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Messaging, Notifications and Communication

Platform: AXITRAQ (axitraq.app) Last Updated: July 2026 Applies To: All user roles (Owner, Admin, Manager, User)

Table of Contents

  1. Overview
  2. In-Platform Messaging
  3. Opening the Messaging Dashboard
  4. Conversation List
  5. Reading Messages
  6. Unread Indicators and Badges
  7. Starting a New Conversation
  8. Direct Messages
  9. Job Broadcast Messages
  10. Department Broadcast Messages
  11. Asset Broadcast Messages
  12. Composing and Sending Messages
  13. Writing a Message
  14. Choosing a Channel (Internal vs SMS)
  15. SMS Messaging
  16. How SMS Works in AXITRAQ
  17. Ordering Your Dedicated SMS Line (Admin)
  18. SMS Wallet, Top-ups and Auto Top-up
  19. SMS Pricing (Australia)
  20. Receiving SMS Replies
  21. Delivery Log and Tax Invoices
  22. Messaging Permissions
  23. Permission Types
  24. Managing Permissions (Admin)
  25. Dashboard Messaging Widgets
  26. Notification Preferences
  27. Notification Types
  28. Delivery Channels
  29. Configuring Your Preferences
  30. In-App Notifications
  31. Viewing Notifications
  32. Marking Notifications as Read
  33. Email Notifications
  34. Push Notifications (Mobile App)
  35. Dash AI Assistant
  36. Troubleshooting

Overview

AXITRAQ provides a complete communication system built into the platform. You can send internal messages to colleagues, broadcast messages to entire job teams or departments, send SMS to employees and contacts from your own dedicated AXITRAQ SMS line, and receive notifications across multiple channels including email, in-app alerts, and mobile push notifications.

All messaging and notification features are accessible from the sidebar and are integrated with your daily workflows. The platform also includes Dash, an AI-powered support assistant available on every page.

In-Platform Messaging

The messaging system lets you communicate with employees, contractors, clients, and suppliers directly within AXITRAQ. Conversations are threaded, so you can follow the full history of any exchange.

Opening the Messaging Dashboard

  1. Click Messaging in the left sidebar.
  2. The messaging dashboard opens with a split-panel layout:
  3. Left panel -- your conversation list, with a search bar and a "New Message" button.
  4. Right panel -- the currently selected conversation thread.

If you have no conversations yet, the right panel displays a prompt to select a conversation or start a new one.

Conversation List

The left panel displays all your conversations sorted by most recent activity. Each conversation entry shows:

Element Description
Participant name(s) Who is in the conversation
Last message preview A snippet of the most recent message
Timestamp When the last message was sent
Unread indicator Bold text and a count badge for unread messages
Channel icon Whether the conversation is internal or SMS

Use the search bar at the top of the conversation list to filter conversations by participant name or message content.

Reading Messages

  1. Click any conversation in the left panel to open it.
  2. Messages appear in chronological order in the right panel.
  3. Each message shows the sender's name, the timestamp, and the message channel (Internal or SMS).

Messages are displayed in a modern chat-bubble format inspired by Apple Messages:

  • Sent messages appear as green bubbles on the right side of the conversation.
  • Received messages appear as grey bubbles on the left side.

  • The bubble colours adapt to your theme (light or dark mode) for optimal contrast and readability.

  • When you open a conversation, all unread messages in that conversation are automatically marked as read.

Unread Indicators and Badges

AXITRAQ keeps you informed of new messages through several indicators:

  • Sidebar badge -- The Messaging link in the sidebar shows a count of your total unread messages. This badge updates automatically every 30 seconds.
  • Conversation badges -- Each conversation in the list shows its own unread count.
  • Bold text -- Conversations with unread messages appear in bold in the conversation list.

You do not need to refresh the page. The messaging system polls for new messages and conversations in the background so updates appear automatically.

Starting a New Conversation

Click the + New Message button at the top of the conversation list to start a new conversation. AXITRAQ supports several conversation types depending on your permissions.

Direct Messages

A direct (1:1) message is a private conversation between you and one other person.

  1. Click + New Message.
  2. Select the recipient type (Employee, Contractor, or Client).
  3. Choose the person from the list.
  4. Type your message and click Send.

