Team Chat

Team Chat is where you communicate with your teammates who use the CRM outside of customer conversations: the general channel where everyone is present, topic- or shift-specific channels, and one-on-one direct messages. You can also share a customer or a customer message as a card and ask the team a question from here.

• Team ChatOpen your channels and direct messages
• Notification PreferencesTurn on or off mention notifications
• Team Members and PermissionsDetermine who can use the team chat

How do I access the team chat?

Click the Team icon at the bottom of the left sidebar. In the panel that opens, under the "Team Chat" heading, you’ll find the channels you’re a member of, along with the "Channels" and search bar; under the "Direct Messages" heading, you’ll find your one-on-one conversations. Users with team management permissions will also see the "Members," "Permissions and Structure," and "Audit" headings in the same panel.

• The name of a channel with unread messages is displayed in bold.
• The number on the team icon indicates the number of unread direct messages and messages mentioning you; if there are unread messages only in channels, a small dot appears on the icon.
• When you open the team chat, the channel you last viewed will open; if this is your first time opening it, the #general channel will open.

Channel Types

Creating a Channel

1. New channel — In the Team panel, click the plus button next to the "Team Chat" heading.
2. Name and Subject — The name can be up to 80 characters long; you do not need to start it with #. If a channel with the same name already exists, it will not be created. The subject is optional (up to 250 characters).
3. Private channel — If you enable the lock, only the members you add to the channel will be able to find and read it.
4. Create a channel — Select the first members from the "Add Members" field and save. The person who creates the channel becomes the channel administrator.

To send a direct message, click the plus button next to the "Direct Messages" heading and select a team member.

Channel Details

The member count button on the channel’s top bar (Details in a direct message) opens the following:

• About: Only channel administrators and team administrators can change the name and topic.
• Members: Anyone in the channel can add members; removing members is restricted to channel administrators and team administrators.
• Settings: Mute, Leave Channel, and Archive Channel (for administrators). An archived channel can be read but not posted to; it can be reactivated using "Unarchive Channel."

Write a message

• Enter → Sends the message
• Shift + Enter → Moves to a new line
• @ → Search for a team member; use the arrow keys to select the suggestion, then add it with Enter or Tab
• ↑ → Opens your last message for editing when the text box is empty
• Esc → Abandons editing or replying

A message can be up to 4,000 characters long. Unfinished text is saved in your browser per channel. While someone is typing, the "Typing..." line appears, and the "New messages" line appears after the last place you read.

When you hover over a message:

• Add a reaction: Selects one of eight predefined reactions; clicking the same reaction again removes it.
• Reply: To reply, quote the message.
• Forward: Sends the message to another channel or a team member, with the option to add a note.
• Other actions: Edit or Delete your own message. In named channels, channel administrators and team administrators can also delete other people’s messages; in direct messages, everyone can only delete their own messages.

Reminders, Notifications, and Mute

• The person you mention receives a "You were mentioned in a team chat" notification. Up to 20 people can be mentioned in a single message; in private channels and direct messages, only those who can view that chat can be mentioned.
• If you edit a message and mention a new person, only the newly mentioned person will receive a notification.
• Messages in channels and direct messages do not appear in the notification list; a notification sound plays in chats that have not been muted. Messages sent to a channel that is currently open on the screen are marked as read, and no sound plays.
• Mute: Keeps track of the number of unread messages but does not play a sound. Messages addressed to you will still reach you.

Sharing a customer and a conversation with the team

Without leaving the call screen, you can ask your team, “Can you look this up for me?” or “What does this mean?” The content isn’t copied into the chat; it goes as a card.

When sharing, select a channel or a team member from the "Send to" field; if you don’t have a direct message with that person, a new one will open automatically. The message field is optional. In the search bar, you can find a customer by their name, email, or phone number, or by the conversation subject or their number in the format #123.

The customer card contains contact information, the number of open conversations, Call, Open Profile, and Start Conversation. The "Call" button initiates the call from your CRM phone if you have one; otherwise, it opens the number in your device’s calling app. The "Quote" card indicates whether the message is a customer message, a team response, or an internal note; clicking "Open in Conversation" takes you to the conversation.

Finding Channels and Searching Messages

Team › Team Chat › Channels and Search page:

• Search messages: Searches for at least 2 characters in channels you can read and in your direct messages; displays the 50 most recent results.
• Channels you can join: open channels you are not a member of; you can join them by clicking "Join."
• Archived channels: the archived channels you are a member of.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone else see my direct messages?

No. Direct messages are private between two people; no one else, including team managers, can read them or find them in a search.

Related articles

• Team Members, Roles, and Permissions
• Internal notes and mentioning a team member
• Notifications and Alert Sounds
• Customer Profile