Communication Management

Communication Management in cidaas enables you to interact with users across various scenarios, such as welcoming new users, requesting actions, or notifying them about data changes. The system supports both standard cidaas communication templates and custom developer templates for use cases beyond core cidaas functionality.

Overview

The cidaas Communication Management consists of two core components:

• Communication Templates - Configurable message templates for standardized communications
• Communication Providers - Configurable services for delivering notifications via email, SMS, IVR, and push notifications

Core Concepts

The communication system follows a clear separation of concerns: Templates define what to send, Providers handle how to send it.

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   COMMUNICATION MODEL                            │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                  │
│  ┌──────────────┐         ┌──────────────┐                     │
│  │ TemplateType │◄────────│  Template    │                     │
│  │ (templateKey)│ defines │  (content)   │                     │
│  │              │         │  (locale)     │                     │
│  └──────────────┘         └──────────────┘                     │
│       │                            │                            │
│       │ specifies                  │ belongs to                 │
│       │ attributes                 │                            │
│       │                            ▼                            │
│       │                   ┌──────────────┐                     │
│       │                   │ TemplateGroup │                     │
│       │                   │  (default)    │                     │
│       │                   └──────────────┘                     │
│       │                            │                            │
│       │                            │ configured with            │
│       │                            ▼                            │
│       │                   ┌──────────────────┐                 │
│       │                   │ Communication     │                 │
│       └──────────────────►│ Provider          │                 │
│         uses attributes    │ (email/sms/ivr)  │                 │
│                            └──────────────────┘                 │
│                                                                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Key Principles

1. Template = Content: Templates define the message structure, branding, and content. They are organized by templateKey (purpose), locale (language), and communicationMethod (channel).

2. Provider = Delivery: Communication providers handle the actual delivery mechanism. They can use cidaas-rendered content or apply their own templates.

3. TemplateGroup = Organization: Template groups bundle templates and link them to communication providers. Each app can be assigned a template group.

4. TemplateType = Schema: Template types define what attributes are available (system attributes + custom attributes) and which communication methods are supported.

Configuration Options

Template Customization

• Customize templates directly in the cidaas Admin Portal
• Maintain templates programmatically using cidaas APIs for CI/CD environments

Communication Provider Setup

• Add custom communication providers in CSpace if you prefer not to use the SYSTEM providers
• Configure provider settings through the Admin Portal

Template Usage

• Templates are automatically used by cidaas services for user communications such as invitations and verification requests

How It Works

Template Selection Process

When a cidaas service needs to send a notification, the following process occurs:

1. Service Request: A cidaas service (e.g., user registration) requests a notification with a templateKey (e.g., WELCOME_USER)

2. Template Group Lookup: The system identifies the app's assigned TemplateGroup (defaults to default)

3. Template Matching: The system finds a template matching:

   • templateKey (e.g., WELCOME_USER)
   • locale (user's preferred language or app default)
   • communicationMethod (email, SMS, IVR, or push)

4. Content Rendering: The template is rendered with:

   • System attributes: Default user data (name, email, links, etc.)
   • Custom attributes: Custom fields defined in field setup
   • Context attributes: Request-specific data (client_id, etc.)

5. Provider Delivery: The rendered notification is sent to the communication provider configured in the TemplateGroup for that communication method

Communication Flow

Templates

Communication templates standardize messages to ensure consistent formatting and branding. Templates typically include placeholders for personalization and dynamic content such as user-specific links for verification or account actions.

For detailed information about communication templates, see Communication Templates.

Template Types

cidaas System Templates

• Identified by fixed template keys for specific cidaas use cases
• Determined by:
  • templateKey (template type)
  • Usage type
  • Verification type
  • Processing type

Developer Templates

• Custom templates for business-specific communications
• Primarily identified by templateKey

Template Criteria

Templates are specific to multiple dimensions:

• Communication Medium - Email, SMS, IVR, or push notification
• Message Format - Text, HTML, or media
• Language - Locale-specific variants for multilingual support
• Use Case - Purpose-driven templates for specific scenarios

Communication Channels

cidaas supports the following communication channels:

• Email - Text and HTML formatted messages
• SMS - Short text messages
• IVR - Automated phone calls
• Push Notification - Notifications to authenticator apps (e.g., cidaas Authenticator App)
• Chat - Coming soon

Communication Providers

cidaas provides a default system communication provider with transactional messaging capabilities to ensure timely delivery of notifications.

For custom requirements, you can integrate your own communication providers. For configuration details, see the Communication Provider documentation.

Support

Need Help?

For any further assistance, feel free to visit our Support Portal.