Using MyAlberta Notify

Trial mode

When you create a MyAlberta Notify account, you’ll start in trial mode. This lets you try out the service, but has some restrictions in place.

You can remove these restrictions by going live.

Restrictions in trial mode

In trial mode, you can:

  • send up to 50 text messages and emails per day
  • send messages to yourself and other people in your team

Sending messages

When you send a message, it moves through different states in MyAlberta Notify.

A picture of the sending flow of messages in MyAlberta Notify, showing the three states of Sending, Delivered, And Failed. Also shows the next steps when messages fail, deleting data and trying a new channel for permanent failures, and trying again or trying a new channel for temporary failures

Sending

This means that we’ve accepted the message and are sending it to our delivery providers.

Delivered

You’ll see this when MyAlberta Notify has successfully delivered a message to user’s email inbox or phone.

MyAlberta Notify won’t tell you if a user has opened or read a message.

Sent internationally

You’ll see this when MyAlberta Notify sends a text message to an international number, but mobile networks in that country don’t provide delivery receipts.

Phone number or email address does not exist

You’ll see this when MyAlberta Notify couldn’t deliver a message because the email address or phone number was wrong.

You should remove these email addresses or phone numbers from your database.

You’ll still be charged for text messages to numbers that don’t exist.

Inbox/phone not accepting messages right now

You’ll see this if MyAlberta Notify can’t deliver an email or text message after trying for 72 hours.

This might happen for a number of reasons. For example, the user’s inbox might be full, or their phone might be turned off.

You can try sending the message again if you want.

You’ll still be charged for text messages to phones that aren’t accepting messages.

Technical failure

A technical failure means there’s a problem between MyAlberta Notify and our delivery providers.

You’ll have to try sending your messages again.

You won’t be charged for text messages that are affected by a technical failure.

Receiving messages

Email replies

You can choose an email address you want replies to go to.

Text messages

At present, the MyAlberta Notify service does not offer its clients the option to receive text messages from end users.

Multiple services in one organization

If your organization offers multiple services, you can have a different MyAlberta Notify account for each of them.

Each service:

  • gets its own free message allowance
  • has to request to go live separately