---
title: Visitor Notifications
summary: Central area channels for every check-in (Teams, Slack, email) plus separate host arrival emails — and package delivery alerts on their own path.
lastReviewed: 2026-06-10
products:
  - visitor-management
status: published
---

# Visitor Notifications

Meeting Room 365 separates **who needs a live stream of lobby activity** from **who is being visited**. Configure both per kiosk on the [Visitors portal](https://visitors.meetingroom365.com) or in **Settings → Notifications** on the native iPad app.

## Two notification paths

| Path | Who it reaches | When it fires |
|------|----------------|---------------|
| **Area / central channels** | A shared **Teams channel**, **Slack channel**, or **area email** your facilities, reception, HR, or security team monitors | **Every** visitor check-in at that kiosk |
| **Host notification** | The **employee being visited** — direct email to the host resolved at check-in | When **their** guest finishes check-in |

Area channels are for **visibility** — a running log of arrivals for the lobby or building. Host notification is for **action** — telling one person their guest is here. They are intentionally separate; posting every arrival to a central channel does not replace pinging the host.

**Design principle:** area notifications always go to a **channel** (or shared inbox your team watches together) — never a private DM to random staff. Add facilities, receptionists, HR, security, or other appropriate people as **members of that Teams or Slack channel**, or as readers of a shared mailbox / distribution list. Host email is the one **individual** notification — and only to the person selected as host.

## Central notification channels (area stream)

Point each kiosk at the channels that should see **all** check-ins for that location — for example `#lobby-visitors` in Slack, a **Visitors** Teams channel, or `reception@company.com`.

| Channel | Setup |
|---------|--------|
| **Email** | **Contact email** on the kiosk — receives a message on every check-in. Use a shared inbox or distribution list your front-desk team monitors. |
| **Slack** | **Incoming webhook** URL tied to a **channel** (optional channel name for your records). Each check-in posts a short message to that channel. |
| **Microsoft Teams** | **Channel email address** (email-to-channel). Each check-in sends a message that appears in that Teams channel. |

Every message includes visitor and host context (who arrived, who they are visiting). This is the stream reception, facilities, or security staff watch — not a ping to the host's personal inbox.

Slack and Teams integrations are **channel posts only** — there is no Meeting Room 365 bot to install and no Slack DM workflow. They do not replace your chat platform's guest access or calling features. In-room video is [Meeting Room TV](../meeting-room-tv/index.md), a separate product.

## Host arrival notification

When **Notify host when a guest checks in** is enabled (native iPad **Settings → Notifications**, or equivalent kiosk setting), the **host** on the visit record receives a **direct email** — for example *"A Visitor is Waiting to See You"*.

- The host address comes from **directory lookup** or manual entry on the invite / walk-in form.
- This is a **one-to-one** email to the person being visited — separate from the area channel stream above.
- Host notification fires on **successful check-in**, not when an invite is merely created.
- You can disable host email while keeping area channels active — useful when reception owns the arrival stream and walks guests to hosts.

There is no Webex or Zoom join link in visitor alerts.

## Package delivery (separate button)

Package notifications are **intentionally separate** from both area channels and host alerts.

When configured, the kiosk splash screen shows a **Package Delivery** button. A courier or employee taps it, enters package details, and notifies the contacts you list — without going through a full visitor check-in flow.

| Setting | Purpose |
|---------|---------|
| **Package notification emails** | Recipients for delivery alerts |
| **Package SMS** | Optional text alerts for packages |

Package delivery can optionally capture a **security photo** on the kiosk tablet when that feature is enabled — the image **stays on the device**. This path is for **mailroom and front-desk routing**, not for visitor arrival streams or host paging.

## Guest-facing email workflows

Invited visitors receive automated emails independent of staff notification channels:

| Email | When it sends |
|-------|----------------|
| **Invitation** | Invite created — includes invite code, QR, **address and directions** (when configured), wallet links |
| **Pre-check-in** | Requirements exist and are not yet complete — link to web wizard |
| **Reminder** | Short interval before visit if requirements still incomplete |
| **Calendar invite (ICS)** | After requirements satisfied, or immediately when none required |
| **Agreement signed** | After NDA signature — signed PDF attached |
| **Sign-out** | After visit end time — one-tap sign-out link |
| **Cancellation** | Invite deleted — calendar cancel |

These emails use your **email logo**, **directions**, and **brand color** from kiosk settings. See [Customization](./customization.md).

