Add notifications API overview landing page

Adds hub/apps/develop/notifications/index.md as the entry point for the
notifications section. Addresses a common developer confusion: most
Stack Overflow answers use ToastNotificationManager (Windows.UI.Notifications,
UWP WinRT), but new WinUI 3 / Windows App SDK apps should use
AppNotificationManager (Microsoft.Windows.AppNotifications).

Without this page, developers building new apps follow UWP-era guidance
found in search results and end up using the wrong namespace, which can
cause issues with unpackaged apps and misses the forward-looking API.

Changes:
- New index.md: quick-decision API table, feature comparison, delivery
  method overview, and contextual next-steps by app type
- toc.yml: adds index.md as href for the Notifications section heading

Co-authored-by: Copilot <[email protected]>

Author: GrantMeStrength

hub/apps/develop/notifications/index.md

@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+---
+title: Windows notifications overview
+description: Understand which Windows notification API to use for your app type—AppNotificationManager (Windows App SDK) vs ToastNotificationManager (WinRT/UWP)—and choose the right delivery method.
+ms.topic: overview
+ms.date: 03/19/2026
+keywords: toast, notification, AppNotificationManager, ToastNotificationManager, WNS, push notification, Windows App SDK
+ms.localizationpriority: medium
+---
+
+# Windows notifications overview
+
+Windows provides several notification APIs across different SDK generations. If you're searching online for how to send a notification and finding conflicting examples, this page will help you pick the right API for your app.
+
+## Which API should I use?
+
+The answer depends on which SDK your app targets:
+
+| App type | Recommended API | Namespace |
+|---|---|---|
+| WinUI 3 / Windows App SDK (new apps) | `AppNotificationManager` | `Microsoft.Windows.AppNotifications` |
+| WPF, WinForms, or unpackaged Win32 | `AppNotificationManager` via NuGet | `Microsoft.Windows.AppNotifications` |
+| UWP (existing apps, no migration planned) | `ToastNotificationManager` | `Windows.UI.Notifications` |
+
+> [!IMPORTANT]
+> Most Stack Overflow answers and older tutorials use `ToastNotificationManager` from the `Windows.UI.Notifications` namespace. This is the **UWP WinRT API**. It works in UWP apps and may work in some desktop scenarios, but it is not the recommended path for new Windows App SDK apps. Use `AppNotificationManager` for new development.
+
+## Notifications API comparison
+
+| Feature | `AppNotificationManager` (Windows App SDK) | `ToastNotificationManager` (WinRT) |
+|---|---|---|
+| **Recommended for** | WinUI 3, WPF, WinForms, unpackaged Win32 | UWP |
+| **NuGet package** | `Microsoft.WindowsAppSDK` | None (inbox) |
+| **Package identity required** | No (works packaged and unpackaged) | Required for some features |
+| **Push integration** | `PushNotificationManager` (Windows App SDK) | WNS channel APIs (`Windows.Networking.PushNotifications`) |
+| **Active development** | Yes | Maintenance only |
+
+## Types of notifications
+
+Once you've chosen the right API, decide how your notification will be delivered:
+
+| Type | Description | Use when |
+|---|---|---|
+| **Local app notification** | Triggered directly by your app code while running | You want to alert the user of an in-app event |
+| **Scheduled** | Set a future time for the notification to appear | Calendar reminders, alarms |
+| **Push (WNS)** | Sent from your cloud service via Windows Push Notification Services | Chat messages, breaking news, real-time updates |
+| **Badge** | Small overlay on the app's taskbar icon | Unread count, status indicator |
+
+For a full breakdown of delivery methods, see [Choose a notification delivery method](choosing-a-notification-delivery-method.md).
+
+## Next steps
+
+**Building a WinUI 3 or Windows App SDK app?**
+- [App notifications overview](app-notifications/index.md) — local and push app notifications using `AppNotificationManager`
+- [App notifications quickstart](app-notifications/app-notifications-quickstart.md)
+- [Push notifications overview](push-notifications/index.md) — WNS push using `PushNotificationManager`
+
+**Building or maintaining a UWP app?**
+- [Send a local app notification from C++ UWP apps](app-notifications/send-local-toast-cpp-uwp.md)
+- [Windows Push Notification Services (WNS) overview](push-notifications/wns-overview.md)
+
+**Migrating a UWP app to Windows App SDK?**
+- [Migrate toast notifications](../../windows-app-sdk/migrate-to-windows-app-sdk/guides/toast-notifications.md)
+- [Migrate push notifications](../../windows-app-sdk/migrate-to-windows-app-sdk/guides/notifications.md)

hub/apps/develop/toc.yml

@@ -412,6 +412,7 @@ items:
         - name: Visual feedback
           href: input/guidelines-for-visualfeedback.md    
     - name: Notifications
+      href: notifications/index.md
       items:
       - name: Push notifications
         items: