feat: Implement a new notifications application, add admin API views for dashboard metrics, introduce scheduled tasks, and update API routing and project configurations.

backend/apps/notifications/__init__.py

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+"""
+Notifications app for ThrillWiki.
+
+Provides notification management including:
+- Subscriber management (Novu integration)
+- Notification preferences
+- Notification triggering and logging
+"""
+
+default_app_config = "apps.notifications.apps.NotificationsConfig"

backend/apps/notifications/admin.py

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+"""
+Notifications admin configuration.
+"""
+
+from django.contrib import admin
+
+from .models import NotificationLog, NotificationPreference, Subscriber, SystemAnnouncement
+
+
+@admin.register(Subscriber)
+class SubscriberAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
+    list_display = ["user", "novu_subscriber_id", "email", "created_at"]
+    search_fields = ["user__username", "novu_subscriber_id", "email"]
+    readonly_fields = ["created_at", "updated_at"]
+
+
+@admin.register(NotificationPreference)
+class NotificationPreferenceAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
+    list_display = ["user", "is_opted_out", "updated_at"]
+    list_filter = ["is_opted_out"]
+    search_fields = ["user__username"]
+    readonly_fields = ["created_at", "updated_at"]
+
+
+@admin.register(NotificationLog)
+class NotificationLogAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
+    list_display = ["workflow_id", "user", "channel", "status", "created_at"]
+    list_filter = ["status", "channel", "workflow_id"]
+    search_fields = ["user__username", "workflow_id", "novu_transaction_id"]
+    readonly_fields = ["created_at", "updated_at"]
+
+
+@admin.register(SystemAnnouncement)
+class SystemAnnouncementAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
+    list_display = ["title", "severity", "is_active", "created_by", "created_at"]
+    list_filter = ["severity", "is_active"]
+    search_fields = ["title", "message"]
+    readonly_fields = ["created_at"]

backend/apps/notifications/apps.py

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+"""
+Notifications app configuration.
+
+This app provides Django-native notification functionality for ThrillWiki,
+including in-app notifications, email notifications, and user preferences.
+"""
+
+from django.apps import AppConfig
+
+
+class NotificationsConfig(AppConfig):
+    """Configuration for the ThrillWiki notifications app."""
+
+    default_auto_field = "django.db.models.BigAutoField"
+    name = "apps.notifications"
+    verbose_name = "Notifications"
+
+

backend/apps/notifications/migrations/0001_initial.py

@@ -0,0 +1,159 @@
+# Generated by Django 5.2.9 on 2026-01-05 13:50
+
+import django.db.models.deletion
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    initial = True
+
+    dependencies = [
+        migrations.swappable_dependency(settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.CreateModel(
+            name="NotificationPreference",
+            fields=[
+                ("id", models.BigAutoField(auto_created=True, primary_key=True, serialize=False, verbose_name="ID")),
+                (
+                    "channel_preferences",
+                    models.JSONField(
+                        blank=True, default=dict, help_text="Preferences per channel (email, push, in_app, sms)"
+                    ),
+                ),
+                (
+                    "workflow_preferences",
+                    models.JSONField(blank=True, default=dict, help_text="Preferences per notification workflow"),
+                ),
+                (
+                    "frequency_settings",
+                    models.JSONField(blank=True, default=dict, help_text="Digest and frequency settings"),
+                ),
+                ("is_opted_out", models.BooleanField(default=False)),
+                ("created_at", models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)),
+                ("updated_at", models.DateTimeField(auto_now=True)),
+                (
+                    "user",
+                    models.OneToOneField(
+                        on_delete=django.db.models.deletion.CASCADE,
+                        related_name="novu_notification_prefs",
+                        to=settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL,
+                    ),
+                ),
+            ],
+            options={
+                "verbose_name": "Notification Preference",
+                "verbose_name_plural": "Notification Preferences",
+            },
+        ),
+        migrations.CreateModel(
+            name="Subscriber",
+            fields=[
+                ("id", models.BigAutoField(auto_created=True, primary_key=True, serialize=False, verbose_name="ID")),
+                ("novu_subscriber_id", models.CharField(db_index=True, max_length=255, unique=True)),
+                ("first_name", models.CharField(blank=True, max_length=100)),
+                ("last_name", models.CharField(blank=True, max_length=100)),
+                ("email", models.EmailField(blank=True, max_length=254)),
+                ("phone", models.CharField(blank=True, max_length=20)),
+                ("avatar", models.URLField(blank=True)),
+                ("locale", models.CharField(default="en", max_length=10)),
+                ("data", models.JSONField(blank=True, default=dict, help_text="Custom subscriber data")),
+                ("created_at", models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)),
+                ("updated_at", models.DateTimeField(auto_now=True)),
+                (
+                    "user",
+                    models.OneToOneField(
+                        on_delete=django.db.models.deletion.CASCADE,
+                        related_name="notification_subscriber",
+                        to=settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL,
+                    ),
+                ),
+            ],
+            options={
+                "verbose_name": "Notification Subscriber",
+                "verbose_name_plural": "Notification Subscribers",
+            },
+        ),
+        migrations.CreateModel(
+            name="SystemAnnouncement",
+            fields=[
+                ("id", models.BigAutoField(auto_created=True, primary_key=True, serialize=False, verbose_name="ID")),
+                ("title", models.CharField(max_length=255)),
+                ("message", models.TextField()),
+                (
+                    "severity",
+                    models.CharField(
+                        choices=[("info", "Information"), ("warning", "Warning"), ("critical", "Critical")],
+                        default="info",
+                        max_length=20,
+                    ),
+                ),
+                ("action_url", models.URLField(blank=True)),
+                ("is_active", models.BooleanField(default=True)),
+                ("created_at", models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)),
+                ("expires_at", models.DateTimeField(blank=True, null=True)),
+                (
+                    "created_by",
+                    models.ForeignKey(
+                        null=True,
+                        on_delete=django.db.models.deletion.SET_NULL,
+                        related_name="announcements_created",
+                        to=settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL,
+                    ),
+                ),
+            ],
+            options={
+                "verbose_name": "System Announcement",
+                "verbose_name_plural": "System Announcements",
+                "ordering": ["-created_at"],
+            },
+        ),
+        migrations.CreateModel(
+            name="NotificationLog",
+            fields=[
+                ("id", models.BigAutoField(auto_created=True, primary_key=True, serialize=False, verbose_name="ID")),
+                ("workflow_id", models.CharField(db_index=True, max_length=100)),
+                ("notification_type", models.CharField(max_length=50)),
+                ("channel", models.CharField(max_length=20)),
+                (
+                    "status",
+                    models.CharField(
+                        choices=[
+                            ("pending", "Pending"),
+                            ("sent", "Sent"),
+                            ("delivered", "Delivered"),
+                            ("failed", "Failed"),
+                        ],
+                        default="pending",
+                        max_length=20,
+                    ),
+                ),
+                ("payload", models.JSONField(blank=True, default=dict)),
+                ("error_message", models.TextField(blank=True)),
+                ("novu_transaction_id", models.CharField(blank=True, db_index=True, max_length=255)),
+                ("created_at", models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)),
+                ("updated_at", models.DateTimeField(auto_now=True)),
+                (
+                    "user",
+                    models.ForeignKey(
+                        null=True,
+                        on_delete=django.db.models.deletion.SET_NULL,
+                        related_name="notification_logs",
+                        to=settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL,
+                    ),
+                ),
+            ],
+            options={
+                "verbose_name": "Notification Log",
+                "verbose_name_plural": "Notification Logs",
+                "ordering": ["-created_at"],
+                "indexes": [
+                    models.Index(fields=["user", "-created_at"], name="notificatio_user_id_57d53d_idx"),
+                    models.Index(fields=["workflow_id", "-created_at"], name="notificatio_workflo_e1a025_idx"),
+                ],
+            },
+        ),
+    ]

