Contractor Notifications Overview and Directory

Customer Education

Updated October 21, 2026 21:22

The Contractor Notifications area is where you’ll configure the email and text messages Docket sends to your contractors about the tasks you assign them, like new assignments, task changes, and tasks that still need to be completed or have a weight submitted.

Before You Start

Here are a few things to know before you continue:

We recommend that only the Account Owner(s) or main Office Admin(s) set up or change the settings covered in this article.
There is a "Save Settings" button in the top right corner of this page. Remember to click it before leaving the page so your changes are saved!
In order for Docket to send contractor notifications via text message, you must have a Local Phone Number and go through the 10DLC registration process.

Navigate to Contractor Notifications

To access the Contractor Notifications area of your Docket account, just follow the instructions below:

Click on “Account” in the bottom left corner.
Click on “Settings” at the top.
Click on “Notifications” right below.
Click on “View” on the Client Notifications card.

You’ll see 2 expandable sections of settings on this page.

Edit a Notification Message

Most contractor notifications come with a default message that you can change to better match your business tone of voice.

You can also use merge tags (also called variables, variable tags, or tags) to quickly add dynamic information that changes between notifications, like a task's date or a contractor's name.

To edit a notification message, follow the instructions below:

Click into the "Custom Message" box and type your message.

TIP: The Message Preview on the right will immediately update as you edit the message so you can see what it will look like to your contractors.
Click on a merge tag button below the box to add additional details, if desired.
Review your message in the Message Preview on the right to confirm it looks the way you want.
Click on "Save Settings" in the top right corner.

Docket will now send your new version of the message, starting the next time the notification sends.

About Merge Tags

Merge tags are buttons that automatically add details to your message for you. Docket dynamically fills in the real details each time it sends the notification.

In the Custom Message box, a tag looks like {{Client_Name}} while in the Message Preview, you'll see an example of what your contractor will actually receive.

TIP: The tags you see depend on the notification you're editing.

The Contractor Response Website tag sends your contractor a secure link to their Hauler Dashboard where they can view and manage the tasks you've assigned them.

The Client Dashboard URL tag sends your contractor a secure link to the associated client's Client Dashboard, but the Message Preview will just show "[Secure Customer Dashboard URL]" instead of the full link since the link is specific to each of your clients.

The Task Time Window tag shows the range you set up under Time Windows in your Dumpster Management settings, like "between 11am and 2pm". If you haven't turned this Dumpster Management setting on, the tag won't work.

The Task Time tag shows the exact time added to the task, if there is one.

Restore a Default Message

If you want to go back to Docket's original message, you can restore it at any time.

To restore a default message, follow the instructions below:

Click on "Restore Default".
Click on "Save Settings" in the top right corner.

Docket will now send the default version of the message, starting the next time the notification sends.

Contractor Notifications Directory

You’ll see 2 expandable lists of notifications organized by function:

Document
Dumpster Task

Use the search box at the top of the page to find a notification by name/keyword or click on "Filters" to narrow the list by status or delivery type.

As you make changes to your default settings, don’t forget to click the “Save Settings” button in the top right corner!

Dumpster Task Notifications

Contractor Task Changed

This setting is OFF by default.

This setting sends a message to your contractor when you change important details about a dumpster task you already assigned to them.

This is helpful when plans change after you assign a task, like moving a Drop Off to a different day, so your contractor hears about the change right away and doesn’t show up at the wrong time.

Contractor Task Not Marked Complete

This setting is OFF by default.

This setting sends a message to your contractor when a dumpster task assigned to them has not been marked complete by the day after its scheduled time.

This is a helpful reminder if your contractors sometimes finish a job and forget to mark it complete so you don’t have to call to find out what happened.

Contractor Task Weight Not Submitted

This setting is OFF by default.

This setting sends a message to your contractor when a dumpster task has been completed, but no weight has been submitted by the day after the task was completed.

Docket uses the weight ticket on a task to check for weight overages. Turn this on if you rely on your contractors to submit weights, so you have what you need to bill for the task accurately.

Task Assigned to Contractor

This setting is OFF by default.

This setting sends a message to your contractor each time you assign them a dumpster task.

This is helpful if your contractors aren’t in Docket every day because they'll hear about new work as soon as you assign it without your team having to call or text about every new task.

TIP: Add the Contractor Response Website tag to your message so your contractor receives a link to manage the task on their Hauler Dashboard.