Messages

Chat live with your tribe. Public channels, tier-only rooms, and direct messages, all in one place.

The Messages area is your live chat with your tribe. It runs as channels: an open public channel, other channels locked to specific tiers, and one-to-one conversations through direct messages. Everything updates in real time.

Chat is for the fast, disposable conversation. If you want threads people can find again next month, use community spaces instead.

How to open messages

Go to Membership then Messages in your dashboard.

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

Channels

The sidebar groups channels by type:

Public, where anyone in your tribe, including free members, can read and post.
Tier Channels, locked to one or more tiers. Only members on those tiers can see or post here.
Direct Messages, one-to-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

Click the + button in the top-right of the channels sidebar.
Enter a Channel Name (required).
Add a short Description so members know what the channel is for.
Choose the Type:
- Public. Any member can access
- Private. Specific tiers only
If you picked private, tick the boxes for the tiers that should have access.
Click Create.

The new channel shows up in the sidebar immediately.

Channels can be created for you

When you create a membership tier, ticking Automatically create a private chat channel for this tier gives it a locked channel from day one. It is off by default.

Starting a direct message

Click the second icon at the top of the sidebar to open New direct message, search for a member by name, and pick them. The conversation appears under Direct Messages in the sidebar.

Tier channels are powerful

A "VIP Lounge" tier channel gives your top supporters somewhere only they can hang out. It is one of the simplest ways to make a paid tier feel worth it.

The message panel

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

The top of the panel shows the channel name and description. If pinned messages exist, a pin icon with a count appears. 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 are typing, members in the channel see a typing indicator.

Attaching files

Click the paperclip (Attach files) beside the message box to send images, video, audio, or documents. Attachments queue up under the input so you can remove one before you send. Each file has to be under 100MB, and you get told which one is too big if you go over.

Reading messages

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

Replying in a thread

Every message can start a thread. Open one and a Thread panel slides in from the side with a Reply... box at the bottom. Threads keep a tangent out of the main channel, which is what stops one long answer burying everything else. An empty thread says "No replies yet. Start the thread."

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, which is 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 see it disappear straight away.

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 are one to one between you and a member. They sit in the Direct Messages group at the bottom of the sidebar. Pinning, deleting, threads, and read status all work the same. There are no channel settings, because there is 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.
Give slower conversations a permanent home in community spaces.
Tease something on social and bring fans into your channel to talk about it.