Helios

Managing Your Notifications and Preferences

Overview

What Is Notifications?

Notifications is Helios's real-time alert system. Accessed via the bell icon in the top-right navigation bar, it delivers an in-platform inbox that keeps you updated on activity relevant to your account, including contract signings, new gig applications, service request updates, message alerts, and other platform events.

Key Terms

Notifications - The bell icon in the top-right navigation bar that opens the Notifications inbox.
Notifications Inbox - The dropdown panel displaying all recent notifications in reverse chronological order.
Unread Indicator - An orange dot displayed next to unread notifications.
Notification Settings - A gear icon in the Notifications panel header that opens notification preferences.

Understanding the Notifications Panel

Notifications open as a dropdown panel from the bell (🔔) icon in the top navigation bar. The panel header shows Inbox with a dropdown arrow (to switch between Inbox and archived views), a three-dot menu (···), and a gear (⚙) icon for notification settings.

Each notification item shows: a user avatar, a notification title (for example, Contract signed, New application), a timestamp, and a short description of the event. Unread notifications are indicated by an orange dot to the left of the avatar.

To switch to your archived notifications, click the Inbox dropdown arrow at the top of the panel and select the archived view. This view stores all notifications you have previously archived and is useful for referencing past activity.

How to Access Notifications

Click the bell icon in the top-right corner of the navigation bar.
The Notifications inbox panel drops down showing your recent alerts.
Click any notification to navigate directly to the relevant record.
Click outside the panel or press Escape to close it.

Managing Notifications

The three-dot menu (···) in the panel header provides three bulk options:

Mark all as read - Clears the unread indicator from all notifications.
Archive all - Moves all notifications to the archived view.
Archive read - Archives only notifications you've already read, keeping unread ones visible.

Individual notifications can be clicked to navigate directly to the relevant item (for example, a gig application or signed contract).

Per-notification actions

When you hover over an individual notification, two action icons appear in its top-right corner:

Mark as read (checkmark icon) — Marks that single notification as read without affecting others.
Archive (inbox icon) — Moves that single notification to the archived view.

These per-item controls let you manage notifications one at a time without using bulk actions. Archiving a single notification does not delete it; it moves to the archived view and can be retrieved at any time.

Individual notifications can also be clicked to navigate directly to the relevant item (for example, a service request or signed contract).

Types of Notifications You May Receive

Contract signed - a service or gig contract was executed.
New application - an expert applied to your gig or quick task.
Service request update - a status change occurred on a service request you are involved in.
Gig or Quick Task status change - a posting moved to a new stage.
Activity updates, member invitations, and other platform events.

How to Manage Notification Settings

Open the Notifications panel by clicking the bell icon.
Click the gear icon (⚙) in the upper-right corner of the panel.
The Notification Preferences panel opens with four expandable categories. Adjust each one based on your preferences.
Changes are saved automatically as soon as a toggle is switched.

Notification Preferences Reference

The settings panel contains four categories, each with an In-App toggle:

Global Preferences - Master on/off switch for all in-app notifications. Turning this off disables all alerts regardless of the settings below.
Gigs - Notifications related to gig postings, applications, and status changes.
Services - Notifications for service requests, updates, and contract activity on your listed services.
Quick Tasks - Notifications for quick task assignments and status changes.

Tip for experts: If you offer multiple engagement types but want to reduce noise, you can disable specific categories (e.g., Quick Tasks) while keeping Services and Gigs active. The Global Preferences toggle overrides all categories. Only turn it off if you want to pause all notifications entirely.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I have unread notifications?

An orange dot or count badge appears on the bell icon in the top navigation when there are unread notifications.

What is the difference between archiving and deleting a notification?

Archiving moves a notification to the archived view, where it remains accessible indefinitely. There is no delete function. Archiving is the way to clear your inbox while preserving history.

Can I retrieve a notification I accidentally archived?

Yes. Click the Inbox dropdown arrow at the top of the panel, switch to the archived view, and locate the notification there.

Troubleshooting

The bell icon shows a badge but I do not see new notifications in the panel.

Refresh the page and reopen the panel. The badge count may not clear until you open the panel and the unread items are loaded.

I missed a notification for a new service request.

Notifications can occasionally be missed if the panel isn't checked promptly. As a backup, go to the Requests section in the left sidebar of the Expert Portal. This page lists all incoming service requests independent of the notification system. It is good practice to check Requests regularly, regardless of your notification status.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Notifications

Use Mark all as read after a regular review session to keep your inbox clean and ensure new notifications are easy to spot.
Click directly on a notification to jump straight to the relevant record without navigating manually.
Use Archive read periodically to declutter the inbox while preserving a history of older notifications in the archived view.