If a conversation with that person already exists, AXITRAQ reopens the existing thread rather than creating a duplicate.

Job Broadcast Messages

Send a message to everyone assigned to a specific job. This requires the Broadcast to Job permission.

  1. Click + New Message.
  2. Select Job as the recipient type.
  3. Choose the job from the list of active jobs. The number of team members is shown next to each job name.
  4. Type your message and click Send.

All employees and contractors assigned to that job will receive the message. A group conversation is created (or reopened if one already exists for that job), and the participant list updates automatically to reflect the current job team.

Department Broadcast Messages

Send a message to all employees in a department or branch. This requires the Broadcast to Department permission.

  1. Click + New Message.
  2. Select Department as the recipient type.
  3. Choose the department. The employee count is shown next to each department name.
  4. Type your message and click Send.

Asset Broadcast Messages

Send a message to everyone associated with a specific asset, including the assigned operator and any current user. This requires the Broadcast to Asset Group permission.

  1. Click + New Message.
  2. Select Asset as the recipient type.
  3. Choose the asset from the list.
  4. Type your message and click Send.

Composing and Sending Messages

Writing a Message

Once you have a conversation open or have selected a recipient for a new message:

  1. The compose area appears at the bottom of the right panel.
  2. Type your message in the text field. The field expands as you type.
  3. Click Send or press Enter to send the message.

Messages are delivered instantly to the conversation. Other participants will see the message on their next poll refresh (within seconds) or immediately if they have the conversation open.

Choosing a Channel (Internal vs SMS)

If your company has SMS enabled and you have the Send SMS permission, a channel toggle appears above the compose area with two options:

  • Internal -- Sends the message within the AXITRAQ platform only. Recipients see the message in their messaging dashboard and receive in-app and push notifications.
  • SMS -- Sends the message as a text message to the recipient's mobile phone number from your company's dedicated AXITRAQ SMS line. The message also appears in the AXITRAQ conversation thread. Each outbound message is billed to your SMS wallet at the published per-segment rate.

To switch channels, click the desired channel button before sending your message. The active channel is highlighted.

SMS Messaging

AXITRAQ includes a fully managed, in-app SMS product. Each customer gets their own dedicated Australian mobile number — provisioned, activated and maintained by AXITRAQ — with usage metered against a prepaid SMS Wallet.

There is nothing to sign up for outside AXITRAQ, and there is no "bring your own carrier account" — the entire application, provisioning, compliance and billing flow lives inside your AXITRAQ subscription.

How SMS Works in AXITRAQ

  • Your company gets a dedicated AXITRAQ SMS line (an Australian mobile number) that both sends and receives messages inside AXITRAQ.
  • Outbound SMS is sent whenever a user with the Send SMS permission chooses the SMS channel in a conversation, or when a notification with SMS delivery fires (e.g. a maintenance alert).
  • Inbound replies land straight in the matching conversation thread — no external inbox, no forwarding.
  • Every send and every inbound reply is written to your Delivery Log and debited from (or credited to) your SMS Wallet in AUD ex-GST.
  • Sending is automatically paused when your wallet balance drops to the hard stop threshold, so you can never accidentally run into a runaway bill.

Ordering Your Dedicated SMS Line (Admin)

The SMS Line application lives at Company → Subscription & Billing → SMS Line (a deep link is also available from the Messaging dashboard when SMS is not yet active).

  1. Add a payment card first if you don't already have one on file. Open Company → Subscription & Billing → Payment Method and save an Australian credit or debit card. The same card funds your subscription, SMS wallet top-ups and supply orders.
  2. On the SMS Line page, complete the short application:
    • Business & authorised representative details
    • Business address
    • What you'll use SMS for (service name, category, description)
    • Expected outbound and inbound volume and peak hours
    • How your recipients consent (opt-in) to receive messages
    • Customer support contact and message samples
    • Optional opt-in screenshot upload
  3. Click Save draft at any time to come back later.
  4. Click Order my number to activate. AXITRAQ then:
    • Charges a one-off establishment credit to your card (A$30 ex-GST + 10% GST) which is added to your wallet as opening balance if your wallet is below the minimum,
    • Provisions your dedicated AU mobile number,
    • Activates the line, and
    • Debits the first month's line rental from the wallet.

