---
title: "Real-Time Notifications Code Agent SDK"
source: https://docs.autohand.ai/agent-sdk/automation/real-time-notifications
---

# Real-Time Notifications

Real-time notifications keep teams informed while an agent runs. You can stream progress to Slack, send email summaries, or call a webhook when milestones complete.

## Notification strategies

-   **Stream events** - forward message\_update and tool\_end events to a channel for live progress.
-   **Session summary** - collect output and send one message when the session ends.
-   **Alerts** - watch for error and permission\_request events and notify operators immediately.

## Slack notification example

The following TypeScript handler sends a message to Slack when a session ends.

## Hooks versus SDK events

If you only need notifications, configure shell hooks in `.autohand/config.json`. Use SDK events when you need to transform the payload, route to different channels, or conditionally suppress messages.

## Best practices

-   Batch rapid events to avoid rate limits.
-   Include the session ID and a link to full logs in every message.
-   Do not send secrets or file contents in notifications.
-   Provide a quiet mode for sensitive sessions.