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Messages

Centralized messaging in a global inbox - threads and replies all organized in a project channels.

Stacey Hatch avatar
Written by Stacey Hatch
Updated over 2 weeks ago

Overview

Messages helps centralize your communication efforts in a global inbox. Channels for each project make it easy to see recent activity and new messages posted.

Messages also introduces new functionality with "Threads" - create organized discussions around specific messages, and "Save for Later" - flag important messages to review at a later time.

Finally, a brand new text editor gives you more flexibility than ever with replies and reactions to messages.


Important Details

Customer Access: At this time, customer and internal users can see all task channels for projects they're added to, including tasks set to "hidden" visibility. To ensure sensitive information and non-customer conversations stay private, use the "Send Internal" option when sending a message.

Messages API: Messages does have API support. Please see our API Documentation for more details.


User Access

All GUIDEcx users can access and send messages.

By default, messages sent in a channel will be visible to all team members (internal and external), unless privacy is set to "Message Internal Only".

Admins and Managers will be able to see all channels. Customers, Contributors, Task Owners, and Guides will only see channel messages for the projects they have been invited to.


Messages - Features

Global Inbox

Users can navigate to Messages via the navigation rail. A badge containing a # indicates how many new messages are available to view.

Unread Mentions

“Unread Mentions” are displayed at the top of the inbox so users can quickly view unread messages they've been @mentioned in.

Recent Activity

Project and task channels displayed below "Unread Mentions" are surfaced based on recent activity. This keeps the global inbox less cluttered for users who oversee many projects or projects with many tasks. You can leverage "Search" to find any project or task channel you have access to.

Filters

Filters are available for you to drill down into specific project and task channels.

  • Channels with customer messages: applying this filter will surface channels customers have been active in

  • Channels for projects I manage: this filter is particularly useful for Admins and Managers who have visibility across all projects, but would like to only see channels for the projects they manage

  • Unread channels: displays project or task channels with unread messages - great to combine with other filters to surface high priority channels


Project & Task Channels

Both project and task channels are supported in Message . Channels can be accessed within the global inbox, the "Messages" tab within a project, or in the task drawer (for task channels).

Customer Access: At this time, customer and internal users can see all task channels for projects they're added to, including tasks set to "hidden" visibility. To ensure sensitive information and non-customer conversations stay private, use the "Send Internal" option when sending a message.


Threaded Messages

Threaded messages help you create organized discussions around specific messages. They enable discussion around a topic in more detail without adding clutter to a channel. Hover over a message, then click the chat bubble icon to reply in a thread.

Depending on the size of your monitor or screen, you may be able to accommodate a view that displays your channel navigation, the project channel, and the threaded conversation at once.

If your screen is smaller, the threaded conversation will display when clicked on from the main project channel. To give more space to Messages, collapse your navigation rail.


Save for Later

We understand that running projects and assisting team members can be a demanding task, so you may be in the middle of something when an important message comes in.

Hover over a message and click the flag icon to "Save For Later". Circle back to review + reply at a time that is convenient for you. Messages that are saved for later will appear with a blue background.

All saved messages can be found in the "Save For Later" tab so you can quickly find messages you're looking for and take action.

Mark a "Save for Later" message as completed to remove it from the Save For Later list.


Email Notifications

There are two types of email notifications associated with Messages: “Mentions” and a “Daily Digest”.

Mentions

When a user "@ mentions" another user, the user that was mentioned is immediately sent an email notification. This @ mention functionality applies to individual users and group mentions.

Within the notification email, the mentioned user can see the entire message and can choose “Reply via Email” or “Reply in Project". Users are encouraged to use these buttons vs. the email client native reply button to keep formatting streamlined in Messages.

  • Reply via Email: If a user selects this option, the email client will open the composer and populate the email address appropriately. The user can then type their message and hit send. GUIDEcx will take the response and add it as a reply within the message thread.

  • Reply in Project: If a user selects this option, they will be routed to GUIDEcx, and once authenticated, will land on the specific message within the threaded view where they can reply. No need to hunt through messages to find the @ mention!

Daily Digest

The Daily Digest notification is a once a day email that users will receive if they have any unread messages on projects they're invited to. This email goes out at 6 PM EDT and it will include details of a user's most recent messages (up to 5). The five most recent messages link back to each project, allowing users quick access to reply. At the bottom of the email users will see a count or indicator highlighting the # of unread messages remaining. If clicked, users will be routed to their Global Inbox in Messages.