backend/apps/notifications/migrations/0002_add_notification_model.py

@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+# Generated by Django 5.2.9 on 2026-01-05 14:36
+
+import django.db.models.deletion
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ("contenttypes", "0002_remove_content_type_name"),
+        ("notifications", "0001_initial"),
+        migrations.swappable_dependency(settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="subscriber",
+            name="novu_subscriber_id",
+            field=models.CharField(
+                db_index=True, help_text="Legacy Novu subscriber ID (deprecated)", max_length=255, unique=True
+            ),
+        ),
+        migrations.CreateModel(
+            name="Notification",
+            fields=[
+                ("id", models.BigAutoField(auto_created=True, primary_key=True, serialize=False, verbose_name="ID")),
+                ("verb", models.CharField(max_length=255)),
+                ("description", models.TextField(blank=True)),
+                (
+                    "level",
+                    models.CharField(
+                        choices=[("info", "Info"), ("success", "Success"), ("warning", "Warning"), ("error", "Error")],
+                        default="info",
+                        max_length=20,
+                    ),
+                ),
+                ("action_object_id", models.PositiveIntegerField(blank=True, null=True)),
+                ("target_id", models.PositiveIntegerField(blank=True, null=True)),
+                ("data", models.JSONField(blank=True, default=dict)),
+                ("unread", models.BooleanField(db_index=True, default=True)),
+                ("timestamp", models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)),
+                ("read_at", models.DateTimeField(blank=True, null=True)),
+                (
+                    "action_object_content_type",
+                    models.ForeignKey(
+                        blank=True,
+                        null=True,
+                        on_delete=django.db.models.deletion.CASCADE,
+                        related_name="notification_action_objects",
+                        to="contenttypes.contenttype",
+                    ),
+                ),
+                (
+                    "actor",
+                    models.ForeignKey(
+                        blank=True,
+                        null=True,
+                        on_delete=django.db.models.deletion.SET_NULL,
+                        related_name="notifications_sent",
+                        to=settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL,
+                    ),
+                ),
+                (
+                    "recipient",
+                    models.ForeignKey(
+                        on_delete=django.db.models.deletion.CASCADE,
+                        related_name="in_app_notifications",
+                        to=settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL,
+                    ),
+                ),
+                (
+                    "target_content_type",
+                    models.ForeignKey(
+                        blank=True,
+                        null=True,
+                        on_delete=django.db.models.deletion.CASCADE,
+                        related_name="notification_targets",
+                        to="contenttypes.contenttype",
+                    ),
+                ),
+            ],
+            options={
+                "verbose_name": "Notification",
+                "verbose_name_plural": "Notifications",
+                "ordering": ["-timestamp"],
+                "indexes": [
+                    models.Index(fields=["recipient", "-timestamp"], name="notificatio_recipie_b8fa2a_idx"),
+                    models.Index(fields=["recipient", "unread"], name="notificatio_recipie_8bedf2_idx"),
+                ],
+            },
+        ),
+    ]

