Notifications in Kato: what you'll receive and how

This article explains the three ways Kato can notify you, which notifications use which channel, and how to control what you receive.

The three ways Kato notifies you

Kato uses three notification channels. They are not alternatives to each other - a single event will often use two or three at once, so you get the message where it's most useful.

Email

Email is the only channel that reaches you when you are not logged in to Kato. It lands in your inbox, stays there until you read it, and works whether Kato is open, closed, or you've never signed in before. It's the channel we use when a message needs to survive being missed.

In-app notifications (desktop)

When you have Kato open in your browser, updates appear instantly without refreshing the page. This is what makes a window slide into the corner of your screen, the bell icon count tick up, an Interest Schedule update itself while a colleague is editing it, and the avatars show who else is viewing a schedule.

In-app notifications are live only. If your Kato tab is closed when something happens, the window is simply not shown - think of it as a phone line rather than a letterbox.

Anything important will also have been sent by email.

Mobile push (Kato app)

Push notifications are the banners that appear on your phone's lock screen and in your notification centre. They are sent to the Kato app for iOS and Android. Your phone needs to have signed in to the Kato app at least once before it can receive them.

Kato does not send push notifications from a desktop browser - only the mobile app receives them.

Side by side

	Email	In-app (desktop)	Mobile push
Where it appears	Your inbox	Inside an open Kato tab: popup, the bell, live-updating content	Phone lock screen and notification centre
What you need	Nothing - it arrives regardless	To be signed in with Kato open in a browser	The Kato mobile app installed and signed in at least once
Kept if you miss it?	Yes, it sits in your inbox	No, it's gone the moment it's sent	Yes, it sits in your phone's notification centre
Works on desktop?	Yes	Yes, while a tab is open	No
Works on mobile?	Yes	No	Yes, in the Kato app

Controlling what you receive

Your notification settings in Kato include two independent switches:

Desktop - controls in-app popups in your browser
Mobile - controls push notifications to the Kato app

Because they are independent, you can have popups on screen but no banners on your phone, or the other way round. Turning off desktop or mobile notifications does not stop emails.

Some email notifications - for example new messages on a match - can also be switched on or off in your notification settings. Security and account emails (password resets, two-factor codes, welcome emails) cannot be turned off.

Notifications by feature area

Account, access and security

Notification	Channel	When it's sent	Who receives it
Welcome and set your password	Email	A new Kato account is created for you	New user
Password reset	Email	You request a password reset	The person requesting it
Two-factor authentication code	Email	You log in to an account with 2FA enabled	The person logging in
Data Room access granted	Email	An agent grants you access to a Data Room	Portal contact
Licence assigned	Email	You accept an invitation and a Kato licence is assigned to you	New user
Licence access requested	Email	A user in your organisation requests a licence	Organisation admin

Invitations and collaboration

Notification	Channel	When it's sent	Who receives it
Invitation sent	Email	You're invited to collaborate (and again if a reminder is sent)	The invited party
Invitation declined	Email	Someone declines your invitation	The person who sent it
Invitation reminder	Email	Your invitation is still pending after a set period	Invited user who hasn't yet joined

Requirements and Acquisitions

Notification	Channel	When it's sent	Who receives it
Assigned to a Requirement	Email	You're added as an agent on a Requirement	Newly assigned agent
Disposals shortlisted against your Requirement	Email	One or more disposals are shortlisted for a Requirement you manage	Requirement agent
Acquisition circulated to your Society	Email, Mobile push, In-app	A new acquisition is published to a Society you belong to	Society members
@mentioned in a Requirement comment	Email, In-app, Mobile push	A colleague @mentions you in a Requirement or Society Acquisition comment	Mentioned user
Unapproved Requirements digest	Email	Scheduled reminder that you have Requirements awaiting approval	Users with unapproved Requirements
Ageing acquisition reminder	Email	A Society acquisition you manage is approaching its expiry	Assigned agent
Acquisition reassigned to you	Email	An acquisition is reassigned to you by an admin	Newly assigned agent

