A direct message (DM) is a private thread between you and one other person in your organization. Use DMs for quick questions; use a channel when more than two people need to talk.
Start a new message
On the web
- Open Messages.
- Click the + next to Direct Messages, or click New message.
- In To, type a name and pick someone from the list.
- Optionally write a first message (Shift+Enter for a new line).
- Click Send.
You can message only people who appear in your roster — teammates you are allowed to contact under your role and profile access. If someone is missing, they may not share a profile with you, or (for self-reporters) Send/Receive Messages may be off on their profile.
When messaging is on for a profile, you and that self-reporter can DM each other. Either of you can start.
Not sure who to write to? Select Contacts in the toolbar (or the address-book icon in the New message header) for your organization's list of who handles what. Picking someone fills in the To field for you. See Messages overview.
On mobile
Open Messages, start a new conversation, pick one recipient from the roster, and send. The same company and access rules apply.
Continuing a conversation
Open an existing DM from the Direct Messages list. Unread chats show a marker in the list; the top-nav Messages icon can show an unread badge.
If you previously archived a DM with the same person, starting a new message with them may reopen that thread rather than creating a second empty chat.
Typing and read receipts
In a DM on the web:
- While the other person is composing, you may see … is typing… (requires a live connection).
- When they have opened the chat and seen your messages, a Read label can appear under the furthest message of yours they’ve caught up to — like a simple read receipt.
Channels don’t use that Read label. There’s no receipt under individual messages, and you can’t see who has or hasn’t seen a post. You only get an unread marker on the channel in the left list until you open it and catch up.
Mute notifications
On a conversation’s ⋯ menu, choose Mute notifications to stop new-message alerts for that DM. Choose Unmute notifications to restore them.
What DMs are not for
- Messages are not saved to a profile’s clinical record. To document care, use Daily Tracking — or ask a manager to use Document on a message. See Discussing notes and documenting messages.
- You cannot @mention other people inside an existing DM composer (there is only one recipient). Mentions apply in channels.
- Managers can still search and review DMs. See Mentions, search, and manager review.
Common questions
- Can I DM two people at once? — No. Start a channel for group chat.
- Can I message someone at another company? — No.
- Why can’t I pick a self-reporter? — Their profile needs Send/Receive Messages enabled. See Messaging with self-reporters.