backend/apps/notifications/models.py

@@ -0,0 +1,298 @@
+"""
+Notifications models.
+
+Provides models for:
+- Subscriber: User notification profile (legacy, kept for compatibility)
+- NotificationPreference: User notification preferences
+- NotificationLog: Audit trail of sent notifications
+- SystemAnnouncement: System-wide announcements
+
+Note: Now using django-notifications-hq for the core notification system.
+Subscriber model is kept for backward compatibility but is optional.
+"""
+
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.db import models
+
+
+class Subscriber(models.Model):
+    """
+    User notification profile.
+    
+    Note: This model is kept for backward compatibility. The new
+    django-notifications-hq system uses User directly for notifications.
+    This can be used for storing additional notification-related user data.
+    """
+
+    user = models.OneToOneField(
+        settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL,
+        on_delete=models.CASCADE,
+        related_name="notification_subscriber",
+    )
+    # Legacy field - kept for migration compatibility
+    novu_subscriber_id = models.CharField(
+        max_length=255, 
+        unique=True, 
+        db_index=True,
+        help_text="Legacy Novu subscriber ID (deprecated)"
+    )
+    first_name = models.CharField(max_length=100, blank=True)
+    last_name = models.CharField(max_length=100, blank=True)
+    email = models.EmailField(blank=True)
+    phone = models.CharField(max_length=20, blank=True)
+    avatar = models.URLField(blank=True)
+    locale = models.CharField(max_length=10, default="en")
+    data = models.JSONField(default=dict, blank=True, help_text="Custom subscriber data")
+    created_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)
+    updated_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now=True)
+
+    class Meta:
+        verbose_name = "Notification Subscriber"
+        verbose_name_plural = "Notification Subscribers"
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        return f"Subscriber({self.user.username})"
+
+
+class NotificationPreference(models.Model):
+    """
+    User notification preferences across channels and workflows.
+    """
+
+    user = models.OneToOneField(
+        settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL,
+        on_delete=models.CASCADE,
+        related_name="novu_notification_prefs",  # Renamed to avoid conflict with User.notification_preferences JSONField
+    )
+    # Channel preferences
+    channel_preferences = models.JSONField(
+        default=dict,
+        blank=True,
+        help_text="Preferences per channel (email, push, in_app, sms)",
+    )
+    # Workflow-specific preferences
+    workflow_preferences = models.JSONField(
+        default=dict,
+        blank=True,
+        help_text="Preferences per notification workflow",
+    )
+    # Frequency settings
+    frequency_settings = models.JSONField(
+        default=dict,
+        blank=True,
+        help_text="Digest and frequency settings",
+    )
+    # Global opt-out
+    is_opted_out = models.BooleanField(default=False)
+    created_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)
+    updated_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now=True)
+
+    class Meta:
+        verbose_name = "Notification Preference"
+        verbose_name_plural = "Notification Preferences"
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        return f"Preferences({self.user.username})"
+
+
+class NotificationLog(models.Model):
+    """
+    Audit log of sent notifications.
+    """
+
+    class Status(models.TextChoices):
+        PENDING = "pending", "Pending"
+        SENT = "sent", "Sent"
+        DELIVERED = "delivered", "Delivered"
+        FAILED = "failed", "Failed"
+
+    user = models.ForeignKey(
+        settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL,
+        on_delete=models.SET_NULL,
+        null=True,
+        related_name="notification_logs",
+    )
+    workflow_id = models.CharField(max_length=100, db_index=True)
+    notification_type = models.CharField(max_length=50)
+    channel = models.CharField(max_length=20)  # email, push, in_app, sms
+    status = models.CharField(
+        max_length=20,
+        choices=Status.choices,
+        default=Status.PENDING,
+    )
+    payload = models.JSONField(default=dict, blank=True)
+    error_message = models.TextField(blank=True)
+    novu_transaction_id = models.CharField(max_length=255, blank=True, db_index=True)
+    created_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)
+    updated_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now=True)
+
+    class Meta:
+        verbose_name = "Notification Log"
+        verbose_name_plural = "Notification Logs"
+        ordering = ["-created_at"]
+        indexes = [
+            models.Index(fields=["user", "-created_at"]),
+            models.Index(fields=["workflow_id", "-created_at"]),
+        ]
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        return f"Log({self.workflow_id}, {self.status})"
+
+
+class SystemAnnouncement(models.Model):
+    """
+    System-wide announcements.
+    """
+
+    class Severity(models.TextChoices):
+        INFO = "info", "Information"
+        WARNING = "warning", "Warning"
+        CRITICAL = "critical", "Critical"
+
+    title = models.CharField(max_length=255)
+    message = models.TextField()
+    severity = models.CharField(
+        max_length=20,
+        choices=Severity.choices,
+        default=Severity.INFO,
+    )
+    action_url = models.URLField(blank=True)
+    is_active = models.BooleanField(default=True)
+    created_by = models.ForeignKey(
+        settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL,
+        on_delete=models.SET_NULL,
+        null=True,
+        related_name="announcements_created",
+    )
+    created_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)
+    expires_at = models.DateTimeField(null=True, blank=True)
+
+    class Meta:
+        verbose_name = "System Announcement"
+        verbose_name_plural = "System Announcements"
+        ordering = ["-created_at"]
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        return f"{self.title} ({self.severity})"
+
+
+class Notification(models.Model):
+    """
+    In-app notification model.
+    
+    This is a Django-native implementation for storing user notifications,
+    supporting both in-app and email notification channels.
+    """
+
+    class Level(models.TextChoices):
+        INFO = "info", "Info"
+        SUCCESS = "success", "Success"
+        WARNING = "warning", "Warning"
+        ERROR = "error", "Error"
+
+    # Who receives the notification
+    recipient = models.ForeignKey(
+        settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL,
+        on_delete=models.CASCADE,
+        related_name="in_app_notifications",  # Renamed to avoid clash with accounts.UserNotification
+    )
+    # Who triggered the notification (can be null for system notifications)
+    actor = models.ForeignKey(
+        settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL,
+        on_delete=models.SET_NULL,
+        null=True,
+        blank=True,
+        related_name="notifications_sent",
+    )
+    # What happened
+    verb = models.CharField(max_length=255)
+    description = models.TextField(blank=True)
+    level = models.CharField(
+        max_length=20,
+        choices=Level.choices,
+        default=Level.INFO,
+    )
+    # The object that was acted upon (generic foreign key)
+    action_object_content_type = models.ForeignKey(
+        "contenttypes.ContentType",
+        on_delete=models.CASCADE,
+        blank=True,
+        null=True,
+        related_name="notification_action_objects",
+    )
+    action_object_id = models.PositiveIntegerField(blank=True, null=True)
+    # The target of the action (generic foreign key)
+    target_content_type = models.ForeignKey(
+        "contenttypes.ContentType",
+        on_delete=models.CASCADE,
+        blank=True,
+        null=True,
+        related_name="notification_targets",
+    )
+    target_id = models.PositiveIntegerField(blank=True, null=True)
+    # Additional data
+    data = models.JSONField(default=dict, blank=True)
+    # Status
+    unread = models.BooleanField(default=True, db_index=True)
+    # Timestamps
+    timestamp = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)
+    read_at = models.DateTimeField(null=True, blank=True)
+
+    class Meta:
+        verbose_name = "Notification"
+        verbose_name_plural = "Notifications"
+        ordering = ["-timestamp"]
+        indexes = [
+            models.Index(fields=["recipient", "-timestamp"]),
+            models.Index(fields=["recipient", "unread"]),
+        ]
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        return f"{self.verb} -> {self.recipient}"
+
+    def mark_as_read(self):
+        """Mark this notification as read."""
+        if self.unread:
+            from django.utils import timezone
+            self.unread = False
+            self.read_at = timezone.now()
+            self.save(update_fields=["unread", "read_at"])
+
+    @property
+    def action_object(self):
+        """Get the action object instance."""
+        if self.action_object_content_type and self.action_object_id:
+            return self.action_object_content_type.get_object_for_this_type(
+                pk=self.action_object_id
+            )
+        return None
+
+    @property
+    def target(self):
+        """Get the target instance."""
+        if self.target_content_type and self.target_id:
+            return self.target_content_type.get_object_for_this_type(pk=self.target_id)
+        return None
+
+
+class NotificationManager(models.Manager):
+    """Custom manager for Notification model."""
+
+    def unread(self):
+        """Return only unread notifications."""
+        return self.filter(unread=True)
+
+    def read(self):
+        """Return only read notifications."""
+        return self.filter(unread=False)
+
+    def mark_all_as_read(self):
+        """Mark all notifications as read."""
+        from django.utils import timezone
+        return self.filter(unread=True).update(unread=False, read_at=timezone.now())
+
+
+# Add custom manager to Notification model
+Notification.objects = NotificationManager()
+Notification.objects.model = Notification
+

backend/apps/notifications/serializers.py

@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+"""
+Notification serializers.
+"""
+
+from rest_framework import serializers
+
+from .models import NotificationLog, NotificationPreference, Subscriber, SystemAnnouncement
+
+
+class SubscriberSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
+    """Serializer for Subscriber model."""
+
+    subscriber_id = serializers.CharField(source="novu_subscriber_id", read_only=True)
+
+    class Meta:
+        model = Subscriber
+        fields = [
+            "subscriber_id",
+            "first_name",
+            "last_name",
+            "email",
+            "phone",
+            "avatar",
+            "locale",
+            "data",
+            "created_at",
+            "updated_at",
+        ]
+        read_only_fields = ["subscriber_id", "created_at", "updated_at"]
+
+
+class CreateSubscriberSerializer(serializers.Serializer):
+    """Serializer for creating a new subscriber."""
+
+    subscriber_id = serializers.CharField(required=True)
+    first_name = serializers.CharField(required=False, allow_blank=True, default="")
+    last_name = serializers.CharField(required=False, allow_blank=True, default="")
+    email = serializers.EmailField(required=False, allow_blank=True)
+    phone = serializers.CharField(required=False, allow_blank=True, default="")
+    avatar = serializers.URLField(required=False, allow_blank=True)
+    locale = serializers.CharField(required=False, default="en")
+    data = serializers.JSONField(required=False, default=dict)
+
+
+class UpdateSubscriberSerializer(serializers.Serializer):
+    """Serializer for updating a subscriber."""
+
+    subscriber_id = serializers.CharField(required=True)
+    first_name = serializers.CharField(required=False, allow_blank=True)
+    last_name = serializers.CharField(required=False, allow_blank=True)
+    email = serializers.EmailField(required=False, allow_blank=True)
+    phone = serializers.CharField(required=False, allow_blank=True)
+    avatar = serializers.URLField(required=False, allow_blank=True)
+    locale = serializers.CharField(required=False)
+    data = serializers.JSONField(required=False)
+
+
+class NotificationPreferenceSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
+    """Serializer for NotificationPreference model."""
+
+    class Meta:
+        model = NotificationPreference
+        fields = [
+            "channel_preferences",
+            "workflow_preferences",
+            "frequency_settings",
+            "is_opted_out",
+            "updated_at",
+        ]
+        read_only_fields = ["updated_at"]
+
+
+class UpdatePreferencesSerializer(serializers.Serializer):
+    """Serializer for updating notification preferences."""
+
+    user_id = serializers.CharField(required=True)
+    preferences = serializers.JSONField(required=True)
+
+
+class TriggerNotificationSerializer(serializers.Serializer):
+    """Serializer for triggering a notification."""
+
+    workflow_id = serializers.CharField(required=True)
+    subscriber_id = serializers.CharField(required=True)
+    payload = serializers.JSONField(required=False, default=dict)
+    overrides = serializers.JSONField(required=False, default=dict)
+
+
+class ModeratorSubmissionNotificationSerializer(serializers.Serializer):
+    """Serializer for moderator submission notifications."""
+
+    submission_id = serializers.CharField(required=True)
+    submission_type = serializers.CharField(required=True)
+    submitter_name = serializers.CharField(required=True)
+    action = serializers.CharField(required=True)
+
+
+class ModeratorReportNotificationSerializer(serializers.Serializer):
+    """Serializer for moderator report notifications."""
+
+    report_id = serializers.CharField(required=True)
+    report_type = serializers.CharField(required=True)
+    reported_entity_type = serializers.CharField(required=True)
+    reported_entity_id = serializers.CharField(required=True)
+    reporter_name = serializers.CharField(required=True)
+    reason = serializers.CharField(required=True)
+    entity_preview = serializers.CharField(required=False, allow_blank=True)
+    reported_at = serializers.DateTimeField(required=False)
+
+
+class SystemAnnouncementSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
+    """Serializer for system announcements."""
+
+    class Meta:
+        model = SystemAnnouncement
+        fields = [
+            "id",
+            "title",
+            "message",
+            "severity",
+            "action_url",
+            "is_active",
+            "created_at",
+            "expires_at",
+        ]
+        read_only_fields = ["id", "created_at"]
+
+
+class CreateAnnouncementSerializer(serializers.Serializer):
+    """Serializer for creating system announcements."""
+
+    title = serializers.CharField(required=True, max_length=255)
+    message = serializers.CharField(required=True)
+    severity = serializers.ChoiceField(
+        choices=["info", "warning", "critical"],
+        default="info",
+    )
+    action_url = serializers.URLField(required=False, allow_blank=True)
+
+
+class NotificationLogSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
+    """Serializer for notification logs."""
+
+    class Meta:
+        model = NotificationLog
+        fields = [
+            "id",
+            "workflow_id",
+            "notification_type",
+            "channel",
+            "status",
+            "payload",
+            "error_message",
+            "created_at",
+        ]
+        read_only_fields = ["id", "created_at"]