Because AXITRAQ is an Independent Software Vendor reseller for our SMS carrier, your AU number is normally live and ready to send within a minute — there is no separate carrier signup, no separate carrier bill, and no shared platform number.

SMS Wallet, Top-ups and Auto Top-up

Everything to do with money for SMS lives on the SMS Line page.

Manual top-up. Click Top up wallet, choose one of the preset amounts (A$30 / $50 / $100 / $200) or enter a custom amount (min A$30 ex-GST). Your card is charged the amount plus 10% GST, a branded tax invoice is issued automatically, and your wallet is credited the ex-GST amount immediately.

Automatic top-up. By default your wallet is set to top up automatically when the balance drops to the low-balance threshold. You can:

  • Turn Automatic Top-up on or off from the SMS Line page.
  • Choose the auto top-up amount (A$30 by default).
  • See the low-balance threshold and hard stop thresholds that trigger auto top-up and the send-block.

If an automatic top-up attempt fails three times in a row (for example, an expired card), the wallet is paused and you're notified — sending resumes as soon as you add a working card and top up manually.

Never sends when broke. Below the hard-stop threshold, outbound SMS is refused with a clear message rather than being queued. Inbound replies are always accepted regardless of balance.

SMS Pricing (Australia)

Prices are shown in AUD ex-GST and are also displayed on the SMS Line page so they're always current. 10% GST is added when your card is charged; you receive a tax invoice for every charge.

Line item Price (AUD, ex-GST)
Establishment credit (one-off on order) A$30.00
Monthly line rental debited from wallet
Outbound SMS segment published per-segment rate
Inbound SMS segment published per-segment rate

Long messages are split into 160-character segments; each segment is metered separately (the same as your mobile phone bill). Emoji and non-GSM characters shorten the segment to 70 characters — the SMS Line page shows the segment count when you write a message, so there are no surprises.

Receiving SMS Replies

When someone replies to an SMS:

  1. AXITRAQ receives the reply on your dedicated number.
  2. AXITRAQ identifies the sender by matching the phone number against your employee, contractor and client records.
  3. The reply is added to the most recent conversation with that sender.
  4. All conversation participants receive an in-app and push notification.

If the sender's phone number is not recognised, AXITRAQ creates a new conversation and labels it with the phone number so an admin can attach it to the right person.

Delivery Log and Tax Invoices

The SMS Line page includes:

  • Recent Activity — a running wallet ledger showing top-ups, monthly rentals, per-message debits and refunds.
  • Delivery Log — every outbound and inbound message for the last 30 days with timestamp, direction, from/to number, status (queued / sent / delivered / failed), sender name and a message preview.
  • Tax Invoices — a downloadable list of every SMS-related tax invoice (establishment charge, top-ups, rentals). Invoices are also available in Company → Subscription & Billing → Invoice History.

Owners and users with the SMS Line permission can access these tabs.

Where is Twilio / a carrier signup? You don't need to sign up with a carrier or an SMS provider yourself. AXITRAQ handles the carrier relationship, compliance and billing on your behalf. All you manage is your wallet balance and who on your team can send SMS.

Messaging Permissions

Messaging permissions control who each user can communicate with and which channels they can use. Administrators configure these on a per-user basis.

Permission Types

Permission Description
Message Employees Send direct messages to employees
Message Contractors Send direct messages to contractors
Message Clients Send messages to client contacts
Message Suppliers Send messages to supplier contacts
Broadcast to Job Message all people assigned to a job
Broadcast to Department Message all people in a department or branch
Broadcast to Asset Group Message people associated with an asset
Broadcast All Send company-wide broadcast messages
Send SMS Allow sending messages from your company's dedicated AXITRAQ SMS line

Owner and Admin users automatically have all messaging permissions. These cannot be restricted.

Managing Permissions (Admin)

  1. Navigate to Messaging in the sidebar.
  2. Click Settings (or open Company → Subscription & Billing → SMS Line).
  3. Select the User Permissions tab.
  4. Choose a user from the dropdown list.
  5. The user's current permissions are loaded. Check or uncheck each permission as needed.
  6. Click Save Permissions.

