Notification sets are used to notify end users why an email / attachment has not been delivered, or about emails that are pending delivery. The notifications controlled by the notification set can contain variables included as part of the notification's body. These variables allow administrators to customize a notification set.

Using variables, certain notification set attributes can be amended. For example, a notification about a failed outbound message delivery has variables that are populated when sent to the initial sender. This provides them with details of the failed message (e.g. recipient details, subject, the reason for failure). Using variables, administrators can customize the content displayed in the notifications to suit their internal environment.

Using Variables to Amend Notification Sets

As part of the Mimecast suite of Notifications, there are categories of variables that can be used in the body of the message. Within each category, various options can then be included in the actual notification. Mimecast default Notifications include specific variables, and while not all options are required, this article aims to provide information on all the available options.

Available Variables

Below are two tables detailing the available Variable categories with associated options, as well as which categories can be used in which notification. To determine the potential changes for your notifications:

• Look at the categories available for each notification (Table 1).
• Check the full list of options available in each of these categories (Table 2).

A worked example at the end of this document to highlight the potential use of the additional variables.

Table 1: Notifications with Categories Available and Defaults Included

This lists the notifications included in Notification Sets (e.g. those notifications that can be amended) and what variable categories can be used in each notification type. Variable categories are the groups of options and are shown in angled brackets  <>. The options listed in the third column are the various options that are currently used in the Mimecast defaults, and match up to the options in Table 2.

Table 2: Variable Categories with Available Options

Identifies the Variable categories, and the available options in each category.

Amending Notification Variables

Before amending the Notification, ensure that you have completed the following steps:

1. Note down the available variable categories for the Notification you wish to amend (Table 1)
2. Then, for each category, choose the options you want to use (Table 2)
3. Once you are ready to amend the Notification, follow the Notification Sets article, which contains detailed steps on how to customize the Notification

Example: Delivery Failure Notification

Below is an example to demonstrate the usage of variable categories and options.  In this example, the Delivery Failure Notification will be amended. To view the current Notification sets used:

1. Navigate to Gateway | Policies | Notification Sets Definitions
2. Click on the Copy Default button to make a copy of the existing notification set, or select the current one you have already amended
3. Find and open the notification: Delivery Failure Notification
4. View the default text included below:

This is a delivery failure notification message indicating that an email you addressed to email address:
     -- [mailto]
     could not be delivered. The problem appears to be:

     -- [message]
     Additional information follows:-- [info]
     This condition occurred after [attempts] attempt(s) to deliver over a period of [hours] hour(s).

If you sent the email to multiple recipients, you will receive one of these messages for each one which failed delivery, otherwise they have been sent. As you can see, the current variables used in the default text are:

• mailto
• message
• info
• attempts
• hours

Determine Available Variables

You may also wish to include additional information regarding the bounce.  To do this:

1. Check Table 1 to view the available categories that can be used in this Notification, which are:
   <notice>
   <addresses>
   <message>
   <bounce>
2. Look at Table 2 to determine which options are available from these categories.
   You may wish to include variables such as messagedate or messageid
3. Once you have selected the items to be added/removed, amend the text body of the Notification to include the required variables.

Editing Message Text

Below is an example of how to edit the message text, by making use of some of the additional variables.

This is a delivery failure notification message indicating that an email [mailfrom] addressed to email address:

-- [mailto]
With subject [subject] sent on the [messagedate]
could not be delivered. The problem appears to be:
-- [message]
Additional information follows:

-- [info]

This condition occurred after [attempts] attempt(s) to deliver over a period of [hours] hour(s) and [minutes] minute(s). If you sent the email to multiple recipients, you will receive one of these messages for each one which failed delivery,  otherwise they have been sent.

See Also...

• Configuring Notification Sets Definitions and Policies