# Your first notification

Start with the outpost console open. This tutorial watches a work
mailbox's Clients folder and sends notifications through Bark.
You will verify the complete flow with a new email.

## 1. Create an administrator

On first launch, find the setup code in
`docker compose logs --tail=50 core`, enter it in the
console, and create a password of at least 12 characters. If setup
is complete, sign in with your existing administrator password.

**Check the result**: the setup wizard or overview
opens. You can configure mailboxes and notifications separately.

## 2. Add a mailbox

Open **Mailboxes → Add mailbox** and enter the
connection settings:

- **Label**: for example, Work mailbox. It appears in
  the console and notification titles.
- **IMAP host**: use the address from your email
  provider's IMAP settings.
- **Port**: usually `993`, using TLS.
- **Username**: usually your complete email address.
- **Password**: use a provider-issued app password or
  authorization code where required.

Test the connection and save. Gmail uses
`imap.gmail.com` on `993`; app-password
availability depends on account and organization policy. See
[Google's instructions](https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185833?hl=en). For other providers, use their published IMAP settings.

**Check the result**: the mailbox appears in the
sidebar and you can open it and scan folders. For authentication
errors, check that IMAP is enabled, the username is complete, and
the app password is valid.

## 3. Choose folders to watch

Open the mailbox, choose **Scan folders → Start scan**,
and select the folders that need notifications. If a server-side
rule moves customer messages to Clients, select Clients.

- **Realtime**: for folders that need prompt
  notifications.
- **Every 5 minutes / Every 15 minutes**: for receipts
  or newsletters you can check later.

Choose **Next**, review the selection, and save. The
connection budget shows usage; switch some folders to scheduled
checks if you reach the limit.

![Choose folders and check methods](/images/core/folders.en.jpg)

**Check the result**: Monitoring status lists your
selected folders as monitoring, with a last-check time. New
subscriptions establish a starting point at the current mailbox
position, so existing messages are skipped.

## 4. Set up Bark notifications

Enable system notifications for Bark on your phone and find its push
URL. For a URL such as
`https://api.day.app/your-device-key`, select Bark under
**Notifications** in the outpost:

- Set **Endpoint** to `https://api.day.app`,
  or your own HTTPS Bark server address.
- Enter just the device-key portion in
  **Bark device key**.
- Choose whether to show email subjects. With previews off,
  notifications use a generic new-mail message.

Save, choose **Send test notification**, and check your
phone.

**Check the result**: the outpost reports that the
notification service accepted the request, and the phone shows a
test notification. Acceptance records the service response; device
display also depends on notification permissions, focus modes and
channel status.

For Pushover, enter an application Token and User Key. For Webhook,
enter an HTTPS receiver URL and signing secret. See the
[notification reference](notifications.md)
for fields and signatures.

## 5. Verify with a new email

1. Keep the outpost running and confirm Clients is monitoring.
2. Send a new email from another mailbox, allowing your server-side
   rule to move it into Clients.
3. Confirm the message is in Clients using webmail or your usual
   email client.
4. Find its entry under **Deliveries** in the outpost, then
   check the phone notification.

**Check the result**: the notification identifies the
mailbox and folder. When subject previews are enabled, it also shows
the test subject. Continue reading and replying in your existing
email client.

![Overview and recent deliveries](/images/core/overview.en.jpg)

Use a new email for the test. Moving mail received more than 24
hours ago advances monitoring progress without generating a
notification. A message appearing in two subscribed folders can
generate two folder notifications.

## 6. Find where delivery stops

- **The test notification also fails**: check channel
  credentials, connectivity from the outpost to the service, and phone
  notification permissions.
- **The test succeeds but new mail has no record**:
  confirm the rule's destination folder is subscribed and check
  its status and last-check time. Allow the selected interval for
  scheduled folders.
- **Delivery is marked failed**: read the reason,
  correct the channel settings, and retry manually. Automatic
  retries default to 0 and can be configured in Notifications.
- **The mailbox needs authentication**: update its app
  password under Mailbox settings.

Finish by creating your first
[backup](backup.md). Console history records
notifications; original messages remain in your mailbox.