---
title: How Does a Typical Push Notification System Work?
description: Explore the architecture of a typical push notification system.
image: 'https://assets.bytebytego.com/diagrams/0042-design-a-notification-push-system.png'
createdAt: '2024-02-24'
draft: false
categories:
  - real-world-case-studies
tags:
  - System Design
  - Notifications
---

![](https://assets.bytebytego.com/diagrams/0042-design-a-notification-push-system.png)

The diagram above shows the architecture of a notification system that covers major notification channels:

*   **In-App notifications**
*   **Email notifications**
*   **SMS and OTP notifications**
*   **Social media pushes**

Let’s walk through the steps.

*   Steps 1.1 and 1.2 - The business services send notifications to the notification gateway. The gateway can handle two modes: one mode receives one notification each time, and the other receives notifications in batches.
*   Steps 2, 2.1, and 2.2 - The notification gateway forwards the notifications to the distribution service, where the messages are validated, formatted, and scheduled based on settings. The notification template repository allows users to pre-define the message format. The channel preference repository allows users to pre-define the preferred delivery channels.
*   Step 3 - The notifications are then sent to the routers, normally message queues.
*   Step 4 - The channel services communicate with various internal and external delivery channels, including in-app notifications, email delivery, SMS delivery, and social media apps.
*   Steps 5 and 6 - The delivery metrics are captured by the notification tracking and analytics service, where the operations team can view the analytical reports and improve user experiences.