## What Visitor Management does not notify

| Not applicable | Why |
|----------------|-----|
| **Webex / Zoom / Teams meeting join** | Visitor product handles lobby check-in, not conference-room video |
| **Manual join links** | No in-room join automation on visitor kiosks |
| **Room display booking** | Instant reserve and extend live on [room displays](../room-displays/booking-actions.md) |
| **Slack or Teams DMs** | Area notifications are **channel posts** — add staff to the channel, do not route arrivals as private messages |
| **Exchange calendar free/busy** | Visitor hosts are people in M365/Google directory, not Exchange room mailboxes |

## Supported / not supported

| Supported | Not supported |
|-----------|---------------|
| **Area channels:** contact email, Slack webhook (channel), Teams channel email — every check-in | Slack or Teams **DM** routing for arrival streams |
| **Host notification:** direct email to the person being visited | Native Microsoft Teams **bot** or Slack **app** install — use webhook / channel email |
| Separate **package delivery** button with its own email/SMS recipients | Using package contacts as the area arrival stream |
| Guest invite, pre-check-in, reminder, sign-out, cancel emails | Webex or Zoom host paging |
| Host email from M365 / Google directory on invite | Push notifications to arbitrary mobile apps |
| Toggle host email on or off independently of area channels | Meeting Room TV sign-in-lost alerts |
| | Exchange directory for host resolution |

## Best fit for

- **Lobbies that want a Teams or Slack channel** with every arrival — facilities, reception, and security on the same feed
- **Split responsibilities** — central channel for visibility, host email so the person being visited knows to come down
- **Invite-heavy workflows** — automated pre-check-in and reminder emails reduce incomplete NDAs at arrival
- **Mailrooms** that need package alerts on a separate splash-screen button

## Frequently asked questions

**What is the difference between area channels and host notification?**  
**Area channels** (Teams, Slack, or contact email) broadcast **every** check-in to a shared channel your team watches. **Host notification** sends **one email** to the employee being visited. Configure both, either, or neither.

**How do I notify a Microsoft Teams channel?**  
Create a channel email address in Teams and paste it into **Teams channel email** on the kiosk. Add facilities, reception, HR, or other staff as **members of that channel** — arrivals post to the channel, not as DMs.

**How do I set up Slack?**  
Create an **Incoming Webhook** for a **channel** (for example `#lobby-visitors`) and paste the URL into kiosk settings. Invite the people who should see arrivals to that channel.

**Who should be on the area channel?**  
Whoever needs a live stream of lobby activity — reception, facilities, security, HR, or building operations. It is appropriate to add multiple roles; they participate as **channel members**, not as individual DM targets.

**Who receives host email when someone checks in?**  
The **host** on the visit — the person the guest selected or was invited to see. This is separate from the area channel list.

**Is SMS included for check-ins?**  
**SMS on check-in** is not a central channel type today. **Package SMS** is available for the separate **Package Delivery** button. Host and area paths use email, Slack, and Teams.

**Are package alerts the same as visitor alerts?**  
No. **Package delivery** uses its own button and recipient list. A courier does not need to complete visitor check-in, and package alerts do not go to the area arrival stream unless you deliberately use the same address.

**Do hosts get notified when I create an invite?**  
Host **arrival** notifications fire at **check-in**. The guest receives invite and pre-check-in emails separately.

**Can I turn off host email but keep Teams/Slack?**  
Yes. Disable **Notify host when a guest checks in** and leave your area channels configured — reception sees every arrival in the channel without emailing each host automatically.

## Related

- [Visitor Management overview](./index.md)
- [Check-in flows](./check-in-flows.md) — when check-in completes and alerts fire
- [Invites and hosts](./invites-and-hosts.md) — host email on invites
- [Customization](./customization.md) — notification fields on the kiosk