Notification center

A place that collects system messages and events, reached through an icon, usually a bell in the header, often with an unread badge.

Also called: notifications, notification center, notification centre, bell, bell icon, bell with a number, alerts, inbox, new events, activity, notification list, notifications panel

What it is for

It gathers notifications that arrive later, like likes, status updates and mentions, in one spot so you can deal with them when it suits you. It supports bulk actions like “Mark all as read”.

Where you see it

• Social platforms — new followers, comments
• Task trackers — mentions and changes in tickets you work on
• SaaS services — system announcements and updates

What it is called in code

• notifications
• popover
• badge

See also

• Badge — A small pill or circle with a short word or number: “New”, “−20%”, “3”.
• Toast (notification) — A small message that pops up briefly at the bottom or in a corner of the screen and disappears on its own.
• Site header — The block across the top of a page that holds the logo and the main navigation.