Notifications¶

Rhizome uses three notification channels to keep you informed about relevant activity: the in-app inbox, email notifications, and — in a later phase — native browser notifications.

Notification channels¶

Inbox¶

The inbox is Rhizome's primary notification channel. New notifications appear as badges in the left sidebar. The inbox cannot be fully disabled because certain notifications are essential for collective decision-making to succeed (see Why not everything is optional).

Email¶

Email notifications reach you even when you are not logged into Rhizome. You can disable email notifications entirely in the account settings.

App notifications¶

In a later phase of the beta, Rhizome will be able to send notifications directly through the browser. Your browser will ask for permission before Rhizome can display notifications.

Notification levels¶

Within the app, you can choose between two levels per topic:

• All activity — you are notified about every change and contribution in a topic.
• Essential notifications only — you only receive notifications that are indispensable for the process, for example when a new topic is created or your participation in a decision is required.

Why not everything is optional¶

Notifications in Rhizome follow a principle: what is necessary for the decision process stays active.

For example, if a topic is to be decided by consensus and participants are not informed that their participation is required, the decision cannot be completed successfully. The same applies to facilitation — whoever is responsible for steering the process must stay informed about relevant developments.

Rhizome therefore distinguishes between:

• Email notifications — can be fully disabled in the account settings
• Inbox notifications — cannot be fully disabled; the "essential only" level (the bell icon) reduces volume while keeping process-critical information active

This approach ensures that collective processes function without overwhelming individuals with information.

Configuring notifications¶

Configuration happens in the account settings. There you can set the email notification level and toggle specific notification types on or off. You can also use the bell icon on each topic to choose whether you want to receive all notifications or only essential ones.