Custom message for Parents on Dashboard

Overview

Display label: Custom message for Parents on Dashboard

Setting ID: Custom_Message_For_Parents_On_Dashboard

Location: Main Settings > General Settings > Dashboard Settings > Dashboard Info Messages

What This Setting Does

This setting holds the actual text of the announcement banner shown on the dashboard for Parent portal users. It is a rich text field, so the wording can include basic formatting such as bold text, colors, and links.

Where It Is Used

The text is displayed automatically on the dashboard home page for portal users with the Parent role, but only while Enable Custom message for Parents on Dashboard (Enable_Custom_Message_For_Parents_On_Dashboard in Dashboard Settings > Dashboard Info Messages) is turned on. The text itself is entered from Main Settings > General Settings > Dashboard Settings > Dashboard Info Messages.

Business Logic / Behavior

• The text is only shown when the paired Enable Custom message for Parents on Dashboard (Enable_Custom_Message_For_Parents_On_Dashboard in Dashboard Settings > Dashboard Info Messages) toggle is on; otherwise it stays saved but hidden.
• The field supports rich text formatting, including bold, italics, colored text, hyperlinks, and lists.
• The field is empty by default; if the toggle is on but the text is empty, the banner box appears with no content.
• This message is independent from the ones shown to staff, Teachers, and students; each user type has its own separate text.
• Changes to the text take effect the next time a Parent opens their dashboard, without needing to log out first.

Example(s)

Alpha Institute’s front office enters the following text into this setting: “Annual Results have been published. Please check them from the Mark Results menu”. With Enable Custom message for Parents on Dashboard turned on, every Parent who logs in during that period sees this reminder in a highlighted box on their dashboard.

When to Use

Use this field whenever you need to communicate a standard message/instructions or a temporary notice to parents and guardians, such as an event reminder, a policy update, or a scheduled system change. Update the wording as circumstances change; clear it once the announcement is no longer needed so an old message is not left saved for the next time the toggle is turned on.

Notes

Prerequisites: none, though the text only becomes visible to parents once Enable Custom message for Parents on Dashboard is turned on.

• Related settings: Enable Custom message for Parents on Dashboard (Enable_Custom_Message_For_Parents_On_Dashboard in Dashboard Settings > Dashboard Info Messages)

K-12 vs Higher Education: behaves the same regardless of institution type.