> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.uplifter.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Why doesn't a family get notified of a Web Only message?

> Web Only messages post silently in the family's portal with no text, email, or push alert.

<Note>
  **Must know**

  * A **Web Only** message sends no text, no email, and no push — the family only sees it when they next open their portal.
  * If you need the family to be alerted, switch the conversation to **Web & SMS** or **Web & Email**.
</Note>

**Web Only** is exactly that: the message is posted in the family's Uplifter portal and nowhere else. There's no outside nudge — no text to their phone, no email to their inbox, no push notification. The message simply waits in their chat until they log in and look.

That's by design. Web Only is the quiet channel for notes that don't need to interrupt anyone — a heads-up a parent will see next time they're in the app anyway. It also means every family is reachable on Web Only, since it needs no phone or email on file.

The trade-off is timeliness. If a family rarely opens the portal, a Web Only message can sit unseen for a while. When something is time-sensitive — a same-day schedule change, a pickup question — don't rely on Web Only. Switch the conversation to a channel that reaches them outside the app:

* **Web & SMS** sends a real text to their phone.
* **Web & Email** sends a branded email they can reply to.

You change this from the channel pill at the top of the thread. The message still lands in the portal too, so the thread stays complete either way.

**Related:** [What do the Web Only, Web & SMS, and Web & Email channels mean?](/coaches/coach-messaging/coach-chat-channels-explained), [How do I switch a chat to a different channel?](/coaches/coach-messaging/coach-chat-switch-channel), [How can I tell if my message was delivered?](/coaches/coach-messaging/coach-chat-delivery-status)