Notifications API

Note: This feature is available in Web Workers

Secure context: This feature is available only in secure contexts (HTTPS), in some or all supporting browsers.

The Notifications API allows web pages to control the display of system notifications to the end user. These are outside the top-level browsing context viewport, so therefore can be displayed even when the user has switched tabs or moved to a different app. The API is designed to be compatible with existing notification systems, across different platforms.

Concepts and usage

On supported platforms, showing a system notification generally involves two things. First, the user needs to grant the current origin permission to display system notifications, which is generally done when the app or site initialises, using the Notification.requestPermission() method. This should be done in response to a user gesture, such as clicking a button, for example:

btn.addEventListener('click', function() {
  let promise = Notification.requestPermission();
  // wait for permission
})

This is not only best practice — you should not be spamming users with notifications they didn't agree to — but going forward browsers will explicitly disallow notifications not triggered in response to a user gesture. Firefox is already doing this from version 72, for example.

This will spawn a request dialog, along the following lines:

From here the user can choose to allow notifications from this origin, or block them. Once a choice has been made, the setting will generally persist for the current session.

Note: As of Firefox 44, the permissions for Notifications and Push have been merged. If permission is granted for notifications, push will also be enabled.

Next, a new notification is created using the Notification() constructor. This must be passed a title argument, and can optionally be passed an options object to specify options, such as text direction, body text, icon to display, notification sound to play, and more.

In addition, the Notifications API spec specifies a number of additions to the ServiceWorker API, to allow service workers to fire notifications.

Note: To find out more about using notifications in your own app, read Using the Notifications API.

Notifications interfaces

Notification

Defines a notification object.

Service worker additions

ServiceWorkerRegistration

Includes the ServiceWorkerRegistration.showNotification() and ServiceWorkerRegistration.getNotifications() method, for controlling the display of notifications.

ServiceWorkerGlobalScope

Includes the ServiceWorkerGlobalScope.onnotificationclick handler, for firing custom functions when a notification is clicked.

NotificationEvent

A specific type of event object, based on ExtendableEvent, which represents a notification that has fired.

Specifications

Specification
Notifications API Living Standard

Browser compatibility

Desktop Mobile
Chrome Edge Firefox Internet Explorer Opera Safari WebView Android Chrome Android Firefox for Android Opera Android Safari on IOS Samsung Internet
Notifications_API
20
["Starting in Chrome 49, notifications do not work in incognito mode.", "Before Chrome 42, service worker additions were not supported."]
14
22
4
No
23
7
No
25
["Starting in Chrome 49, notifications do not work in incognito mode.", "Before Chrome 42, service worker additions were not supported."]
22
4
24
No
1.5
Notification
20
14
22
4
No
23
7
No
25
22
4
24
No
1.5
actions
53
18
No
No
39
No
No
53
No
41
No
6.0
badge
53
18
No
No
39
No
No
53
No
41
No
6.0
body
33
14
26
No
23
11
No
33
26
24
No
2.0
close
20
14
22
No
23
7
No
25
22
24
No
1.5
data
44
16
34
No
31
No
No
44
34
32
No
4.0
dir
20
14
26
No
23
7
No
25
26
24
No
1.5
icon
33
14
26
No
23
11
No
33
26
24
No
2.0
image
53
18
No
No
40
No
No
53
No
41
No
6.0
lang
33
14
26
No
23
11
No
33
26
24
No
2.0
maxActions
48
18
No
No
35
No
No
48
No
35
No
5.0
onclick
20
14
22
No
23
7
No
25
22
24
No
1.5
onclose
20
14
22
No
23
7
No
25
22
24
No
1.5
onerror
20
14
22
No
23
7
No
25
22
24
No
1.5
onshow
20
14
22
No
23
7
No
25
22
24
No
1.5
permission
32
14
22
No
23
7
No
32
22
24
No
2.0
renotify
50
79
No
No
37
No
No
50
No
37
No
5.0
requestPermission
20
14
22
["From Firefox 70 onwards, cannot be called from a cross-origin IFrame.", "From Firefox 72 onwards, can only be called in response to a user gesture such as a click event."]
No
23
15
7-15
Only supported the deprecated callback syntax.
No
25
22
24
No
1.5
requireInteraction
47
17
No
No
34
No
No
47
No
34
No
5.0
secure_context_required
62
≤79
67
No
49
No
No
62
67
46
No
8.0
silent
43
17
No
No
30
No
No
43
No
30
No
4.0
tag
20
14
26
No
23
7
No
25
26
24
No
1.5
timestamp
50
17
No
No
37
No
No
50
No
37
No
5.0
title
33
14
26
No
23
11
No
33
26
24
No
2.0
vibrate
53
79
No
No
40
No
No
53
Does not work on Android O or later regardless of Chrome version.
No
41
Does not work on Android O or later regardless of Chrome version.
No
6.0
Does not work on Android O or later regardless of Chrome version.
worker_support
45
≤18
41
No
32
No
No
45
41
32
No
5.0

See also

© 2005–2021 MDN contributors.
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License v2.5 or later.
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Notifications_API