diff --git a/migrations/20230922150232-notifications-add-type.js b/migrations/20230922150232-notifications-add-type.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9c56ce3d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/migrations/20230922150232-notifications-add-type.js
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+'use strict';
+
+exports.up = async function (db) {
+    await db.runSql('ALTER TABLE notifications ADD COLUMN type VARCHAR(128) NOT NULL DEFAULT ""');
+};
+
+exports.down = async function (db) {
+    await db.runSql('ALTER TABLE notifications DROP COLUMN type');
+};
diff --git a/migrations/schema.sql b/migrations/schema.sql
index 31c3daa25..465717b16 100644
--- a/migrations/schema.sql
+++ b/migrations/schema.sql
@@ -254,6 +254,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS tasks(
 CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS notifications(
     id int NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
     eventId VARCHAR(128), // reference to eventlog. can be null
+    type VARCHAR(128) NOT NULL DEFAULT ""
     title VARCHAR(512) NOT NULL,
     message TEXT,
     acknowledged BOOLEAN DEFAULT false,
diff --git a/src/notifications.js b/src/notifications.js
index f41ec551d..cbb5a6515 100644
--- a/src/notifications.js
+++ b/src/notifications.js
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ exports = module.exports = {
 
     onEvent,
 
+    // these are notification types
+    ALERT_CLOUDRON_INSTALLED: 'cloudronInstalled',
+    ALERT_CLOUDRON_UPDATED: 'cloudronUpdated',
+    ALERT_CLOUDRON_UPDATE_FAILED: 'cloudronUpdateFailed',
+    ALERT_CERTIFICATE_RENEWAL_FAILED: 'certificateRenewalFailed',
     ALERT_BACKUP_CONFIG: 'backupConfig',
     ALERT_DISK_SPACE: 'diskSpace',
     ALERT_MAIL_STATUS: 'mailStatus',
@@ -15,6 +20,9 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     ALERT_BOX_UPDATE: 'boxUpdate',
     ALERT_UPDATE_UBUNTU: 'ubuntuUpdate',
     ALERT_MANUAL_APP_UPDATE: 'manualAppUpdate',
+    ALERT_APP_OOM: 'appOutOfMemory',
+    ALERT_APP_UPDATED: 'appUpdated',
+    ALERT_BACKUP_FAILED: 'backupFailed',
 
     alert,
     clearAlert,
@@ -34,7 +42,7 @@ const assert = require('assert'),
     mailer = require('./mailer.js'),
     users = require('./users.js');
 
-const NOTIFICATION_FIELDS = [ 'id', 'eventId', 'title', 'message', 'creationTime', 'acknowledged' ];
+const NOTIFICATION_FIELDS = [ 'id', 'eventId', 'type', 'title', 'message', 'creationTime', 'acknowledged' ];
 
 function postProcess(result) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof result, 'object');
@@ -43,13 +51,14 @@ function postProcess(result) {
     return result;
 }
 
-async function add(title, message, data) {
+async function add(type, title, message, data) {
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof type, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof title, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof message, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof data, 'object');
 
-    const query = 'INSERT INTO notifications (title, message, acknowledged, eventId) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?)';
-    const args = [ title, message, false, data?.eventId || null ];
+    const query = 'INSERT INTO notifications (type, title, message, acknowledged, eventId) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?)';
+    const args = [ type, title, message, false, data?.eventId || null ];
 
     const result = await database.query(query, args);
     return String(result.insertId);
@@ -143,7 +152,7 @@ async function oomEvent(eventId, containerId, app, addonName /*, event*/) {
         message = `The app has been restarted automatically. If you see this notification often, consider increasing the [memory limit](https://${dashboardFqdn}/#/app/${app.id}/resources)`;
     }
 
