Messages

The Messages area is your live chat with your tribe. It runs as channels — like a small Discord built right into TribeNest. You can have an open public channel, lock other channels to specific tiers, and have one-on-one conversations through direct messages. Everything updates in real time.

How to open messages

1. Go to Memberships then Messages in your dashboard.

You'll see a sidebar of channels on the left and the message panel on the right. On mobile, the sidebar takes over the screen and you tap a channel to open it.

Channels

The sidebar groups channels by type:

• Public — anyone in your tribe (including free members) can read and post.
• Tier channels — locked to one or more paid tiers. Only members on those tiers can see or post here.
• Direct messages — one-on-one conversations with individual members.

Unread message counts show as red badges on each channel name, so you always know where the action is.

Creating a channel

1. Click the + button in the top-right of the channels sidebar.
2. Enter a name for the channel (required).
3. Add a short description so members know what the channel is for.
4. Choose the type:
   • Public — visible to everyone.
   • Private — restricted to specific tiers.
5. If you picked private, tick the boxes for the tiers that should have access.
6. Click Create.

The new channel shows up in the sidebar immediately. Direct message channels are created automatically when you start a one-on-one conversation — you don't create them from this dialog.

The message panel

Click any channel from the sidebar and the message panel opens on the right.

Header

The top of the panel shows the channel name and description. If pinned messages exist, you'll see a pin icon with a count — click it to expand the pinned messages banner. As the channel owner, you also get a settings icon for managing the channel.

Sending messages

Type into the input at the bottom and press Enter (or click the send button) to post. Shift + Enter adds a new line without sending. While you're typing, members in the channel see a typing indicator.

Reading messages

Messages stream in real-time. As you scroll past messages they're automatically marked as read. Scroll to the top of a long history and older messages will load in.

Pinning messages

Hover a message and use the message actions to pin it. Pinned messages appear in the banner at the top of the channel for everyone to see — perfect for rules, announcements, or links you want everyone to find. Pin again to unpin.

Deleting messages

As the channel owner, you can delete any message in your channel. Hover a message and use the actions to delete it. Members get a real-time update when a message disappears.

Managing a channel

In a channel you own (any non-DM channel), the gear icon in the panel header opens channel settings — including the option to delete the channel. Deleting a channel is permanent and removes the entire conversation, so confirm carefully.

Direct messages

Direct message channels work the same way as group channels, but they're one-to-one between you and a member. They show up in the Direct messages group at the bottom of the sidebar. The pin, delete, and read-status features all work the same — there's just no header settings since there's no channel to configure.

Real-time everything

Messages, typing indicators, pins, and deletes all update live without refreshing. Switch between channels and the feed catches up instantly. Unread counts in the sidebar tick down as you read.

Where to go next

• Decide which tiers get their own private channel.
• Pin a welcome message and link to your latest post or collection.
• Tease something on social and bring fans into your channel to talk about it.