Strapi Extension Setup

Notificator for Strapi turns successful Strapi content operations into readable alerts. Administrators choose the content type, action, message, severity, and delivery channels from the Strapi admin panel instead of writing lifecycle code for every model.

What the extension watches

Rules can watch application collection types and single types. Strapi admin, plugin, and other internal models are intentionally excluded.

Action	When the rule runs
Entry created	A new document is created successfully
Entry updated	An existing document is changed successfully
Entry published	A draft is published
Entry unpublished	Published content returns to draft
Entry deleted	A document is deleted

Delivery happens after Strapi completes the content operation. A notification failure is logged but does not roll back content that was already saved.

Delivery channels

Channel	API key required?	Result
Strapi activity log	No	Keeps up to 100 recent matches locally and can show a Strapi admin toast.
Notificator inbox	Yes	Stores the accepted alert in the user’s Notificator account.
Mobile push	Yes	Sends a push through the Notificator mobile app.
Email	Yes	Uses the email-alert preference configured in the mobile app.
MQTT	Yes	Sends to compatible devices through the user’s HiveMQ Cloud cluster.

The Notificator inbox is always included when a rule uses remote delivery. Push, email, and MQTT are optional additions. The local Strapi activity log is independent and continues to work when the remote service is disabled or unavailable.

Requirements

Strapi 5.51.2 or newer within the Strapi 5 release line
A Node.js version supported by the installed Strapi release
A Notificator server API key for inbox, push, email, or MQTT
A HiveMQ Cloud cluster only when MQTT delivery is required

New Strapi projects need at least one application content type before a rule can be created.

Install the extension

From the Strapi application directory, run:

npm install @notificator-project/strapi-extension

The npm latest tag currently resolves to 0.1.1. See the 0.1.1 release notes for the API-key documentation improvements included in this patch.

Add the extension to config/plugins.ts:

export default ({ env }) => ({
  notificator: {
    enabled: true,
    config: {
      enabled: env.bool('NOTIFICATOR_ENABLED', true),
      apiKey: env('NOTIFICATOR_API_KEY', ''),
      origin: env('PUBLIC_URL', ''),
      requestTimeoutMs: env.int('NOTIFICATOR_TIMEOUT_MS', 8000),
      mqtt: {
        enabled: env.bool('NOTIFICATOR_MQTT_ENABLED', false),
        host: env('NOTIFICATOR_MQTT_HOST', ''),
        username: env('NOTIFICATOR_MQTT_USERNAME', ''),
        password: env('NOTIFICATOR_MQTT_PASSWORD', ''),
        topicPrefix: env(
          'NOTIFICATOR_MQTT_TOPIC_PREFIX',
          'notificator-project'
        ),
      },
    },
  },
});

Restart Strapi after installing the extension or changing environment values. The Notificator entry should then appear in the admin navigation.

Choose local-only or connected setup

Local Strapi activity only

No Notificator account, API key, or environment variable is required. Install the extension, create a rule, enable Strapi activity log, and leave its remote delivery choices off.

The activity feed is stored in Strapi’s plugin store and retains the 100 newest matches. Administrators with the extension’s manage permission can clear it. Admin toasts are checked while the Strapi panel is open and can take up to 15 seconds to appear.

Inbox, push, email, or MQTT

Create a separate API key for each Strapi environment:

Open the Notificator mobile app.
Go to Account → API Keys → Create API Key.
Give the key a name such as strapi-production.
Select Strapi Extension (strapi_server). An internal_service key is also supported; do not use a public_client key.
Copy the key immediately and store it in the Strapi server environment.

Add the smallest connected configuration to .env:

NOTIFICATOR_ENABLED=true
NOTIFICATOR_API_KEY=wpnotif_replace_with_your_key
PUBLIC_URL=https://cms.example.com

Never put the API key in browser-side admin code, source control, a container image, or a public deployment variable.

Environment-variable reference

Variable	Required	Default	Purpose
`NOTIFICATOR_ENABLED`	No	`true`	Enables remote delivery. Local Strapi activity remains available when this is false.
`NOTIFICATOR_API_KEY`	For remote delivery	Empty	Secret server key created in the Notificator mobile app.
`PUBLIC_URL`	Recommended for remote delivery	Empty	Public origin of the Strapi application, such as `https://cms.example.com`.
`NOTIFICATOR_TIMEOUT_MS`	No	`8000`	Remote timeout in milliseconds. Accepted range: `1000` to `30000`.
`NOTIFICATOR_MQTT_ENABLED`	No	`false`	Makes the configured HiveMQ connection available to MQTT rules.
`NOTIFICATOR_MQTT_HOST`	When MQTT is enabled	Empty	HiveMQ Cloud hostname without protocol, port, or path.
`NOTIFICATOR_MQTT_USERNAME`	When MQTT is enabled	Empty	Publisher username created for the HiveMQ Cloud cluster.
`NOTIFICATOR_MQTT_PASSWORD`	When MQTT is enabled	Empty	Secret password for that HiveMQ credential.
`NOTIFICATOR_MQTT_TOPIC_PREFIX`	When MQTT is enabled	`notificator-project`	Topic namespace shared with the intended devices.

Production delivery always uses the official Notificator server endpoint. The endpoint is controlled by the project and is not a user setting. A development build can use NOTIFICATOR_DEV_ENDPOINT only while NODE_ENV=development; production ignores it.