backend/apps/notifications/services.py

@@ -0,0 +1,571 @@
+"""
+Django-native notification service.
+
+This service provides a fully Django-native notification system. Supports:
+- In-app notifications
+- Email notifications (via Django email backend)
+- Real-time notifications (ready for Django Channels integration)
+"""
+
+import logging
+from typing import Any
+
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.contrib.auth import get_user_model
+from django.contrib.contenttypes.models import ContentType
+from django.core.mail import send_mail
+from django.db.models import QuerySet
+from django.template.loader import render_to_string
+from django.utils import timezone
+from django.utils.html import strip_tags
+
+from .models import Notification, NotificationLog, NotificationPreference, SystemAnnouncement
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+User = get_user_model()
+
+
+class NotificationService:
+    """
+    Django-native notification service using django-notifications-hq.
+    
+    This replaces the Novu-based service with a fully Django-native approach.
+    """
+
+    # Notification workflow types
+    WORKFLOW_SUBMISSION_STATUS = "submission_status"
+    WORKFLOW_MODERATION_ALERT = "moderation_alert"
+    WORKFLOW_SYSTEM_ANNOUNCEMENT = "system_announcement"
+    WORKFLOW_ADMIN_ALERT = "admin_alert"
+    WORKFLOW_WELCOME = "welcome"
+    WORKFLOW_COMMENT_REPLY = "comment_reply"
+    WORKFLOW_MENTION = "mention"
+    WORKFLOW_FOLLOW = "follow"
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.from_email = getattr(
+            settings, "DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL", "noreply@thrillwiki.com"
+        )
+        self.site_name = getattr(settings, "SITE_NAME", "ThrillWiki")
+        self.site_url = getattr(settings, "SITE_URL", "https://thrillwiki.com")
+
+    def send_notification(
+        self,
+        recipient: User,
+        actor: User | None,
+        verb: str,
+        action_object: Any = None,
+        target: Any = None,
+        description: str = "",
+        level: str = "info",
+        data: dict | None = None,
+        send_email: bool = True,
+        email_template: str | None = None,
+    ) -> bool:
+        """
+        Send a notification to a user.
+        
+        Args:
+            recipient: The user to notify
+            actor: The user who performed the action (can be None for system notifications)
+            verb: Description of the action (e.g., "approved your submission")
+            action_object: The object that was acted upon
+            target: The target of the action
+            description: Additional description text
+            level: Notification level (info, success, warning, error)
+            data: Additional data to store with the notification
+            send_email: Whether to also send an email notification
+            email_template: Template path for email (optional)
+            
+        Returns:
+            True if notification was sent successfully
+        """
+        try:
+            # Check user preferences
+            if self._is_user_opted_out(recipient):
+                logger.debug(f"User {recipient.id} opted out of notifications")
+                return False
+
+            # Create in-app notification using our native model
+            notification_data = {
+                "recipient": recipient,
+                "actor": actor,
+                "verb": verb,
+                "description": description,
+                "level": level,
+                "data": data or {},
+            }
+
+            # Add generic foreign key for action_object if provided
+            if action_object:
+                notification_data["action_object_content_type"] = ContentType.objects.get_for_model(action_object)
+                notification_data["action_object_id"] = action_object.pk
+
+            # Add generic foreign key for target if provided
+            if target:
+                notification_data["target_content_type"] = ContentType.objects.get_for_model(target)
+                notification_data["target_id"] = target.pk
+
+            Notification.objects.create(**notification_data)
+
+            # Log the notification
+            self._log_notification(
+                user=recipient,
+                workflow_id=data.get("workflow_id", "general") if data else "general",
+                notification_type=level,
+                channel="in_app",
+                status=NotificationLog.Status.SENT,
+                payload=data or {},
+            )
+
+            # Optionally send email
+            if send_email and self._should_send_email(recipient, data):
+                self._send_email_notification(
+                    recipient=recipient,
+                    verb=verb,
+                    actor=actor,
+                    action_object=action_object,
+                    target=target,
+                    description=description,
+                    template=email_template,
+                    data=data,
+                )
+
+            return True
+
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.exception(f"Failed to send notification to {recipient.id}: {e}")
+            self._log_notification(
+                user=recipient,
+                workflow_id=data.get("workflow_id", "general") if data else "general",
+                notification_type=level,
+                channel="in_app",
+                status=NotificationLog.Status.FAILED,
+                payload=data or {},
+                error_message=str(e),
+            )
+            return False
+
+    def send_to_group(
+        self,
+        recipients: QuerySet | list,
+        actor: User | None,
+        verb: str,
+        action_object: Any = None,
+        target: Any = None,
+        description: str = "",
+        level: str = "info",
+        data: dict | None = None,
+        send_email: bool = False,
+    ) -> dict:
+        """
+        Send a notification to multiple users.
+        
+        Returns:
+            Dict with success/failure counts
+        """
+        results = {"success": 0, "failed": 0, "skipped": 0}
+        
+        for recipient in recipients:
+            if self._is_user_opted_out(recipient):
+                results["skipped"] += 1
+                continue
+                
+            success = self.send_notification(
+                recipient=recipient,
+                actor=actor,
+                verb=verb,
+                action_object=action_object,
+                target=target,
+                description=description,
+                level=level,
+                data=data,
+                send_email=send_email,
+            )
+            
+            if success:
+                results["success"] += 1
+            else:
+                results["failed"] += 1
+                
+        return results
+
+    def notify_moderators(
+        self,
+        verb: str,
+        action_object: Any = None,
+        description: str = "",
+        data: dict | None = None,
+    ) -> dict:
+        """
+        Send a notification to all moderators.
+        """
+        from django.contrib.auth import get_user_model
+        User = get_user_model()
+        
+        # Get users with moderator permissions
+        moderators = User.objects.filter(
+            is_active=True,
+            is_staff=True,  # Or use a specific permission check
+        ).exclude(
+            novu_notification_prefs__is_opted_out=True
+        )
+        
+        return self.send_to_group(
+            recipients=moderators,
+            actor=None,
+            verb=verb,
+            action_object=action_object,
+            description=description,
+            level="info",
+            data={**(data or {}), "workflow_id": self.WORKFLOW_MODERATION_ALERT},
+            send_email=True,
+        )
+
+    def notify_admins(
+        self,
+        verb: str,
+        description: str = "",
+        level: str = "warning",
+        data: dict | None = None,
+    ) -> dict:
+        """
+        Send a notification to all admins.
+        """
+        admins = User.objects.filter(is_superuser=True, is_active=True)
+        
+        return self.send_to_group(
+            recipients=admins,
+            actor=None,
+            verb=verb,
+            description=description,
+            level=level,
+            data={**(data or {}), "workflow_id": self.WORKFLOW_ADMIN_ALERT},
+            send_email=True,
+        )
+
+    def send_system_announcement(
+        self,
+        title: str,
+        message: str,
+        severity: str = "info",
+        action_url: str = "",
+        target_users: QuerySet | None = None,
+        created_by: User | None = None,
+    ) -> SystemAnnouncement:
+        """
+        Create and broadcast a system announcement.
+        """
+        # Create the announcement
+        announcement = SystemAnnouncement.objects.create(
+            title=title,
+            message=message,
+            severity=severity,
+            action_url=action_url,
+            created_by=created_by,
+            is_active=True,
+        )
+        
+        # Notify users
+        recipients = target_users or User.objects.filter(is_active=True)
+        
+        self.send_to_group(
+            recipients=recipients,
+            actor=created_by,
+            verb=f"System announcement: {title}",
+            action_object=announcement,
+            description=message,
+            level=severity,
+            data={
+                "workflow_id": self.WORKFLOW_SYSTEM_ANNOUNCEMENT,
+                "announcement_id": str(announcement.id),
+                "action_url": action_url,
+            },
+            send_email=severity in ["warning", "critical"],
+        )
+        
+        return announcement
+
+    def get_user_notifications(
+        self,
+        user: User,
+        unread_only: bool = False,
+        limit: int = 50,
+    ):
+        """
+        Get notifications for a user.
+        """
+        qs = Notification.objects.filter(recipient=user)
+        
+        if unread_only:
+            qs = qs.unread()
+            
+        return qs[:limit]
+
+    def mark_as_read(self, user: User, notification_id: int | None = None):
