Available to: Company Admins only. The Notification Center is rolling out in stages, so it may not be turned on for your company yet. Users with the User or Staff role do not have the Notification Center.
The Notification Center is your in-app inbox in Patriot Software. Important messages about your account and payroll show up in the Notification Center, so you can find them in one place instead of searching your email. You still get your usual emails from Patriot. The Notification Center adds an in-app copy and does not replace your emails.
You can open the Notification Center from the bell icon in the top navigation bar.
Use the notification bell
The notification bell sits in the top navigation bar of Patriot Software. A badge on the bell shows how many unread messages you have, up to 99+. The bell shows messages for the company you're currently working in only.
Open and close the notification bell
Click the bell icon in the top navigation bar.
Review your messages. The bell opens on the Unread tab if you have unread messages, or on the All tab if you don't.
Click anywhere outside the bell to close it.
The notification bell has two tabs:
Unread (N): Shows your unread messages. The number in parentheses is your unread count.
All: Shows your recent messages, both read and unread.
Each tab shows your 5 newest messages. To see older messages, click View all messages → at the bottom of the bell to open your Inbox.
What each message in the notification bell shows
Each message in the notification bell includes:
A colored icon
A title
The date and time
A short summary
A link, on some messages (for example, View payroll register →)
Unread messages are shaded so you can spot them quickly. New messages appear on the bell right away, without refreshing the page.
Mark notification bell messages as read
To mark one message as read from the notification bell:
Click the bell icon in the top navigation bar.
Click an unread message, or click the link underneath it.
To mark all messages as read from the notification bell:
Click the bell icon in the top navigation bar.
Click Mark all read at the top of the bell, next to the "N new" label. The Mark all read link appears only when you have unread messages.
When you read a message on one device or browser tab, the message shows as read everywhere else you're logged in.
Use the Inbox
The Inbox is the full-page view of the Notification Center. The Inbox shows all of your messages, not just the 5 newest. To open the Inbox, click the bell icon in the top navigation bar, then click View all messages →. The page is titled Inbox, with the subtitle "All messages sent to your account."
The Inbox has two panes:
Left pane: Your list of messages
Right pane: The message you select
On a narrow screen, such as a phone or a small browser window, the two Inbox panes stack into one column.
Search and filter Inbox messages
To find a message in the Inbox:
Click the bell icon in the top navigation bar, then click View all messages →.
Type a word or phrase in the Search messages... box. Inbox results update as you type.
Use the All and Unread (N) pills above the message list to switch between all messages and unread messages only.
Use ← Prev and Next → to move between pages. The Inbox shows 10 messages per page, and a label such as "1–10 of 14 messages" shows where you are in the list.
View Inbox messages for more than one company
If you're an Admin for more than one company, the Inbox also shows This company and All companies pills. The Inbox starts on This company, which shows messages for the company you're currently working in.
To see messages from every company you manage:
Click the bell icon in the top navigation bar, then click View all messages →.
Click the All companies pill. Each message then shows which company the message belongs to.
Note: The notification bell always shows messages for the current company only. Use the Inbox All companies pill to see messages for all of your companies in one list.
Read an Inbox message
Click the bell icon in the top navigation bar, then click View all messages →.
Select a message in the left pane. The full message opens in the right pane, and the Inbox marks the message as read.
Each message in the Inbox list shows:
An importance label (such as Important or High)
The date
The title
A short preview
When you open an Inbox message, the right pane shows the full message, the date and time, and how Patriot sent the message (for example, Email or In-app). Messages that started as emails show the original email content. Links in a message, such as Download spreadsheet, open in a new browser tab.
Mark Inbox messages as read or unread
To change the status of one Inbox message:
Click the bell icon in the top navigation bar, then click View all messages →.
Select the message.
Click Mark as read or Mark as unread at the top of the open message. Marking a message unread is a good way to remind yourself to come back to it later.
To mark all Inbox messages as read:
Click the bell icon in the top navigation bar, then click View all messages →.
Click Mark all read at the top of the Inbox. The Mark all read button is available only when you have unread messages.
Note: If you have This company selected, Mark all read marks only the current company's messages as read. Select All companies first to mark messages for every company as read.
Messages you can receive in the Notification Center
Each Notification Center message goes only to the person it relates to, not to everyone in the company. The table below lists the messages that currently appear in the Notification Center.
Message | What the message tells you | Who receives the message |
Payroll posted | Your payroll has been posted. Includes the pay date and a View payroll register link. | The Admin who approved the payroll |
Payroll posting failed | Patriot couldn't finish posting your payroll. Includes a Return to payroll link. Marked as high importance. | The Admin who approved the payroll (or, if no one approved the payroll, the Admin who started it) |
W-2 summary spreadsheet ready | The Employee W-2 Summary spreadsheet you requested is ready. Includes a Download spreadsheet link. | The Admin who requested the spreadsheet |
W-2 summary spreadsheet failed | Patriot couldn't build the Employee W-2 Summary spreadsheet. Includes a Return to W-2 & W-3 Reports link. Marked as high importance. | The Admin who requested the spreadsheet |
AI agent connected | Someone connected an AI agent to your company account. The AI agent can't do anything until an Admin gives the agent permissions in Manage Users. Includes a Manage Users → link. | All company Admins except the person who connected the AI agent |
You connected an AI agent | Confirms that you connected an AI agent. Includes a Manage Users → link. | The person who connected the AI agent |
Some account emails from Patriot, such as banking and account notices, may also have a copy in your Inbox.
Notification Center FAQs
Why don't I see the notification bell?
The Notification Center is being turned on gradually, starting with company Admins. If you don't see the notification bell, the Notification Center isn't turned on for your company or user account yet. The Notification Center is available to Admins only, so users with the User or Staff role won't see the bell. If you go to the Inbox page directly without access, Patriot takes you to the home page.
Why do I see the notification bell in one company but not another?
Notification Center availability is set per company. If you work in more than one company, the notification bell can be on in one company and not yet on in another.
Do I still get emails from Patriot if I use the Notification Center?
Yes, you still get emails from Patriot. The Notification Center adds an in-app copy of certain messages and doesn't replace your emails.
Can I choose which Notification Center messages I get?
No. Notification preferences aren't available in the Notification Center at this time.
Can I delete or archive Notification Center messages?
No. You can't delete or archive messages in the Notification Center at this time. Messages stay in your Inbox.
What does "Notifications are unavailable right now." mean?
The notification bell shows "Notifications are unavailable right now." when the bell can't load your messages. Refresh the page to try again.
What does "We couldn't load this message right now." mean?
Inbox messages that started as emails load when you open them. If an Inbox message shows "We couldn't load this message right now.", select Try again. If the message still won't load, contact Patriot Support.
What does "This message was not delivered — it was suppressed by your notification preferences." mean?
This note appears on an Inbox message when Patriot didn't send the original email to you because of a notification preference setting. You can still read the full message in your Inbox.
Who sees Admin-only Notification Center messages?
Only company Admins receive Admin-only messages in the Notification Center. Other users on the account don't receive Admin-only messages.