Overview
What is Ellis for Smart Notifications?
Smart Notifications is an automated order-update system. It sends shoppers branded emails at each stage of the order: shipping and transit, delays and exceptions, and post-delivery. Ellis analyzes your store, sets up every email and event, and sends each shopper the right update at the right time.
Why opt in to Ellis for Smart Notifications?
Fewer support requests: Shoppers know where their order is without contacting your team.
Consistent branding: Every email matches your store's branding, tone, and fonts.
No manual setup: Ellis sets up triggers based on each order's progress.
Repeat purchases: Store links and product recommendations bring shoppers back to your store.
How does Ellis for Smart Notifications work?
Recommendation: Review the Smart Notifications recommendation on the Ellis recommendations page.
Configuration: Turn on Ellis for Smart Notifications on the configuration page.
Setup: Paste your website URL. Ellis applies your branding and sets up emails and events. Save and send a test email.
Go live: Ellis sends notifications automatically for every order.
Before you begin
Your store's main website URL, for example https://yourstore.com. Don't use a product or checkout page.
For Native Delivery: access to your domain host so you can add DNS records.
For Klaviyo or Omnisend: your API key, or an account you can authorize.
Step 1: Review the Ellis recommendation
What: Ellis shows the Smart Notifications recommendation as a card on the Ellis recommendations page.
Why: You can see what Ellis found and what it will do before you approve it.
How
Open the Ellis recommendations page, and select the Notifications tab. [CONFIRM: the source says the Tracking tab]
On the Smart Notifications recommendation, select Review. A modal opens with:
Status and area: For example, Pending · Notifications.
What Ellis noticed: What Ellis found in your store.
Why it matters: The impact on your shoppers.
What you do: The action required from you.
What Ellis does: What Ellis automates after you act.
What to expect: The result after the recommendation is applied.
Confidence: How confident Ellis is, for example 90% High.
Select Open notification to continue, or select Reject to dismiss the recommendation.
What happens next: Turn on Ellis on the configuration page.
Step 2: Turn on Ellis on the configuration page
What: The configuration page is where you turn on Ellis for Smart Notifications.
Why: Ellis must be on before it can analyze your store and send notifications.
How
Go to Order Tracking Configurations. Turn on Ellis for Smart Notifications. The panel shows two lists:
Needs your input: Items that need your action.
Ellis handles: Processes Ellis automates.
What happens next: Gets redirected to Smart Notifications set up page to complete setup.
Step 3: Complete setup on the Smart Notifications screen
3.1 Analyze your store
On the Smart Notifications screen, paste your store's website URL.
Select Start Setup.
While Ellis scans your website, it shows a progress message, for example Ellis is getting your saved look ready… Ellis extracts:
Branding: Logo, brand colors, header navigation, product recommendations, and social links
Tone: The writing style on your website, applied to your email text
Fonts: The fonts on your website, applied to your email layouts
3.2 Review the email layout
Ellis applies your branding, tone, and fonts to one layout used for every notification. Review each part in the live editor.
Header & Logo: Ellis sets up your logo, banner, and header styling. You can adjust the logo placement, banner alignment, or header styling.
Store Menu: Ellis adds the navigation links from your website menu. You can add, remove, or change the links.
Product Recommendations: Ellis adds product picks to the email footer. You can choose dynamic or curated picks.
Footer & Social Links: Ellis adds social media icons, legal notices, and store contact details. You can update any of them.
3.3 Review the events
Events are the shipment updates that trigger each email. Ellis checks each shipment's actual progress, so shoppers get updates that fit their order. To preview an event's email, select the event. The email opens in the side-drawer preview panel.
Shipping & Transit Statuses: Milestone updates, out-for-delivery notices, and delivery confirmations. Example: a shopper gets an Out for delivery email on the morning the package arrives.
Delays & Exceptions: Emails about carrier delays, weather holds, and address issues. Example: a storm holds a shipment, and the shopper is told before they contact support.
Post-Delivery Engagement: Delivery feedback requests, review requests, and post-purchase offers. Example: a few days after delivery, the shopper gets a review request.
3.4 Edit an email
Select an event to open its email in the side-drawer preview panel.
Edit the body text, hero message, or call-to-action buttons.
Insert merge tags to personalize the message:
{{customer_name}}: The shopper's full name
{{first_name}}: The shopper's first name
{{order_id}}: The order number
{{tracking_num}}: The tracking number
{{tracking_url}}: The tracking page link
Example: Hi {{first_name}}, your order {{order_id}} is on its way. is sent as Hi Maria, your order 1437 is on its way.
3.5 Choose a notification channel
In Send Customer Emails Via, select how emails reach shoppers.
Native Delivery
LateShipment sends emails from your own domain. A verified domain improves inbox placement and protects your sender reputation.
Select Native Delivery.
Enter your custom sending domain.
Copy the DKIM and SPF DNS records, and add them at your domain host.
Select Verify Domain.
After the domain is verified, emails are sent from your domain.
Note: If you change your sending domain later, you're asked to confirm: Are you sure? Changing your domain will require re-verification. Domain verification is paused until the new DNS records are authenticated.
Klaviyo or Omnisend
LateShipment sends shipment events to Klaviyo or Omnisend, and the flows you've built there send the emails. This lets you keep your existing flows and templates.
Select External Platform, or go to Integrations in your account settings.
Find Klaviyo or Omnisend, and select Integrate.
Paste your API key, or complete the authorization flow.
Shipment updates are sent to Klaviyo or Omnisend as custom events in real time. Example: a Delivered event in Klaviyo triggers your review-request flow.
3.6 Send out test email
Select Send test email, and enter your email address.
In the test email, check that:
The layout displays correctly on desktop and mobile.
Your logo, colors, fonts, and links are correct.
Merge tags are replaced with order details.
What happens next: Ellis starts sending notifications automatically.
Step 4: Ellis goes live
What: Smart Notifications runs automatically for every order.
Why: Your team doesn't need to trigger or manage individual notifications.
As each order moves along, Ellis tracks the shipment and sends the matching email:
Shipping & transit: The shopper gets milestone, out-for-delivery, and delivery updates.
Delays & exceptions: If an issue occurs, the shopper is told automatically.
Post-delivery: Ellis schedules feedback requests, review requests, and offers.
Manage Smart Notifications
Pause or resume
Use the main toggle at the top of the Smart Notifications dashboard. This pauses sending; Ellis stays on in Order Tracking Configurations.
To pause: Switch the toggle to Off, and confirm. The banner shows All AI features disabled successfully. Notifications stop sending.
To resume: Switch the toggle to On. Your brand styling, domain settings, and event setup are restored right away. The banner shows All AI features enabled successfully.
Need help?
Contact support@lateshipment.com, or submit a ticket from the Help Center tab in your dashboard.
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