5 Things You Need to Know Before Installing Web Push Notifications
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 8:34 am
So you’ve decided you want to install web push notifications for your website- that is great news! Web push is a great way to retarget your audience, but you already know that if you’ve made the (incredibly smart) choice to use them. Before getting started, there are a few things you need to be aware of.
Whether you have already made up your mind to use web push, are currently considering it, or even if you just want more information, here are 5 things everyone should know before installing web push notifications.
Tech Requirements
People frequently ask us if it is necessary to use SSL/HTTPS in order to send web push notifications. The short answer is yes. The long answer is a bit more complicated. Most browsers require you to use HTTPS in order to send web push notifications, with the one notable exception being Safari. However, to send notifications to users on Chrome, Firefox, or Opera, you need to use an HTTPS website.
If you don’t currently have an HTTPS website, you strongly want to consider getting set up as one if you are serious about using web push notifications. Without HTTPS, you will be limited to sending notifications only to users who use Safari. If you aren’t sure if you currently support HTTPS, view our FAQ page for help.
If you’re wondering if there is a way around this requirement, technically there is, but we do not recommend it. Some push vendors do offer this option for users who do not wish to install an SSL certificate, but it is a less than ideal situation. Your vendor will have to set up a subdomain for you which users will have to go to in order to opt in. Basically, users won’t even be turkey telemarketing data going to your actual website, but rather to the vendor website. This makes it incredibly difficult if you decide to switch web push providers and makes importing and exporting subscribers basically impossible.
Unfortunately, no one has control over these rules, as they are created and enforced by the W3C community. We recommend setting up HTTPS before starting with web push so that there is no confusion or potential loss of subscribers down the road.
Browser Differences and Limitations
Most browsers today support web push, but there are still some limitations and differences to be aware of. Subtle differences exist in the appearance of opt-in prompts across various browsers, for example.
opt in prompt differences installing web push notifications
The above image compares the standard opt-in prompt as it appears on Safari (top) and Chrome (bottom) desktop windows. To see how opt-in prompts look on all supported devices, click here (mobile), here (PC- Windows), and here (Mac). The prompts may look different, but thankfully it’s easy for a user to subscribe no matter what device or browser they are using. Pressing ‘allow’ is all it takes to turn a user into a subscriber.
In terms of actual notifications, the one major difference to be aware of is regarding custom icons. This was a feature that was heavily requested that we rolled out last summer. Currently, Safari does not support custom icons, meaning that the site wide icon you select will display with every notification you send. Not a huge deal, but something to be aware of when designing campaigns. If you want, you can create a segment of Safari users to target them directly. For help with creating segments, click here.
Finally, the biggest limitation you will run into with web push notifications is the lack of iOS support. Currently, no one is able to send web push notifications to iOS devices (if a web push vendor says they are able to they are lying). It’s probably safe to say that at this point it isn’t a matter of if this support will come, but when. There is a lot of pressure on Apple to make this happen, and we will be sure to update our service as soon as we are able to.
Whether you have already made up your mind to use web push, are currently considering it, or even if you just want more information, here are 5 things everyone should know before installing web push notifications.
Tech Requirements
People frequently ask us if it is necessary to use SSL/HTTPS in order to send web push notifications. The short answer is yes. The long answer is a bit more complicated. Most browsers require you to use HTTPS in order to send web push notifications, with the one notable exception being Safari. However, to send notifications to users on Chrome, Firefox, or Opera, you need to use an HTTPS website.
If you don’t currently have an HTTPS website, you strongly want to consider getting set up as one if you are serious about using web push notifications. Without HTTPS, you will be limited to sending notifications only to users who use Safari. If you aren’t sure if you currently support HTTPS, view our FAQ page for help.
If you’re wondering if there is a way around this requirement, technically there is, but we do not recommend it. Some push vendors do offer this option for users who do not wish to install an SSL certificate, but it is a less than ideal situation. Your vendor will have to set up a subdomain for you which users will have to go to in order to opt in. Basically, users won’t even be turkey telemarketing data going to your actual website, but rather to the vendor website. This makes it incredibly difficult if you decide to switch web push providers and makes importing and exporting subscribers basically impossible.
Unfortunately, no one has control over these rules, as they are created and enforced by the W3C community. We recommend setting up HTTPS before starting with web push so that there is no confusion or potential loss of subscribers down the road.
Browser Differences and Limitations
Most browsers today support web push, but there are still some limitations and differences to be aware of. Subtle differences exist in the appearance of opt-in prompts across various browsers, for example.
opt in prompt differences installing web push notifications
The above image compares the standard opt-in prompt as it appears on Safari (top) and Chrome (bottom) desktop windows. To see how opt-in prompts look on all supported devices, click here (mobile), here (PC- Windows), and here (Mac). The prompts may look different, but thankfully it’s easy for a user to subscribe no matter what device or browser they are using. Pressing ‘allow’ is all it takes to turn a user into a subscriber.
In terms of actual notifications, the one major difference to be aware of is regarding custom icons. This was a feature that was heavily requested that we rolled out last summer. Currently, Safari does not support custom icons, meaning that the site wide icon you select will display with every notification you send. Not a huge deal, but something to be aware of when designing campaigns. If you want, you can create a segment of Safari users to target them directly. For help with creating segments, click here.
Finally, the biggest limitation you will run into with web push notifications is the lack of iOS support. Currently, no one is able to send web push notifications to iOS devices (if a web push vendor says they are able to they are lying). It’s probably safe to say that at this point it isn’t a matter of if this support will come, but when. There is a lot of pressure on Apple to make this happen, and we will be sure to update our service as soon as we are able to.