Dashboard Messaging Widgets

Two optional messaging widgets are available for your customisable dashboard:

Widget Description
Messages (Internal) Shows your most recent internal messages with an unread count
Messages (SMS) Shows your most recent SMS messages with an unread count

Both widgets are clickable. Clicking on a message opens the full messaging interface directly from the dashboard, allowing you to read and reply without navigating away.

To add these widgets to your dashboard, use the dashboard customisation controls to select and position the messaging widgets.

Notification Preferences

AXITRAQ lets you control which notifications you receive and how they are delivered. Each notification type can be independently enabled or disabled for each delivery channel.

Notification Types

Notification Type Description
Maintenance Requests New maintenance requests and status updates
Maintenance Overdue Maintenance requests that are past their due date
Timesheet Submitted When an employee submits a timesheet for approval
Timesheet Approved/Rejected When a timesheet is approved or rejected
Inspection Due Upcoming scheduled inspections
Inspection Failed When an inspection result is a fail
Registration Expiry Asset registrations approaching their expiry date
Qualification Expiry Employee qualifications approaching their expiry date
Checklist Submitted Pre-start checklist submissions
Asset Status Change When an asset's status is changed

Delivery Channels

Notifications can be delivered through up to three channels:

Channel Description
Email A branded HTML email is sent to your registered email address
In-App A notification appears in your notification feed within AXITRAQ
SMS A text message is sent to your mobile number (only available if your company has SMS configured)

Configuring Your Preferences

  1. Navigate to Notifications in the sidebar (or access it via Settings).
  2. On the Preferences tab, you will see a table listing all notification types.
  3. For each notification type, toggle the delivery channels on or off:
  4. Use the Email toggle to enable or disable email notifications.
  5. Use the In-App toggle to enable or disable in-app notifications.
  6. Use the SMS toggle to enable or disable SMS notifications (this column only appears if your company has SMS configured).
  7. Click Save Preferences.

The preference toggles use theme-aware styling for clear visibility:

  • In Light Mode, enabled toggles display with a blue accent.
  • In Dark Mode, enabled toggles display with a gold accent.
  • Both checked and unchecked states have clear contrast to avoid ambiguity.

By default, Email and In-App notifications are enabled for all types. SMS notifications are disabled by default and must be opted into.

In-App Notifications

In-app notifications keep you informed about important events as they happen within AXITRAQ, without needing to check your email.

Viewing Notifications

  1. Navigate to Notifications in the sidebar.
  2. Select the Recent Notifications tab.
  3. Your notifications are listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent at the top.
  4. Unread notifications are highlighted with a subtle background colour and bold title text.
  5. The tab header shows a badge with your unread count.

Each notification displays:

  • Title -- a brief description of the event (e.g. "Inspection Failed" or a sender's name)
  • Message -- additional detail about the event
  • Timestamp -- when the notification was created
  • Read status -- whether you have already viewed it

Marking Notifications as Read

To mark a single notification as read:

  1. Click the Mark Read button next to the notification.

To mark all notifications as read:

  1. Click the Mark All Read button in the top-right corner of the notification list.

Notifications are also marked as read when you interact with the related item (for example, opening a conversation that triggered a message notification).

Email Notifications

When email notifications are enabled for a notification type in your preferences, AXITRAQ sends a branded HTML email to your registered email address. These emails include:

  • A clear subject line describing the event
  • The notification title and full message
  • A call-to-action button linking directly to the relevant page in AXITRAQ (where applicable)
  • Branded AXITRAQ formatting with a professional layout

Emails are sent from system_messages@axitraq.com.au. They are automated system messages and should not be replied to directly.

Registration Expiry Alerts

Registration expiry notifications have additional behaviour:

  • A daily check runs at 7:00 AM AEST.
  • The system looks for asset registrations expiring within your configured alert windows (e.g. 7, 14, or 30 days before expiry).
  • Alerts are sent to the designated managers via email.
  • In-app notifications are also created.
  • Each alert is tracked so you only receive one notification per registration per alert window, preventing duplicate alerts.

Push Notifications (Mobile App)

If you use the AXITRAQ mobile app on iOS or Android, you can receive push notifications on your device for time-sensitive events.

Enabling Push Notifications

Push notifications are enabled automatically when you log in to the AXITRAQ mobile app:

  1. Download and open the AXITRAQ mobile app.
  2. Log in with your AXITRAQ credentials.
  3. When prompted, allow notifications from the AXITRAQ app in your device settings.
  4. Your device is automatically registered for push notifications.