Attachments

Attachments that were supported in Notes are also supported in Messages (jpg, png, pdf, etc).

File types that are not supported include: svg, .html, .js, .css, .exe, .sh, .dll, .cdm, and .dmg.

The default file size limit is 30 MB.

Attachment Previews

You can now preview attachments in Messages. Attachment previews are available for image files (.jpg, .png, .gif) and pdfs.

Saving Attachments

Attachments sent in Messages can be saved to the Attachments tab in a project by hovering over the file and selecting Attach File to Project. This functionality applies to message attachments in both project and task channels, and is only available in GUIDE 2.0.

Note: Saved attachments are independent. Deleting an attachment in a message does not delete the saved file in project attachments and vice versa.


Q&A

What happened to my legacy notes?

While all notes for active projects (from 2023 on) have been migrated to messages, for your peace of mind, notes will still be visible in a read-only format in the legacy experience through 2026.

How does functionality of Messages compare to Notes?

Feature/Use Case

Notes

Messages

Project Level Communication

Task Level Communication

Internal Only

Visibility Filter

Search body/content

Future Enhancement

Accessible via Task Drawer

Mentions to individuals

Email notification for Mentions

Email notification for Unaddressed Note

Daily Digest Email

In App Indicator for Unread Message Activity (within a project)

Mentions to groups

Threaded replies

Message Reactions

“Save For Later” designation

Copyable link to Message

Attachments

Attachments - Image Preview

Attachments - One-click download option

Attachments - One-click delete option

Automatically add attachments to Attachments tab

Attachments - One-click “Save to Attachments” tab

Global Inbox

Search any project or task channel from within the Inbox

Unread Mentions Indicator

Mark all as read

Ability to read full Mention without navigating to the project

Navigation to Project from Message

Recent Message Activity List

“Save For Later” View

Basic Rich Text Editor

Indentation of bullet or numbered lists

Code Block Formatting

GIFs

Keyboard driven “Send” ability

API Support

Can I have custom channels?

Not yet, but we are considering this as a future enhancement.

Can I still send internal or private messages?

Yes. Use the drop menu when sending a message to set privacy level.

Once a conversation is established as an “Internal” conversation, the replies can only be “Internal.” We do this as a precautionary measure to make sure we don’t expose a private conversation. However, if a conversation starts as a public or external conversation, you still have the ability to have “Internal” replies in the thread that only your internal team members will have access to view.

What options are available with the new rich text editor?

There are many formatting options available including the ability to nest lists and have better arrangement of paragraphs. Hyperlinks, emojis, and gifs can be added in messages.

Can I react to messages rather than writing a reply?

Yes, hover over a message and select "Add reaction". you can use the “Add reaction” option when you hover over a message. This is the same menu you use to start a threaded reply or “Save For Later.”

Are there email alerts or email notifications tied to Messages?

Yes, there are email notifications for @ mentions, plus a daily digest recapping project activity.

Are there notification preferences for users?

Currently, there are not any notification preferences for users. The relevance of both @mentions keep notifications focused and minimal.

Are attachments supported in Messages?

Yes, standard attachment types (png, pdf, jpg, etc.) are supported. Rejected file types include: .svg, .html, .js, .css, .exe, .sh, .dll, .cdm, .dmg. Attachment previews are available for image files (png / jpg/ gif) and pdf.

Who gets the in-app notifications in the Messaging tab?

Unread @mentions trigger in-app notifications for the user.

What determines which channels I see?

The channel list visible to a user matches the projects and tasks they have access to. Users see projects and tasks by being added to the a project, OR by having an Admin or Manager license type that provides visibility across all projects.

Are there “Mentions” within Messages?

You can still @mention users in a message.

Can I use the Global Inbox to navigate to projects?

Yes, within the Global Inbox you can navigate to a specific project channel. Within the channel page, click the channel header - this takes you directly to the project.

Can I access Messages after I navigate into a project or task?

Yes, there is a Messages tab within the project, and in the task drawer. However, this only contains messages for the project or task you've selected. To view your global inbox, click on the Messages button in the navigation rail.

Is Messages available in the Compass View?

Yes, Messages can be accessed in Compass by clicking on "Messages" in the top navigation.

How do I view attachments associated with a Mention email?

There are two options to view attachments. First, click the link in the Mention email — the attachment will automatically download. If you’re not logged in, you may be prompted to authenticate before accessing it. Second, click “Reply in Project” to open the message directly within the product, where you can also view the attachment. Once the email link expires (after 24 hours), this will be the only way to access the file.

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