Configure MQTT delivery

Notificator does not provide a shared MQTT broker. The current extension supports a user-owned HiveMQ Cloud cluster.

Add the publisher connection to .env:

NOTIFICATOR_MQTT_ENABLED=true
NOTIFICATOR_MQTT_HOST=your-cluster.s1.eu.hivemq.cloud
NOTIFICATOR_MQTT_USERNAME=your-strapi-publisher
NOTIFICATOR_MQTT_PASSWORD=replace-with-your-password
NOTIFICATOR_MQTT_TOPIC_PREFIX=notificator-project

Use only the hostname. Secure WebSockets use fixed port 8884 and path /mqtt. The Strapi publisher, mobile app, and target devices must use the same cluster and topic prefix. Separate publisher and device credentials are recommended.

The MQTT password remains in the Strapi server environment. It is attached to the signed HTTPS delivery request only when an MQTT rule runs, and the Notificator API does not persist it in its database. An incomplete MQTT setup skips MQTT without blocking the inbox, push, email, or local activity.

Continue with MQTT Broker Setup for the HiveMQ cluster and device steps.

Confirm the connection

Open Notificator in Strapi admin.
Confirm the API connection says Configured when remote delivery is required.
Select Test connection.
Check the Notificator inbox and the current phone for the connection test.
If MQTT is enabled, confirm its card reports the expected hostname and topic prefix.

The connection test is disabled until an API key is available. It tests signed API and push delivery; it is not required for local-only rules.

Create a rule

Open Notificator in the Strapi admin navigation.
Find Add a notification rule below the connection summary.
Enter a private rule name that explains its purpose.
Choose an application content type.
Choose created, updated, published, unpublished, or deleted.
Write the notification title and message.
Choose Information, Warning, or Critical severity.
Enable Strapi activity log and any remote channels you need.
Select Add rule and ensure the saved rule is enabled.
Perform the selected action on a matching entry.

Saving, editing, enabling, disabling, and deleting rules shows a confirmation or error notice in the editor. Notices dismiss automatically after a short delay. Removing a rule requires confirmation.

Use template values

Titles and messages can include safe values from the matching event:

Template	Meaning
`{{model.displayName}}`	Human-readable content type name
`{{model.uid}}`	Strapi content type UID
`{{event.name}}`	Raw event name, such as `publish`
`{{event.label}}`	Readable event text, such as `published`
`{{entry.title}}`	Public scalar field named `title`
`{{entry.documentId}}`	Strapi document identifier when available
`{{actor.name}}`	Name of the user who triggered the operation
`{{actor.email}}`	Actor email when available
`{{actor.username}}`	Actor username when available
`{{actor.id}}`	Actor or API credential identifier
`{{actor.type}}`	`admin`, `authenticated`, `api`, `anonymous`, or `system`

Other public scalar fields use {{entry.fieldName}}, for example {{entry.slug}}, {{entry.status}}, or {{entry.price}}. Missing values become an empty string.

Example:

Rule name: Article published
Title: {{model.displayName}} {{event.label}}
Message: {{entry.title}} was published by {{actor.name}}.

Relations, components, media, passwords, private attributes, methods, inherited properties, and other complex values are not available to templates.

Assign admin permissions

The extension registers two Strapi admin permissions:

Read allows an administrator to open Notificator and view its state.
Manage settings allows rules and local activity to be changed.

Super Admin users have normal unrestricted access. Assign both permissions to a custom admin role that should manage rules.

External request and privacy notes

Local-only rules do not contact Notificator. Remote rules send a signed request to https://wpnotif.notificator-project.com after the selected Strapi action succeeds. The request can contain the notification text, selected channels, content type, event name, public scalar entry values, timestamp, public Strapi origin, and MQTT connection details only when MQTT is requested.

API keys and broker credentials are server-only and are never returned through the extension’s admin API. Requests are protected with HMAC-SHA256, a timestamp, and a unique nonce. Avoid inserting unnecessary personal or sensitive content into notification templates. See the Notificator privacy policy.

Troubleshooting

No content types appear

Create at least one collection type or single type in Content-Type Builder. Only application models whose UID begins with api:: are listed. Restart Strapi when Content-Type Builder asks you to do so.

Test connection is disabled

Confirm NOTIFICATOR_API_KEY is available to the running Strapi server and restart Strapi. Credentials are not entered in the admin page.

Local activity works but remote delivery does not

Confirm the API card says Configured.
Use Test connection.
Check the Strapi server log.
Confirm the rule’s remote choices are enabled.
Check push and email preferences in the mobile app.

A Strapi toast does not appear immediately

Keep the Strapi admin application open and allow up to 15 seconds. The event can still appear in the local activity feed if the toast was missed while the admin panel was closed.

MQTT is skipped

Confirm all HiveMQ variables, the API key, and the rule’s MQTT choice. The hostname must end in .hivemq.cloud and must not include https://, a port, or /mqtt.

A rule does not run

Confirm the rule and selected content type are enabled.
Confirm the action matches exactly, especially update versus publish.
Perform a successful operation; failed content writes do not create alerts.
Check the Strapi server log and the extension’s activity feed.

Update or remove the extension

Review preview release notes before updating:

npm install @notificator-project/strapi-extension@latest

To remove it, uninstall the package, remove the notificator block from config/plugins.ts, and restart Strapi:

npm uninstall @notificator-project/strapi-extension

Project links

Notificator is an independent open-source project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Strapi Solutions SAS or HiveMQ GmbH.