-    await add(title, message, { eventId });
+    await add(exports.ALERT_APP_OOM, title, message, { eventId });
 }
 
 async function appUpdated(eventId, app, fromManifest, toManifest) {
@@ -159,7 +168,7 @@ async function appUpdated(eventId, app, fromManifest, toManifest) {
     const title = upstreamVersion ? `${toManifest.title} at ${app.fqdn} updated to ${upstreamVersion} (package version ${toManifest.version})`
         : `${toManifest.title} at ${app.fqdn} updated to package version ${toManifest.version}`;
 
-    await add(title, `The application installed at https://${app.fqdn} was updated.\n\nChangelog:\n${toManifest.changelog}\n`, { eventId });
+    await add(exports.ALERT_APP_UPDATED, title, `The application installed at https://${app.fqdn} was updated.\n\nChangelog:\n${toManifest.changelog}\n`, { eventId });
 }
 
 async function boxInstalled(eventId, version) {
@@ -169,7 +178,7 @@ async function boxInstalled(eventId, version) {
     const changes = changelog.getChanges(version.replace(/\.([^.]*)$/, '.0')); // last .0 release
     const changelogMarkdown = changes.map((m) => `* ${m}\n`).join('');
 
-    await add(`Cloudron v${version} installed`, `Cloudron v${version} was installed.\n\nPlease join our community at ${constants.FORUM_URL} .\n\nChangelog:\n${changelogMarkdown}\n`, { eventId });
+    await add(exports.ALERT_CLOUDRON_INSTALLED, `Cloudron v${version} installed`, `Cloudron v${version} was installed.\n\nPlease join our community at ${constants.FORUM_URL} .\n\nChangelog:\n${changelogMarkdown}\n`, { eventId });
 }
 
 async function boxUpdated(eventId, oldVersion, newVersion) {
@@ -180,14 +189,14 @@ async function boxUpdated(eventId, oldVersion, newVersion) {
     const changes = changelog.getChanges(newVersion);
     const changelogMarkdown = changes.map((m) => `* ${m}\n`).join('');
 
-    await add(`Cloudron updated to v${newVersion}`, `Cloudron was updated from v${oldVersion} to v${newVersion}.\n\nChangelog:\n${changelogMarkdown}\n`, { eventId });
+    await add(exports.ALERT_CLOUDRON_UPDATED, `Cloudron updated to v${newVersion}`, `Cloudron was updated from v${oldVersion} to v${newVersion}.\n\nChangelog:\n${changelogMarkdown}\n`, { eventId });
 }
 
 async function boxUpdateError(eventId, errorMessage) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof eventId, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof errorMessage, 'string');
 
-    await add('Cloudron update failed', `Failed to update Cloudron: ${errorMessage}.`, { eventId });
+    await add(exports.ALERT_CLOUDRON_UPDATE_FAILED, 'Cloudron update failed', `Failed to update Cloudron: ${errorMessage}.`, { eventId });
 }
 
 async function certificateRenewalError(eventId, fqdn, errorMessage) {
@@ -195,7 +204,7 @@ async function certificateRenewalError(eventId, fqdn, errorMessage) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof fqdn, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof errorMessage, 'string');
 
-    await add(`Certificate renewal of ${fqdn} failed`, `Failed to renew certs of ${fqdn}: ${errorMessage}. Renewal will be retried in 12 hours.`, { eventId });
+    await add(exports.ALERT_CERTIFICATE_RENEWAL_FAILED, `Certificate renewal of ${fqdn} failed`, `Failed to renew certs of ${fqdn}: ${errorMessage}. Renewal will be retried in 12 hours.`, { eventId });
 
     const admins = await users.getAdmins();
     for (const admin of admins) {
@@ -208,7 +217,7 @@ async function backupFailed(eventId, taskId, errorMessage) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof taskId, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof errorMessage, 'string');
 
-    await add('Backup failed', `Backup failed: ${errorMessage}. Logs are available [here](/frontend/logs.html?taskId=${taskId}).`, { eventId });
+    await add(exports.ALERT_BACKUP_FAILED, 'Backup failed', `Backup failed: ${errorMessage}. Logs are available [here](/frontend/logs.html?taskId=${taskId}).`, { eventId });
 
