Send Push Notifications

This guide explains how to set up Firebase credentials, compose push notifications, and send them to your app's users directly from the OpenLynk dashboard.

Prerequisites

• An OpenLynk app with the SDK integrated in your mobile app
• A Firebase project with Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) enabled
• The OpenLynk SDK configured to handle push notifications in your app (see Set Up Push Notifications)

Upload Firebase Credentials

Before you can send push notifications, you need to upload your Firebase service account credentials to OpenLynk.

1. Go to the Firebase Console and select your project.
2. Navigate to Project Settings → Service accounts.
3. Click Generate new private key.
4. Confirm and download the JSON file.
5. In the OpenLynk dashboard, go to your app's Settings.
6. Under Firebase Credentials, click Upload and select the downloaded JSON file.
7. Click Save.

warning

The Firebase service account JSON file contains sensitive credentials. Do not commit it to version control or share it publicly. OpenLynk stores it securely and uses it only to send notifications on your behalf.

Test the Firebase Connection

After uploading credentials, verify the connection is working:

1. Go to your app's Settings → Firebase Credentials.
2. Click Test Connection.
3. A success message confirms that OpenLynk can communicate with Firebase Cloud Messaging.

If the test fails, verify that:

• The JSON file is a valid Firebase service account key (not a web API key).
• FCM is enabled in your Firebase project.
• The service account has the required permissions.

Send a Push Notification

1. Open the Push Notifications page in the dashboard.
2. Select the app you want to send a notification for.
3. Compose your notification:

Field	Required	Description
Title	Yes	The notification title displayed to the user
Body	Yes	The notification message content
Destination Path	No	A deep link path (e.g., /promo/spring-sale) that opens when the user taps the notification
Additional Data	No	Custom key-value pairs passed to your app

4. Choose your target audience:
   • All Devices — send to all registered devices
   • iOS Only — send only to iOS devices
   • Android Only — send only to Android devices
5. Click Send.

tip

Including a destination path turns your push notification into a deep link notification. When the user taps it, the app opens and navigates directly to the specified path. This is a powerful way to drive engagement with specific content.

View Delivery and Open Statistics

After sending a notification, you can track its performance:

1. Go to the Push Notifications page.
2. View the notification history list.
3. Each notification shows:
   • Total sent count
   • Delivery count and rate
   • Open count and rate

note

Delivery and open statistics may take a few minutes to fully populate after sending a notification.

Verification

After completing setup, confirm the following:

• Firebase credentials are uploaded and the test connection succeeds.
• A test notification is received on a physical device with your app installed.
• Tapping a notification with a destination path navigates to the correct screen in your app.
• Delivery and open statistics appear on the Push Notifications page.

What's Next

• Set Up Push Notifications (SDK) — integrate push notification handling in your mobile app.
• View Analytics — track push notification performance alongside link analytics.
• Create and Manage Links — create deep links to use as notification destinations.