# Availability Request Notifications

Source: https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/setup/availability-request-notifications

> Notify the right person when a Support Worker submits an availability or leave request.

Scheduling add-on - This feature requires the Scheduling add-on, which is available on Astalty Premium. See How to enable Scheduling.

## Overview

Leave requests and availability requests in Astalty follow the same process. To ensure these requests are actioned, you can configure notifications so that the appropriate person or team is alerted whenever a Support Worker submits a request.

Notifications alert recipients; they do not grant permission to approve a request.

## Setting Up an Availability Request Notification

- From the left-hand menu, go to Notifications.
- Scroll down to the Scheduling Notifications section.
- Select [Unavailability Requests](https://app.astalty.com.au/notifications/unavailability-requests).
- Click Create Notification.

![The Unavailability Requests Notifications page with no notifications yet, and the Create Notification button at the top right highlighted with an arrow pointing to it.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/image4-1757994953.png)

- In the Text Box, enter the message you want included in the notification email.
- Choose who should receive the notification:
  - User Groups (e.g., a rostering team)
  - Individual Users (e.g., a manager)
- Select the Notification Method:
  - Within Astalty
  - Email
- Select at least one recipient and delivery method, then click **Add Notification** to save.

![The Create Unavailability Request Notification drawer with a message under Notification email content, Liam Bennett chosen under Users in Notification recipients, and both Within Astalty and Email ticked under Notification methods, above the Add Notification button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/image3-1757995019.png)

## Notifying the Requester's Team Leader

If your organisation uses [Teams](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/settings/users-settings/teams), you can route a notification to the requester's Team Leader instead of a fixed list of people. Each request then reaches only the person responsible for that staff member, rather than the same recipients for every request.

On the notification form, select **The requester's Team Leader**. The User Groups and Users you choose below become fallback recipients - they are only notified when the requester has no Team Leader who can approve the request, for example because the requester isn't on a Team, their Team has no Team Leader, or the Team Leader's account has been deactivated. If the Team Leader is a Manager, they also need **Access Scheduling Module** turned on (see [Roles & Permissions](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/users/roles-permissions)) to approve the request - without it, the fallback recipients are notified instead. Because the fallback can still be needed, you must keep at least one User Group or User selected while this option is on.

![The Update Unavailability Request Notification drawer with The requester's Team Leader ticked under Notification recipients, its note that the user groups and users below are notified instead when the requester has no team leader who can approve the request, and Admin and Manager in the User Groups field and Liam Bennett and Hannah Clarke in the Users field as fallback recipients.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/availability-request-notification-team-leader-recipient.png)

This option is off by default, and only appears for organisations using Teams. Existing notification rules keep working exactly as before unless you turn it on.

## Editing Availability (Team Members)

On desktop, open **Users**, select the person, then open **Unavailability**.

![A user's Unavailability page with numbered markers on Unavailability in the side menu and on the three-dot menu of a Pending Unavailability entry for Wed 04/11/2026.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/image2-1757995056.png)

Here you will see all existing leave requests.

To edit a request, click the three dots, make the necessary changes, and then select Update Unavailability (Update Leave for a leave request).

![The Update Unavailability drawer for a Once off, Single day Unavailable entry on 04/11/2026, with All day ticked and a Reason of Moving house, and the Update Unavailability button highlighted with an arrow pointing to it.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/image1-1757995064.png)

## Video Overview

The following video provides an overview of how to create availability notifications.

Video walkthrough: availability notifications.