     // only send mail if the past 3 automated backups failed
     const backupEvents = await eventlog.listPaged([eventlog.ACTION_BACKUP_FINISH], null /* search */, 1, 20);
@@ -226,16 +235,16 @@ async function backupFailed(eventId, taskId, errorMessage) {
     }
 }
 
-// id is unused but nice to search code
-async function alert(id, title, message, options) {
-    assert.strictEqual(typeof id, 'string');
+// type must be one of ALERT_*
+async function alert(type, title, message, options) {
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof type, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof title, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof message, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof options, 'object');
 
     const result = await getByTitle(title);
 
-    if (!result) return await add(title, message, { eventId: null });
+    if (!result) return await add(type, title, message, { eventId: null });
     if (!options.persist) return result.id;
 
     await update(result, {
@@ -250,11 +259,10 @@ async function alert(id, title, message, options) {
 }
 
 // id is unused but nice to search code
-async function clearAlert(id, title) {
-    assert.strictEqual(typeof id, 'string');
-    assert.strictEqual(typeof title, 'string');
+async function clearAlert(type) {
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof type, 'string');
 
-    await database.query('DELETE FROM notifications WHERE title = ?', [ title ]);
+    await database.query('DELETE FROM notifications WHERE type = ?', [ type ]);
     return null;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/routes/test/notifications-test.js b/src/routes/test/notifications-test.js
index 0923e9698..5fc0bf967 100644
--- a/src/routes/test/notifications-test.js
+++ b/src/routes/test/notifications-test.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ describe('Notifications API', function () {
 
     it('can add notifications', async function () {
         for (let i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
-            const id = await notifications._add(`title ${i}`, `message ${i}`, { eventId: null });
+            const id = await notifications._add(notifications.ALERT_APP_UPDATED, `title ${i}`, `message ${i}`, { eventId: null });
             notificationIds.push(id);
         }
     });
diff --git a/src/test/notifications-test.js b/src/test/notifications-test.js
index 8c5935aec..f3e98500a 100644
--- a/src/test/notifications-test.js
+++ b/src/test/notifications-test.js
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ describe('Notifications', function () {
 
     it('can add notifications', async function () {
         for (let i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
-            const [error, id] = await safe(notifications._add(`title ${i}`, `message ${i}`, { eventId: EVENT_0.id }));
+            const [error, id] = await safe(notifications._add(notifications.ALERT_APP_UPDATED, `title ${i}`, `message ${i}`, { eventId: EVENT_0.id }));
             expect(error).to.equal(null);
             expect(id).to.be.a('string');
             notificationIds.push(id);
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ describe('Notifications', function () {
         const [error, result] = await safe(notifications.get(notificationIds[0]));
         expect(error).to.be(null);
         expect(result.title).to.be('title 0');
+        expect(result.type).to.be(notifications.ALERT_APP_UPDATED);
         expect(result.message).to.be('message 0');
         expect(result.acknowledged).to.be(false);
     });
@@ -60,10 +61,11 @@ describe('Notifications', function () {
     });
 
     it('can update notification', async function () {
-        await notifications.update({ id: notificationIds[0] }, { title: 'updated title 0', message: 'updated message 0', acknowledged: true });
+        await notifications.update({ id: notificationIds[0] }, { type: notifications.ALERT_APP_OOM, title: 'updated title 0', message: 'updated message 0', acknowledged: true });
 
         const result = await notifications.get(notificationIds[0]);
         expect(result.title).to.be('updated title 0');
+        expect(result.type).to.be(notifications.ALERT_APP_OOM);
         expect(result.message).to.be('updated message 0');
         expect(result.acknowledged).to.be(true);
     });
@@ -118,7 +120,7 @@ describe('Notifications', function () {
     });
 
     it('can clear the alert', async function () {
-        const id = await notifications.clearAlert(notifications.ALERT_BOX_UPDATE, 'Cloudron xx is available');
+        const id = await notifications.clearAlert(notifications.ALERT_BOX_UPDATE);
         expect(id).to.be(null);
 
         const result = await notifications.get(alertId);