What this article helps with: Understanding what automated notifications and messages your clients receive from Hona, when they are sent, and how they are delivered. Use this if a client asks why they received a message, or if you want to understand the full client-facing notification experience.
Who this is for: Firm staff and admins who want to understand what clients see and receive through Hona.
When not to use this article: If you need to disable or modify client notifications, see How to Disable Hona Client Notifications. If you are troubleshooting why a specific notification did not send, see Notification Settings - Troubleshooting. If you need to configure business user (staff) notifications, see Configuring Business User Notification Settings.
Clients receive automatic notifications from the platform to keep them informed and engaged throughout the case lifecycle. These notifications are designed to reduce the need for manual updates and provide transparency. Below is an overview of how notifications function and what your clients can expect.
Clients are notified via text message and/or email based on their preferred communication method. Notifications are triggered by key milestones or activities in their case. Here are the notifications they can expect:
New Project Notification — This is the first notification a client receives when they are added to Hona. It is sent as a text message (or email) welcoming them and providing access to their Client Portal.
Phase Change Notifications — Sent when there has been an update to their case (a phase change in your CMS). These are typically sent the next business morning after you update their phase in your Case Management system. The message includes a summary of the update and a smart link to their portal.
Drip Notifications — Pre-written reminder messages automatically sent to clients on a timed schedule when they remain in one phase for a long period of time. These appear as normal text messages. See Drip Notifications for setup instructions.
Form Notifications and Reminders — Sent when you send out a form request. These may be automated with a phase change or manually assigned. The client receives a text (or email) with a link to complete the form in their portal.
E-Signature Notifications — Sent when you send out an e-Signature request. These may be automated with a phase change or manually assigned. The client receives a text (or email) with a link to sign the document in their portal.
Calendar Events and Reminders — Sent when you use the Calendar Events feature in Hona. The client receives a notification when a new calendar event is created, plus a reminder text as the appointment approaches.
When do notifications get sent?
Hona syncs nightly at midnight PST and sends phase change notifications the next business day.
Messages do not go out on weekends — they will be sent Monday morning instead.
Form and e-signature requests send immediately when manually triggered. If sent as part of a phase update, they send along with the phase change notification.
Drip notification timing is configured per phase in Company Settings → Project Types → Phase → Other Settings.
How clients receive notifications
Clients do not need to download an app or create a login to receive these updates. All communication is sent directly to their phone or email inbox. Text messages include smart links that take the client directly to view updates, complete documents, or respond as needed. A Hona Client App is also available for download if the client prefers a dedicated app experience.
Troubleshooting: Client notification issues
Client says they did not receive a notification: Confirm their phone number and email address are correct in their Hona contact record (and in your CMS, which syncs to Hona nightly). Check that their notification preferences allow the relevant delivery channel (text or email). See Notification Settings - Troubleshooting.
Notifications seem delayed: Phase change notifications are sent the next business day after the nightly sync at midnight PST. Weekends are excluded — any updates made Friday or over the weekend will send Monday morning.
Client wants to stop receiving notifications: See How to Disable Hona Client Notifications for options including disabling specific notification types or archiving the project.
Client received a notification for the wrong phase or wrong project: This may indicate a phase mapping issue. Check phase mapping in Company Settings → Project Types and confirm the correct phase was updated in your CMS.
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