Disposals and Lettings

Notification	Channel	When it's sent	Who receives it
Disposal circulated to your Society	Email, Mobile push, In-app	A new disposal is published to a Society you belong to	Society members
@mentioned in an Availability Schedule comment	Email, In-app, Mobile push	A colleague @mentions you in an Availability Schedule comment	Mentioned user
Unapproved Lettings digest	Email	Scheduled reminder that you have lettings awaiting approval	Users with unapproved lettings
Ageing disposal reminder	Email	A Society disposal you manage is approaching its expiry	Assigned agent
Disposal reassigned to you	Email	A disposal is reassigned to you by an admin	Newly assigned agent
Marketing campaign	Email	An agent sends a lettings marketing campaign	External marketing-list contacts

Matching, Interest Schedules and Availability Schedules

Notification	Channel	When it's sent	Who receives it
New enquiry received	Email	A tenant rep or agent sends an enquiry on your disposal	Disposal agent
Match request received	Email	A match request is sent to you (sent individually or as a summary digest)	Agent
Match request accepted	Email, Mobile push	Your match request is accepted	Tenant rep or agent
Match discounted	Email, Mobile push	A match is discounted	Agent
New message on a match	Email (if enabled)	A message is posted on a match you're a participant in	Match participants on both sides
@mentioned in an Interest Schedule comment	Email, In-app, Mobile push	A colleague @mentions you in an Interest Schedule match comment	Mentioned user
Live schedule updates	In-app	Any change to a schedule, match or comment you're viewing - counts, statuses and messages update in real time	Everyone viewing the schedule

Diary and calendar

Notification	Channel	When it's sent	Who receives it
Event confirmed	Email, Mobile push	A Society diary event is confirmed	Society members
Provisional event created	Email	A provisional Society event is added	Society members
Event updated	Email	A Society event is changed	Society members
Event deleted	Email	A Society event is cancelled	Society members
Viewing confirmation	Email	A viewing is added to your diary	User
Lease event reminder	Email	A lease event (break, expiry, rent review) is approaching	User

Tasks

Notification	Channel	When it's sent	Who receives it
Task due	Email	A task assigned to you is due	Task assignee(s)

Website enquiries

If your website is connected to Kato, enquiries submitted through it are routed straight to the right people.

Notification	Channel	When it's sent	Who receives it
General website enquiry	Email, Mobile push	A general enquiry is submitted via your website	Requirement assignees and your team enquiry inbox
Property enquiry	Email, Mobile push	An enquiry is submitted against a single property	Requirement assignees and the disposal's agents
Shortlist enquiry	Email, Mobile push	An enquiry is submitted against multiple properties	Requirement assignees and the disposals' agents

Exports, bulk actions and Atlas

Notification	Channel	When it's sent	Who receives it
Download ready	Email	An export or report you requested has finished generating	The person who requested it
Bulk action complete	Email, In-app	A bulk action you ran has finished	The person who ran it
Bulk action failed	In-app	A bulk action could not complete	The person who ran it
Atlas publish progress	In-app	Live progress bar while your transactions publish to Atlas	The person publishing
Atlas transaction failure	In-app	A transaction failed to publish to Atlas	The person publishing

Landlord Portal

Notification	Channel	When it's sent	Who receives it
Welcome to the Landlord Portal	Email	Your landlord account is created or approved	Landlord user
Schedule access requested	Email	You request access to an Interest Schedule (sent whether or not you already have an account)	Landlord contact
Live disposal updates	In-app	The agent updates a disposal on a schedule you're viewing	Landlord collaborators

Frequently asked questions

I'm not receiving push notifications on my phone. Check that you've installed the Kato app and signed in at least once, that the mobile switch is turned on in your Kato notification settings, and that Kato is allowed to send notifications in your phone's own settings.

I missed a popup - can I see it again? In-app popups are live only and are not stored. Anything important is also sent by email, and @mentions appear in the bell icon in the top bar.

I'm not receiving emails from Kato. Check your junk or spam folder first, and ask your IT team to allow emails from the kato.app domain. If you're still not receiving them, let us know the detail and we will look into it.

Can I turn off a specific notification? Desktop and mobile notifications can be switched on or off independently in your notification settings. Some emails, such as match messages, can also be turned off there. Account and security emails cannot be disabled.

Do landlords and tenants need a Kato licence to receive notifications? No. Landlord Portal users and portal contacts receive email notifications for anything shared with them without needing a paid licence.