Expo Push

This guide explains the process of configuring and using Expo Push with Novu, from getting your credentials to sending your first notification.

How to configure Expo with Novu

Before you can send notifications, you must connect your Expo project to Novu by generating an access token and adding it to your integration settings.

Step 1: Generate your access token from Expo Push

Generate an access token from your dashboard. This token authorizes Novu to send notifications on behalf of your project.

1. Log in to the Expo console.
2. Navigate to the Credentials section in the project settings sidebar.
3. Click Access Token.
4. Click Create Token. A menu appears.
5. Give it a descriptive name, and then click Generate New Token.
6. Copy and save the generated access token. You need it in the next step.

Step 2: Connect Expo Push to Novu

Next, add the access token to your Expo integration in the Novu dashboard.

1. Log in to the Novu dashboard.
2. On the Novu dashboard, navigate to the Integration Store.
3. Click Connect provider.
4. In the Push tab, select Expo Push.
5. In the Expo integration form, paste the access token that you copied from Expo into the Access Token field.
6. Click Create Integration.

Using Expo Push with Novu

Once your integration is configured, you can start sending push notifications by registering your subscribers' device tokens and triggering a workflow.

Step 1: Add subscriber device token

Before Novu can send a push notification to a subscriber (user), you must associate their device's unique push token with their Novu subscriber profile.

You can do this by making an API call to update the subscriber's credentials.

import { Novu } from '@novu/api';
import { ChatOrPushProviderEnum } from "@novu/api/models/components";
 
const novu = new Novu({
  secretKey: "<NOVU_SECRET_KEY>",
  // Use serverURL for EU region
  // serverURL: "https://eu.api.novu.co",
});
 
await novu.subscribers.credentials.update(
  {
    providerId: ChatOrPushProviderEnum.Expo,
    // Use integrationIdentifier to store device tokens for a specific integration
    integrationIdentifier: "string",
    credentials: {
      deviceTokens: [
        "token1",
        "token2"
      ]
    },
  },
  "subscriberId"
);

Step 2: Send a notification

Now you're ready to send a push notification. Create a workflow with a Push step and trigger it. Novu sends the notification to all devices associated with the subscriber.

The example below demonstrates a simple trigger using Novu’s SDK.

import { Novu } from '@novu/node';
 
const novu = new Novu('YOUR_NOVU_API_KEY');
 
await novu.trigger('your-workflow-id', {
  to: {
    subscriberId: 'SUBSCRIBER_ID',
  },
  payload: {
    // Your payload data
  },
});

Using overrides to customize notifications

Novu provides an overrides field that let you send additional Expo-specific message fields. You can use this to control how messages are displayed or to attach custom payloads.

The overrides field supports all Expo Message Request values. Here is an example:

import { Novu } from '@novu/api';
 
const novu = new Novu({
  secretKey: "<NOVU_SECRET_KEY>",
  // Use serverURL for EU region
  // serverURL: "https://eu.api.novu.co",
});
 
await novu.trigger({
  workflowId: "workflowId",
  to: { subscriberId: "subscriber-id-123" },
  payload: {
    orderId: "12345",
  },
  overrides: {
    providers: {
      expo: {
        title: "Order Update",
        body: "Your order #12345 has been shipped!",
        data: {
          deepLink: "myapp://orders/12345",
          orderId: "12345",
        },
        sound: "default",
        priority: "high",
        ttl: 3600,
      },
    },
  },
});