When you log out of the mobile app, your device is automatically unregistered and will no longer receive push notifications until you log in again.

Supported Events

Push notifications are sent for the following events:

Event Description
New message When someone sends you an internal message
Inbound SMS When an SMS reply is received in a conversation you are part of
Signature request When you are required to sign a form or document
Signature completion When all required signatures have been collected on a form

Push notifications include a title and a brief preview of the message content. Tapping a push notification opens the AXITRAQ mobile app to the relevant screen.

Dash AI Assistant

Dash is AXITRAQ's built-in AI support assistant. Dash is available on every page of the platform and can answer questions about how to use AXITRAQ, help you find features, and provide contextual guidance based on the page you are currently viewing.

Accessing Dash

  1. Click the Help button available on any page in AXITRAQ.
  2. The Dash chat panel opens as a floating side panel in the top-right corner of the screen. Unlike a modal, the panel does not block the rest of the page — you can continue navigating and using the platform while the panel is open.
  3. Type your question in the message field and press Enter or click Send.
  4. Dash will respond with helpful information tailored to your query and your current page context.

The panel can be dragged to any position on screen by grabbing the header bar. Your chat history and panel position persist as you navigate between pages. The panel resets to its default position when closed.

On mobile devices, the Help panel opens in full-screen mode for the best experience on smaller screens.

What Dash Can Help With

Dash can assist with questions about:

  • Asset management, inspections, and checklists
  • Job scheduling and employee management
  • Timesheets and approvals
  • Maintenance requests
  • Manuals & Documents — List vs Folders view, nested folders, drag-and-drop, associating one SDS/manual with many Parts or Assets
  • Messaging and notifications
  • General platform navigation and features

For Manuals, open Manage → Manuals & Documents and ask Dash on that page for the best contextual answers. Full written guide: Manuals and Documents on the wiki.

Dash provides immediate answers and is available 24/7. Your conversation history is retained so you can refer back to previous answers.

Escalation to Human Support

If Dash detects that your question requires human assistance, it will automatically escalate the conversation. Escalation is triggered for topics such as:

  • Billing, payment, or refund questions
  • Account cancellation or deletion requests
  • Bug reports or error descriptions
  • Requests to speak with a person

When escalated, a support team member will follow up with you directly.

Troubleshooting

I am not receiving notifications

  1. Check your notification preferences under Notifications > Preferences. Make sure the relevant notification type has the desired channel (Email, In-App, or SMS) toggled on.
  2. For email notifications, verify that your user account has a valid email address.
  3. For SMS notifications, confirm that your company has SMS configured and active, and that your employee record has a mobile number.

My unread badge is not updating

The sidebar message badge polls every 30 seconds. If it seems stuck, try refreshing the page. If the issue persists, check your browser's network connectivity.

SMS messages are not being delivered

  1. Ask your administrator to check the Delivery Log on the SMS Line page for error details.
  2. Verify the recipient's phone number is correct and in a valid format (Australian mobile).
  3. Check the SMS Wallet balance on the SMS Line page — sending is paused automatically if the balance drops below the hard-stop threshold.
  4. If the wallet is paused after failed automatic top-ups, confirm the card on file is valid and run a manual top-up.

I cannot see the SMS channel option

The SMS channel toggle only appears if: - Your company has an active AXITRAQ SMS line (ordered from Company → Subscription & Billing → SMS Line). - Your user account has the Send SMS permission enabled.

Contact your administrator to enable SMS access.

I am not receiving push notifications on my mobile device

  1. Ensure you are logged into the AXITRAQ mobile app.
  2. Check that notifications are enabled for AXITRAQ in your device's system settings.
  3. Verify your internet connection is active.
  4. Try logging out and back in to the mobile app to re-register your device.

Dash is not responding

  1. Try refreshing the page and reopening the Help chat.
  2. If Dash is temporarily unavailable, a message will inform you. Try again in a few moments.
  3. You are limited to 10 messages per minute. If you have sent many messages in quick succession, wait briefly before trying again.

This manual is maintained as part of the AXITRAQ platform documentation. For additional help, use the Dash AI assistant from any page in AXITRAQ or contact your system administrator.