Abstract: One goal of the disclosed embodiments is to improve user engagement, e.g. increasing the number of documents from a group of documents that are read, reviewed, and/or modified. Patterns of inaction are identified based on user inactivity, both in comparison to a group that has received the same group of documents, and as an individual who has received a request regarding a document from another user. When a user crosses a threshold of inactivity, attempts to engage with specific documents are initiated. In one embodiment, promoting content includes displaying links to content in novel ways, including adding links to promoted content to existing content lists located in existing application software, such as a recently opened file list, or adding promoted content in places where a user is likely to see the recommendation while completing a previous task, such as at the bottom of a word processing document.