Notifications and emails in a data room
When a data room emails guests about new documents and Q&A replies, and how to control it room-wide with Emails to guests. Plus invitation and one-time-code emails.
A data room emails guests in two situations: when new documents are added, and when a Q&A question is answered. On top of that, the system sends the practical access emails — invitations and one-time codes. This article shows what gets sent when, and how to dial down the noise so guests only receive the messages that matter to them.
The data room is an add-on module. The settings below live in Data room inside each individual room.
What the system sends
Emails about new content and Q&A replies are governed by a single room setting. Invitation and one-time-code emails are part of the access flow itself and cannot be turned off — they are required for the guest to get in.
1Control emails room-wide
Open at the top of the room to land in Data room settings. Under the Content & downloads section you'll find:
Emails to guests
Guests are notified about new documents and Q&A replies.
The setting is called Emails to guests (notify_guests) and is on by default. It applies to the whole room: if you turn it off, the room sends no emails to guests about new documents or Q&A replies.
If you're uploading many documents at once, for example a whole batch from Files, you can temporarily turn Emails to guests off, upload everything, then turn it back on. Guests then get one clean experience instead of a stream of emails.
2Invitation and one-time-code emails
Two kinds of access emails are sent automatically and are not governed by Emails to guests:
Invitation email. When you invite an external guest by email via Invite participant and type the address into [email protected], the room sends an invitation with a link. You see the confirmation Invitation sent to {email}. The guest opens the link and sets a name and password to get access. Under Pending invitations you can use Resend if the email didn't arrive.
One-time code (OTP). Guests who arrive via a share link verify their email with a 6-digit one-time code, so all activity is named. The guest enters their email, clicks Send code, and the room sends the code — the guest sees Code sent to {email}. If the code expires, the guest can choose Send new code or Change email.
The one-time-code email is a security mechanism, not a notification. It ensures every view and download can be tied to a named person in the activity log — which is why it can't be turned off.
3What you get notified about
While Emails to guests is about emails going out to guests, you as owners and inviting team members receive relevant guest activity in the app's notification center (the bell). This covers, among other things, when an invitation is accepted, a share link is used, and when a guest opens the room, downloads or uploads files. The full history is always under Activity.
Notifications to you are decoupled from guest emails: even if you turn Emails to guests off, you still see guest activity in your own notification center and in the activity log.