Z
canonical: "totara.help/configure-program-and-certification-notifications"
---

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

# Configure program and certification notifications

You can edit or create [notifications](/totara-20/docs/what-are-centralised-notifications) for an individual [program](/totara-20/docs/what-are-programs) or [certification](/totara-20/docs/what-are-certifications).

[Embedded content](https://www.youtube.com/embed/0zfG0yR35j8)

## Edit a notification

To edit a program or certification notification, follow these steps:

1. Go to the program or certification for which you wish to configure notifications.
2. Select the **Notifications** tab.
3. Use the **Enabled** toggles to decide which triggers are able to send notifications.
4. Expand the notification trigger you wish to configure.
5. Click the three dots ( ![three_dots(1)](https://cdn.document360.io/a007399b-031e-436b-999a-528240e16f58/Images/Documentation/three_dots(1).png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-01T11%3A47%3A29Z&se=2026-11-01T12%3A47%3A29Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=L3XzT8gD6DlVsq%2BBj4kFol4kNwOkd6CAYrjCYnlWYWA%3D)) alongside the notification you wish to edit.
6. Click **Edit**.
7. Complete the [settings](/totara-20/docs/notification-settings) and add your notification content. For **Inherited** notifications you will first need to override a specific part of the notification (e.g. the **Schedule** or **Body** text) by clicking the toggle next to the setting, then edit the setting as required.
8. Click **Save.**

Now whenever this notification is triggered the new settings will be used.

Note that only the settings with the override toggle enabled will use the edited content for the individual notification. Any settings that do not have the toggle enabled will instead inherit the content or configuration from the higher context level (e.g. the site level). You can therefore revert a setting back to the default by disabling the toggle for that setting.

  

  

If a notification is changed at a higher context level, only the settings with the toggle disabled will be updated on edited notifications at lower levels (e.g. on an individual program). Any changes made to notifications on individual instances will not be applied elsewhere.

## Create a notification

To create a new program or certification notification, follow these steps:

1. Go to the program or certification for which you wish to configure notifications.
2. Select the **Notifications** tab.
3. Click the three dots ( ![three_dots(1)](https://cdn.document360.io/a007399b-031e-436b-999a-528240e16f58/Images/Documentation/three_dots(1).png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-01T11%3A47%3A29Z&se=2026-11-01T12%3A47%3A29Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=L3XzT8gD6DlVsq%2BBj4kFol4kNwOkd6CAYrjCYnlWYWA%3D)) alongside the trigger for which you wish to create a notification.
4. Click **Create notification.**
5. Complete the [settings](/totara-20/docs/notification-settings) and add your notification content.
6. Click **Save.**

## Program and certification messages tab

Prior to Totara 14, program and certification messages were managed from the **Messages** tab (when editing a program/certification) rather than the **Notifications** tab. On a new Totara 17 site the **Messages** tab will not be available. If you are upgrading from a previous version of Totara (i.e. Totara 13 and earlier), any messages defined within existing programs/certifications will be converted to notifications (as long as they are defined by one of the built-in **Notification triggers**).

If required, you can configure this interface to show the **Messages** tab alongside the new **Notifications** tab. The **Messages** tab will appear if either of these conditions are met:

- The messages tab is defined within **config.php**: $CFG->show_program_message_tab
- A custom message type was created in a previous version of Totara. In this case the custom message will be displayed in the **Messages** tab. A Site Administrator should manually recreate this message in the **Notifications** tab, potentially requiring additional development work if the message cannot be reproduced using existing notification types.

![Course badge](https://cdn.document360.io/a007399b-031e-436b-999a-528240e16f58/Images/Documentation/course-badge_notifications.svg?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-01T11%3A47%3A29Z&se=2026-11-01T12%3A47%3A29Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=L3XzT8gD6DlVsq%2BBj4kFol4kNwOkd6CAYrjCYnlWYWA%3D)The Totara Academy has a whole course dedicated to [Notifications](https://totara.community/course/view.php?id=706) in Totara. Here you can learn more about how to set up and use centralised notifications, see best practice, and give it a go yourself.

Join the [Totara Community](https://totara.community/) for more resources to help you get the most out of Totara.

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