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LISTS APP NOT SENDING MESSAGES

Anonymous
2025-06-25T07:47:38+00:00

Hello,

We use the Lists app to track tasks by sending a message from an individual item to an individual user.

This usually generates an email to the user along the lines of "sender has mentioned you in this list" with a link to the individual item where the message and details can be viewed.

This has been working really well for a while, but it has stopped working.

Messages are sending the email alerts. We did notice some of the messages had been edited after sending, so initially thought that was an issue (although the original wasnt sent either). Now it seems to be that the message function is not working.

Is there a reason / solution please?

Thank you.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For business | Other

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-06-25T12:37:25+00:00

    Dear MichelleRZ,

    Thank you for reaching out and sharing your concerns about the retirement of the Manage Alerts feature in SharePoint.

    First and foremost, I want to sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this change may cause. The retirement of SharePoint Alerts is a by-design decision by Microsoft, aimed at modernizing notification workflows and aligning with the broader Power Platform strategy. While this shift introduces more flexibility and integration capabilities, I understand that it also adds complexity, especially for users who were accustomed to the simplicity of the original alert system.

    Microsoft is actively working on Power Automate reference templates to help users replicate common SharePoint alert scenarios. These templates are designed to ease the transition and offer functionality such as:

    • Reminder flows based on SharePoint date columns.
    • Content and page approvals.
    • Request sign-off flows with no setup required

    However, as of now, there is no single template that fully mimics the legacy SharePoint alert options, including features like daily/weekly summaries or custom email formatting. These flows may need to be created manually or adapted from existing templates depending on your specific needs.

    Temporarily workarounds:

    • Explore templates like “Send an email when a SharePoint item is modified” or “Get a daily digest of changes in a SharePoint list” on Power Automate Templates.
    • Consider using the S360 Proactive Notifications Flow setup guide, which includes a SharePoint List template and a Power Automate package for managing user preferences and weekly notifications
    • If you need help building or customizing flows, Microsoft offers support through Power Automate Partners and the Microsoft Solution Provider network.
    • For a better in sight of this issue I suggest you to try asking at Q&A, you could get more suggestions from the expert community :Microsoft Q&A | Microsoft Learn  

     - While we’ve noted your concerns, we also recommend raising this topic on the Microsoft Q&A site. It’s a great space where product experts and other users often share workarounds or insights that may not be widely known yet. 

    •  Per your need for this feature, I recommend you to Send feedback on our Microsoft Teams · Community, as it is monitored by our Product Team to help improve user experience with Teams through given feedback.  

    In the meantime, I will also pass along your feedback to the appropriate team for further consideration.

    If my answer helps, please mark it as an answer, it will definitely help others in the community with similar queries to find a solution to their problem faster. On top of that, it helps me have a good survey and makes me do my best.
     
    I appreciate it. Thank you for your support.

    Best regards, 

    Sting-Ng - Microsoft Community Support Specialist.

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-06-25T12:13:37+00:00

    Thank you so much for your detailed reply.

    I have worked through the steps and advise users to try your suggestions.

    Worryingly, when I was checking the Alerts I found this....

    and

    Could this be part of the problem? Any help with a longer term solution would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks you,

    Michelle

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-06-25T08:29:53+00:00

    Hi MichelleRZ, 

    Thank you for replying, and the information that you have given to me I really appreciate it.   

    Microsoft Lists app in Microsoft 365, where the task tracking feature that sends messages (with @mentions) to individual users is no longer generating email notifications (e.g., "sender has mentioned you in this list"). You’ve noted that this functionality was working well previously, but it has stopped, despite email alerts being sent for other actions, and you suspect that editing messages after sending or a broader issue with the message function might be the cause. Below, I’ll analyze potential reasons for this issue and provide solutions to restore the @mention email notifications in Microsoft Lists, tailored to your scenario. 

    In the meantime, you can try step-by-step below to fix it: 

    Here’s a step-by-step approach to diagnose and resolve the issue, starting with the most likely causes and moving to more advanced solutions: 

    Verify Notification Settings in Microsoft Lists and SharePoint: 

    Ensure that @mention notifications are enabled for the list and that users haven’t disabled them. 

    • Check List Notification Settings:  
      • Open the Microsoft Lists app in Teams or via the web or through a SharePoint site).
      • Navigate to the affected list.
      • Click the … (More) menu next to the list name and select Manage alerts or Alert me (if available, depending on permissions).
      • Ensure that notifications for “All changes” or “When someone else changes a list item” are enabled. If not, set up an alert for the list to include comment changes.
    • Verify User Notification Preferences:  
      • Ask affected users to check their notification settings:  
        • In Microsoft 365, go to Outlook Web App > Settings (gear icon) > View all Outlook settings > Mail > Notifications.
        • Ensure “Show notifications for mentions” is enabled.
      • In Teams, go to Settings > Notifications and activity > Chats and channels and confirm that @mentions notifications are set to “Banner and feed” or “Banner”.
    • Test with a New @Mention:  
      • Create a new list item or add a comment to an existing item.
      • Type @ followed by a user’s name (e.g., @JohnDoe) and post the comment without editing it.
      • Check if the mentioned user receives an email or Teams notification within 15–30 minutes (notifications can take up to 4 hours).

    Check User Permissions: 

    Insufficient permissions to the list or SharePoint site can prevent users from receiving notifications. 

    • Verify List Permissions:  
      • In the Lists app or SharePoint site, click Share or Settings (gear icon) > List settings > Permissions for this list.
      • Ensure the mentioned users have at least Read permission to the list (preferably Contribute or Edit for commenting).
    • Check Site Permissions:  
      • Go to the SharePoint site hosting the list (accessible via the Teams channel’s Files tab > Open in SharePoint).
      • Click Settings (gear icon) > Site permissions and confirm that users are part of a group with access (e.g., Members or Visitors).
    • Test with a New User:  
      • Add a test user with Contribute permissions to the list.
      • @Mention the test user in a new comment and check if they receive an email notification.

    Verify Email Configuration: 

    Since other email alerts are working, Exchange Online is likely functional, but specific settings might affect @mention emails. 

    • Check Outgoing Email Settings:  
      • In the SharePoint Admin Center > Show all > SharePoint, go to Settings > Outgoing email settings.
      • Ensure the tenant is configured for outgoing email (typically automatic in Microsoft 365).
    • Test with Different Users:  
      • @Mention users with different email domains (e.g., internal vs. external, if your tenant allows external users) to rule out domain-specific issues.
    • Check Email Rules:  
      • Ask affected users to check Outlook rules (web or desktop) for filters that might move or delete @mention emails (e.g., from ******@sharepointonline.com).

    Misconfigured email settings or user-specific rules can block @mention notifications while allowing other alerts. 

    If you encounter specific errors, see unexpected behavior (e.g., notifications work for some users but not others), or need help with Power Automate setup, please provide more details (e.g., list settings, user roles, or Microsoft 365 tenant type), and I can refine the guidance. If you meant a different app or feature (e.g., Microsoft Planner or Teams Scheduler), let me know, and I’ll adjust the response. 

    We truly appreciate your patience as we look into this matter. Thank you for choosing Microsoft and we value your support. 

    If my answer is helpful, please mark it as an answer, which will definitely help others in the community who have similar queries to find solutions to their problems faster.   

    Thanks and Have a good day!!! 

    Best regards.      

    Sting-Ng - Microsoft Community Support Specialist.

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