+        """
+        Mark notification(s) as read.
+        """
+        if notification_id:
+            try:
+                notification = Notification.objects.get(recipient=user, id=notification_id)
+                notification.mark_as_read()
+            except Notification.DoesNotExist:
+                pass
+        else:
+            # Mark all as read
+            Notification.objects.filter(recipient=user).mark_all_as_read()
+
+    def get_unread_count(self, user: User) -> int:
+        """
+        Get count of unread notifications.
+        """
+        return Notification.objects.filter(recipient=user, unread=True).count()
+
+    def _is_user_opted_out(self, user: User) -> bool:
+        """Check if user has opted out of notifications."""
+        try:
+            prefs = NotificationPreference.objects.get(user=user)
+            return prefs.is_opted_out
+        except NotificationPreference.DoesNotExist:
+            return False
+
+    def _should_send_email(self, user: User, data: dict | None) -> bool:
+        """Check if email should be sent based on user preferences."""
+        try:
+            prefs = NotificationPreference.objects.get(user=user)
+            
+            # Check channel preferences
+            channel_prefs = prefs.channel_preferences or {}
+            email_enabled = channel_prefs.get("email", True)
+            
+            if not email_enabled:
+                return False
+                
+            # Check workflow-specific preferences
+            if data and "workflow_id" in data:
+                workflow_prefs = prefs.workflow_preferences or {}
+                workflow_email = workflow_prefs.get(data["workflow_id"], {}).get("email", True)
+                return workflow_email
+                
+            return True
+            
+        except NotificationPreference.DoesNotExist:
+            # Default to sending email if no preferences set
+            return True
+
+    def _send_email_notification(
+        self,
+        recipient: User,
+        verb: str,
+        actor: User | None,
+        action_object: Any,
+        target: Any,
+        description: str,
+        template: str | None,
+        data: dict | None,
+    ):
+        """Send an email notification."""
+        try:
+            # Build context
+            context = {
+                "recipient": recipient,
+                "actor": actor,
+                "verb": verb,
+                "action_object": action_object,
+                "target": target,
+                "description": description,
+                "site_name": self.site_name,
+                "site_url": self.site_url,
+                "data": data or {},
+            }
+            
+            # Render email
+            if template:
+                html_content = render_to_string(template, context)
+                text_content = strip_tags(html_content)
+            else:
+                # Default simple email
+                actor_name = actor.username if actor else self.site_name
+                subject = f"{actor_name} {verb}"
+                text_content = description or f"{actor_name} {verb}"
+                html_content = f"<p>{text_content}</p>"
+                
+                if data and data.get("action_url"):
+                    html_content += f'<p><a href="{data["action_url"]}">View details</a></p>'
+            
+            subject = f"[{self.site_name}] {verb[:50]}"
+            
+            send_mail(
+                subject=subject,
+                message=text_content,
+                from_email=self.from_email,
+                recipient_list=[recipient.email],
+                html_message=html_content,
+                fail_silently=True,
+            )
+            
+            # Log email notification
+            self._log_notification(
+                user=recipient,
+                workflow_id=data.get("workflow_id", "general") if data else "general",
+                notification_type="email",
+                channel="email",
+                status=NotificationLog.Status.SENT,
+                payload=data or {},
+            )
+            
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.exception(f"Failed to send email to {recipient.email}: {e}")
+            self._log_notification(
+                user=recipient,
+                workflow_id=data.get("workflow_id", "general") if data else "general",
+                notification_type="email",
+                channel="email",
+                status=NotificationLog.Status.FAILED,
+                payload=data or {},
+                error_message=str(e),
+            )
+
+    def _log_notification(
+        self,
+        user: User,
+        workflow_id: str,
+        notification_type: str,
+        channel: str,
+        status: str,
+        payload: dict,
+        error_message: str = "",
+    ):
+        """Log a notification to the audit trail."""
+        NotificationLog.objects.create(
+            user=user,
+            workflow_id=workflow_id,
+            notification_type=notification_type,
+            channel=channel,
+            status=status,
+            payload=payload,
+            error_message=error_message,
+        )
+
+
+# Singleton instance
+notification_service = NotificationService()
+
+
+# ============================================================================
+# Backward compatibility - keep old NovuService interface but delegate to native
+# ============================================================================
+
+class NovuServiceSync:
+    """
+    Backward-compatible wrapper that delegates to the new notification service.
+    
+    This maintains the old API signature for existing code while using
+    the new Django-native implementation.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        self._service = notification_service
+
+    @property
+    def is_configured(self) -> bool:
+        """Always configured since we're using Django-native system."""
+        return True
+
+    def create_subscriber(self, subscriber_id: str, **kwargs) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        """Create subscriber - now a no-op as django-notifications-hq uses User directly."""
+        logger.info(f"Subscriber creation not needed for django-notifications-hq: {subscriber_id}")
+        return {"subscriberId": subscriber_id, "status": "native"}
+
+    def update_subscriber(self, subscriber_id: str, **kwargs) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        """Update subscriber - now a no-op."""
+        logger.info(f"Subscriber update not needed for django-notifications-hq: {subscriber_id}")
+        return {"subscriberId": subscriber_id, "status": "native"}
+
+    def trigger_notification(
+        self,
+        workflow_id: str,
+        subscriber_id: str,
+        payload: dict | None = None,
+        overrides: dict | None = None,
+    ) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        """Trigger a notification using the new native service."""
+        try:
+            user = User.objects.get(pk=subscriber_id)
+            
+            verb = payload.get("message", f"Notification: {workflow_id}") if payload else f"Notification: {workflow_id}"
+            description = payload.get("description", "") if payload else ""
+            
+            success = self._service.send_notification(
+                recipient=user,
+                actor=None,
+                verb=verb,
+                description=description,
+                data={**(payload or {}), "workflow_id": workflow_id},
+            )
+            
+            return {
+                "status": "sent" if success else "failed",
+                "workflow_id": workflow_id,
+            }
+        except User.DoesNotExist:
+            logger.error(f"User not found for notification: {subscriber_id}")
+            return {"status": "failed", "error": "User not found"}
+
+    def trigger_topic_notification(
+        self,
+        workflow_id: str,
+        topic_key: str,
+        payload: dict | None = None,
+    ) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        """Trigger topic notification - maps to group notification."""
+        logger.info(f"Topic notification: {workflow_id} -> {topic_key}")
+        
+        # Map topic keys to user groups
+        if topic_key == "moderators":
+            result = self._service.notify_moderators(
+                verb=payload.get("message", "New moderation task") if payload else "New moderation task",
+                data={**(payload or {}), "workflow_id": workflow_id},
+            )
+        elif topic_key == "admins":
+            result = self._service.notify_admins(
+                verb=payload.get("message", "Admin notification") if payload else "Admin notification",
+                data={**(payload or {}), "workflow_id": workflow_id},
+            )
+        else:
+            logger.warning(f"Unknown topic key: {topic_key}")
+            result = {"success": 0, "failed": 0, "skipped": 0}
+            
+        return {
+            "status": "sent",
+            "workflow_id": workflow_id,
+            "result": result,
+        }
+
+    def update_preferences(
+        self,
+        subscriber_id: str,
+        preferences: dict[str, Any],
+    ) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        """Update notification preferences."""
+        try:
+            user = User.objects.get(pk=subscriber_id)
+            prefs, _ = NotificationPreference.objects.get_or_create(user=user)
+            
+            if "channel_preferences" in preferences:
+                prefs.channel_preferences = preferences["channel_preferences"]
+            if "workflow_preferences" in preferences:
+                prefs.workflow_preferences = preferences["workflow_preferences"]
+            if "is_opted_out" in preferences:
+                prefs.is_opted_out = preferences["is_opted_out"]
+                
+            prefs.save()
+            
+            return {"status": "updated"}
+        except User.DoesNotExist:
+            return {"status": "failed", "error": "User not found"}
+
+
+# Keep old name for backward compatibility
+novu_service = NovuServiceSync()

backend/apps/notifications/urls.py

@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+"""
+Notification URL configuration.
+
+Note: Now using django-notifications-hq for native Django notifications.
+Legacy Novu endpoints are kept for backward compatibility.
+"""
+
+from django.urls import path
+
+from .views import (
+    AdminAlertView,
+    AdminCriticalErrorView,
+    CreateSubscriberView,
+    NotificationListView,
+    NotificationMarkReadView,
+    NotificationUnreadCountView,
+    NotifyModeratorsReportView,
+    NotifyModeratorsSubmissionView,
+    NotifyUserSubmissionStatusView,
+    SystemAnnouncementView,
+    TriggerNotificationView,
+    UpdatePreferencesView,
+    UpdateSubscriberView,
+)
+
+app_name = "notifications"
+
+urlpatterns = [
+    # ========== Native Notification Endpoints ==========
+    # List notifications for current user
+    path("", NotificationListView.as_view(), name="list"),
+    # Mark notification(s) as read
+    path("mark-read/", NotificationMarkReadView.as_view(), name="mark_read"),
+    # Get unread count
+    path("unread-count/", NotificationUnreadCountView.as_view(), name="unread_count"),
+    
+    # ========== Legacy/Compatibility Endpoints ==========
+    # Subscriber management (legacy - kept for backward compatibility)
+    path("subscribers/", CreateSubscriberView.as_view(), name="create_subscriber"),
+    path("subscribers/update/", UpdateSubscriberView.as_view(), name="update_subscriber"),
+    # Preferences
+    path("preferences/", UpdatePreferencesView.as_view(), name="preferences"),
+    # Trigger notifications
+    path("trigger/", TriggerNotificationView.as_view(), name="trigger"),
+    # Moderator notifications
+    path(
+        "moderators/submission/",
+        NotifyModeratorsSubmissionView.as_view(),
+        name="moderators_submission",
+    ),
+    path(
+        "moderators/report/",
+        NotifyModeratorsReportView.as_view(),
+        name="moderators_report",
+    ),
+    # User notifications
+    path(
+        "user/submission-status/",
+        NotifyUserSubmissionStatusView.as_view(),
+        name="user_submission_status",
+    ),
+    # System notifications
+    path(
+        "system/announcement/",
+        SystemAnnouncementView.as_view(),
+        name="system_announcement",
+    ),
+    # Admin notifications
+    path("admin/alert/", AdminAlertView.as_view(), name="admin_alert"),
+    path(
+        "admin/critical-error/",
+        AdminCriticalErrorView.as_view(),
+        name="admin_critical_error",
+    ),
+]
+

backend/apps/notifications/views.py

@@ -0,0 +1,617 @@
+"""
+Notification views.
+
+Provides REST API endpoints for:
+- Subscriber management (legacy compatibility)
+- Preference updates
+- Notification triggering
+- Moderator notifications
+- System announcements
+- User notification list and management
+
+Note: Now using django-notifications-hq for native Django notifications.
+The novu_service import provides backward compatibility.
+"""
+
+import logging
+
+from django.contrib.auth import get_user_model
+from rest_framework import status
+from rest_framework.permissions import IsAdminUser, IsAuthenticated
+from rest_framework.response import Response
+from rest_framework.views import APIView
+
+from apps.core.utils import capture_and_log
+
+from .models import NotificationLog, NotificationPreference, Subscriber, SystemAnnouncement
+from .serializers import (
+    CreateAnnouncementSerializer,
+    CreateSubscriberSerializer,
+    ModeratorReportNotificationSerializer,
+    ModeratorSubmissionNotificationSerializer,
+    NotificationPreferenceSerializer,
+    SystemAnnouncementSerializer,
+    TriggerNotificationSerializer,
+    UpdatePreferencesSerializer,
+    UpdateSubscriberSerializer,
+)
+from .services import novu_service, notification_service
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+User = get_user_model()
+
+
+class CreateSubscriberView(APIView):
+    """
+    POST /notifications/subscribers/
+    Create or update a Novu subscriber.
+    """
+
+    permission_classes = [IsAuthenticated]
+
+    def post(self, request):
+        serializer = CreateSubscriberSerializer(data=request.data)
+        serializer.is_valid(raise_exception=True)
+
+        data = serializer.validated_data
+        subscriber_id = data["subscriber_id"]
+
+        try:
+            # Update or create local subscriber record
+            subscriber, created = Subscriber.objects.update_or_create(
+                user=request.user,
+                defaults={
+                    "novu_subscriber_id": subscriber_id,
+                    "first_name": data.get("first_name", ""),
+                    "last_name": data.get("last_name", ""),
+                    "email": data.get("email") or request.user.email,
+                    "phone": data.get("phone", ""),
+                    "avatar": data.get("avatar", ""),
+                    "locale": data.get("locale", "en"),
+                    "data": data.get("data", {}),
+                },
+            )
+
+            # Sync to Novu if configured
+            if novu_service.is_configured:
+                novu_service.create_subscriber(
+                    subscriber_id=subscriber_id,
+                    email=subscriber.email,
+                    first_name=subscriber.first_name,
+                    last_name=subscriber.last_name,
+                    phone=subscriber.phone,
+                    avatar=subscriber.avatar,
+                    locale=subscriber.locale,
+                    data=subscriber.data,
+                )
+
+            return Response(
+                {"subscriberId": subscriber_id, "created": created},
+                status=status.HTTP_201_CREATED if created else status.HTTP_200_OK,
+            )
+
+        except Exception as e:
+            capture_and_log(e, "Create notification subscriber", source="api")
+            return Response(
+                {"detail": str(e)},
+                status=status.HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+            )
+
+
+class UpdateSubscriberView(APIView):
+    """
+    POST /notifications/subscribers/update/
+    Update a Novu subscriber.
+    """
+
+    permission_classes = [IsAuthenticated]
+
+    def post(self, request):
+        serializer = UpdateSubscriberSerializer(data=request.data)
+        serializer.is_valid(raise_exception=True)
+
+        data = serializer.validated_data
+        subscriber_id = data["subscriber_id"]
+
+        try:
+            # Update local record
+            subscriber = Subscriber.objects.filter(user=request.user).first()
+            if not subscriber:
+                return Response(
+                    {"detail": "Subscriber not found"},
+                    status=status.HTTP_404_NOT_FOUND,
+                )
+
+            # Update fields
+            for field in ["first_name", "last_name", "email", "phone", "avatar", "locale", "data"]:
+                if field in data:
+                    setattr(subscriber, field, data[field])
+            subscriber.save()
+
+            # Sync to Novu
+            if novu_service.is_configured:
+                update_fields = {k: v for k, v in data.items() if k != "subscriber_id"}
+                novu_service.update_subscriber(subscriber_id, **update_fields)
+
+            return Response({"success": True})
+
+        except Exception as e:
+            capture_and_log(e, "Update notification subscriber", source="api")
+            return Response(
+                {"detail": str(e)},
+                status=status.HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+            )
+
+
+class UpdatePreferencesView(APIView):
+    """
+    POST /notifications/preferences/
+    Update notification preferences.
+    """
+
+    permission_classes = [IsAuthenticated]
+
+    def post(self, request):
+        serializer = UpdatePreferencesSerializer(data=request.data)
+        serializer.is_valid(raise_exception=True)
+
+        data = serializer.validated_data
+        preferences = data["preferences"]
+
+        try:
+            # Update local preferences
+            pref, created = NotificationPreference.objects.update_or_create(
+                user=request.user,
+                defaults={
+                    "channel_preferences": preferences.get("channelPreferences", {}),
+                    "workflow_preferences": preferences.get("workflowPreferences", {}),
+                    "frequency_settings": preferences.get("frequencySettings", {}),
+                },
+            )
+
+            # Sync to Novu
+            if novu_service.is_configured:
+                subscriber = Subscriber.objects.filter(user=request.user).first()
+                if subscriber:
+                    novu_service.update_preferences(subscriber.novu_subscriber_id, preferences)
+
+            return Response({"success": True})
+
+        except Exception as e:
+            capture_and_log(e, "Update notification preferences", source="api")
+            return Response(
+                {"detail": str(e)},
+                status=status.HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+            )
+
+    def get(self, request):
+        """Get current user's notification preferences."""
+        try:
+            pref = NotificationPreference.objects.filter(user=request.user).first()
+            if not pref:
+                return Response(
+                    {
+                        "channelPreferences": {},
+                        "workflowPreferences": {},
+                        "frequencySettings": {},
+                    }
+                )
+            return Response(NotificationPreferenceSerializer(pref).data)
+        except Exception as e:
+            capture_and_log(e, "Get notification preferences", source="api")
+            return Response(
+                {"detail": str(e)},
+                status=status.HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+            )
+
+
+class TriggerNotificationView(APIView):
+    """
+    POST /notifications/trigger/
+    Trigger a notification workflow.
+    """
+
+    permission_classes = [IsAuthenticated]
+
+    def post(self, request):
+        serializer = TriggerNotificationSerializer(data=request.data)
+        serializer.is_valid(raise_exception=True)
+
+        data = serializer.validated_data
+
+        try:
+            # Log the notification
+            log = NotificationLog.objects.create(
+                user=request.user,
+                workflow_id=data["workflow_id"],
+                notification_type="trigger",
+                channel="all",
+                payload=data.get("payload", {}),
+            )
+
+            # Trigger via Novu
+            if novu_service.is_configured:
+                result = novu_service.trigger_notification(
+                    workflow_id=data["workflow_id"],
+                    subscriber_id=data["subscriber_id"],
+                    payload=data.get("payload"),
+                    overrides=data.get("overrides"),
+                )
+                log.novu_transaction_id = result.get("transactionId", "")
+                log.status = NotificationLog.Status.SENT
+            else:
+                log.status = NotificationLog.Status.SENT  # Mock success
+            log.save()
+
+            return Response({"success": True, "transactionId": log.novu_transaction_id})
+
+        except Exception as e:
+            capture_and_log(e, "Trigger notification", source="api")
+            return Response(
+                {"detail": str(e)},
+                status=status.HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+            )
+
+
+class NotifyModeratorsSubmissionView(APIView):
+    """
+    POST /notifications/moderators/submission/
+    Notify moderators about a new submission.
+    """
+
+    permission_classes = [IsAuthenticated]
+
+    def post(self, request):
+        serializer = ModeratorSubmissionNotificationSerializer(data=request.data)
+        serializer.is_valid(raise_exception=True)
+
+        data = serializer.validated_data
+
+        try:
+            # Log the notification
+            NotificationLog.objects.create(
+                user=request.user,
+                workflow_id="moderator-submission-notification",
+                notification_type="moderator_submission",
+                channel="in_app",
+                payload=data,
+                status=NotificationLog.Status.SENT,
+            )
+
+            # Trigger to moderator topic
+            if novu_service.is_configured:
+                novu_service.trigger_topic_notification(
+                    workflow_id="moderator-submission-notification",
+                    topic_key="moderators",
+                    payload=data,
+                )
+
+            return Response({"success": True})
+
+        except Exception as e:
+            capture_and_log(e, "Notify moderators (submission)", source="api")
+            return Response(
+                {"detail": str(e)},
+                status=status.HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+            )
+
+
+class NotifyModeratorsReportView(APIView):
+    """
+    POST /notifications/moderators/report/
+    Notify moderators about a new report.
+    """
+
+    permission_classes = [IsAuthenticated]
+
+    def post(self, request):
+        serializer = ModeratorReportNotificationSerializer(data=request.data)
+        serializer.is_valid(raise_exception=True)
+
+        data = serializer.validated_data
+
+        try:
+            # Log the notification
+            NotificationLog.objects.create(
+                user=request.user,
+                workflow_id="moderator-report-notification",
+                notification_type="moderator_report",
+                channel="in_app",
+                payload=data,
+                status=NotificationLog.Status.SENT,
+            )
+
+            # Trigger to moderator topic
+            if novu_service.is_configured:
+                novu_service.trigger_topic_notification(
+                    workflow_id="moderator-report-notification",
+                    topic_key="moderators",
+                    payload=data,
+                )
+
+            return Response({"success": True})
+
+        except Exception as e:
+            capture_and_log(e, "Notify moderators (report)", source="api")
+            return Response(
+                {"detail": str(e)},
+                status=status.HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+            )
+
+
+class NotifyUserSubmissionStatusView(APIView):
+    """
+    POST /notifications/user/submission-status/
+    Notify a user about their submission status change.
+    """
+
+    permission_classes = [IsAuthenticated]
+
+    def post(self, request):
+        data = request.data
+
+        try:
+            subscriber_id = data.get("subscriber_id") or str(request.user.id)
+
+            # Log the notification
+            NotificationLog.objects.create(
+                user=request.user,
+                workflow_id="submission-status-update",
+                notification_type="submission_status",
+                channel="email",
+                payload=data,
+                status=NotificationLog.Status.SENT,
+            )
+
+            # Trigger notification
+            if novu_service.is_configured:
+                novu_service.trigger_notification(
+                    workflow_id="submission-status-update",
+                    subscriber_id=subscriber_id,
+                    payload=data,
+                )
+
+            return Response({"success": True})
+
+        except Exception as e:
+            capture_and_log(e, "Notify user submission status", source="api")
+            return Response(
+                {"detail": str(e)},
+                status=status.HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+            )
+
+
+class SystemAnnouncementView(APIView):
+    """
+    POST /notifications/system/announcement/
+    Send a system-wide announcement (admin only).
+    """
+
+    permission_classes = [IsAdminUser]
+
+    def post(self, request):
+        serializer = CreateAnnouncementSerializer(data=request.data)
+        serializer.is_valid(raise_exception=True)
+
+        data = serializer.validated_data
+
+        try:
+            # Create announcement record
+            announcement = SystemAnnouncement.objects.create(
+                title=data["title"],
+                message=data["message"],
+                severity=data.get("severity", "info"),
+                action_url=data.get("action_url", ""),
+                created_by=request.user,
+            )
+
+            # Trigger to all users topic
+            if novu_service.is_configured:
+                novu_service.trigger_topic_notification(
+                    workflow_id="system-announcement",
+                    topic_key="users",
+                    payload={
+                        "title": announcement.title,
+                        "message": announcement.message,
+                        "severity": announcement.severity,
+                        "actionUrl": announcement.action_url,
+                    },
+                )
+
+            return Response(
+                {
+                    "success": True,
+                    "announcementId": str(announcement.id),
+                },
+                status=status.HTTP_201_CREATED,
+            )
+
+        except Exception as e:
+            capture_and_log(e, "System announcement", source="api")
+            return Response(
+                {"detail": str(e)},
+                status=status.HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+            )
+
+
+class AdminAlertView(APIView):
+    """
+    POST /notifications/admin/alert/
+    Send alert to admins.
+    """
+
+    permission_classes = [IsAuthenticated]
+
+    def post(self, request):
+        data = request.data
+
+        try:
+            # Log the alert
+            NotificationLog.objects.create(
+                user=request.user,
+                workflow_id="admin-alert",
+                notification_type="admin_alert",
+                channel="email",
+                payload=data,
+                status=NotificationLog.Status.SENT,
+            )
+
+            # Trigger to admin topic
+            if novu_service.is_configured:
+                novu_service.trigger_topic_notification(
+                    workflow_id="admin-alert",
+                    topic_key="admins",
+                    payload=data,
+                )
+
+            return Response({"success": True})
+
+        except Exception as e:
+            capture_and_log(e, "Admin alert", source="api")
+            return Response(
+                {"detail": str(e)},
+                status=status.HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+            )
+
+
+class AdminCriticalErrorView(APIView):
+    """
+    POST /notifications/admin/critical-error/
+    Send critical error alert to admins.
+    """
+
+    permission_classes = [IsAuthenticated]
+
+    def post(self, request):
+        data = request.data
+
+        try:
+            # Log the alert
+            NotificationLog.objects.create(
+                user=request.user,
+                workflow_id="admin-critical-error",
+                notification_type="critical_error",
+                channel="email",
+                payload=data,
+                status=NotificationLog.Status.SENT,
+            )
+
+            # Trigger to admin topic with urgent priority
+            if novu_service.is_configured:
+                novu_service.trigger_topic_notification(
+                    workflow_id="admin-critical-error",
+                    topic_key="admins",
+                    payload=data,
+                )
+
+            return Response({"success": True})
+
+        except Exception as e:
+            capture_and_log(e, "Admin critical error", source="api")
+            return Response(
+                {"detail": str(e)},
+                status=status.HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+            )
+
+
+# ============================================================================
+# Native Notification Views (django-notifications-hq)
+# ============================================================================
+
+
+class NotificationListView(APIView):
+    """
+    GET /notifications/
+    Get list of notifications for the current user.
+    """
+
+    permission_classes = [IsAuthenticated]
+
+    def get(self, request):
+        try:
+            unread_only = request.query_params.get("unread_only", "false").lower() == "true"
+            limit = min(int(request.query_params.get("limit", 50)), 100)
+
+            notifications = notification_service.get_user_notifications(
+                user=request.user,
+                unread_only=unread_only,
+                limit=limit,
+            )
+
+            # Serialize notifications
+            notification_list = []
+            for notif in notifications:
+                notification_list.append({
+                    "id": notif.id,
+                    "actor": str(notif.actor) if notif.actor else None,
+                    "verb": notif.verb,
+                    "description": notif.description or "",
+                    "target": str(notif.target) if notif.target else None,
+                    "actionObject": str(notif.action_object) if notif.action_object else None,
+                    "level": notif.level,
+                    "unread": notif.unread,
+                    "data": notif.data or {},
+                    "timestamp": notif.timestamp.isoformat(),
+                })
+
+            return Response({
+                "notifications": notification_list,
+                "unreadCount": notification_service.get_unread_count(request.user),
+            })
+
+        except Exception as e:
+            capture_and_log(e, "Get notifications", source="api")
+            return Response(
+                {"detail": str(e)},
+                status=status.HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+            )
+
+
+class NotificationMarkReadView(APIView):
+    """
+    POST /notifications/mark-read/
+    Mark notification(s) as read.
+    """
+
+    permission_classes = [IsAuthenticated]
+
+    def post(self, request):
+        try:
+            notification_id = request.data.get("notification_id")
+
+            notification_service.mark_as_read(
+                user=request.user,
+                notification_id=notification_id,
+            )
+
+            return Response({
+                "success": True,
+                "unreadCount": notification_service.get_unread_count(request.user),
+            })
+
+        except Exception as e:
+            capture_and_log(e, "Mark notification read", source="api")
+            return Response(
+                {"detail": str(e)},
+                status=status.HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+            )
+
+
+class NotificationUnreadCountView(APIView):
+    """
+    GET /notifications/unread-count/
+    Get count of unread notifications.
+    """
+
+    permission_classes = [IsAuthenticated]
+
+    def get(self, request):
+        try:
+            count = notification_service.get_unread_count(request.user)
+            return Response({"unreadCount": count})
+        except Exception as e:
+            capture_and_log(e, "Get unread count", source="api")
+            return Response(
+                {"detail": str(e)},
+                status=status.HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+            )