This is a comprehensive guide to the features available in Discourse Chat.
Required user level: All users
Discourse Chat offers a variety of functionalities to enhance user communication within the community. This guide provides an overview of these features and how to make the most of them.
Summary
This reference guide covers:
- Types of chat
- Accessing and using chat
- Chat preferences
- Exclusive chat functionalities
- Features shared with posts and topics
Types of chat
Channels
Channels are group chats that can be accessible to all users or restricted to specific members. For example, an open #off-topic channel for all users or a restricted #moderating channel for admins and moderators.
A channel with new messages will have a colored dot next to its name:
Personal Chats
Create Personal Chats using the 
icon next to the Personal Chats header. If in Full-Screen Chat, hover over the header to reveal the icon. User cards also allow initiating chats.
Accessing chat
Provided your community has it enabled, you can access chat by clicking the speech bubble icon next to the search tool at the top of the page. Clicking the icon again will close the chat window. Channels with new messages will show a colored dot:
If you have new messages in Personal Chats, the icon will have a green dot.
Changing your chat preferences
Adjust your chat settings through your Chat preferences, including:
- Enabling/disabling chat for your account
- Disabling pings from
@alland@herementions - Changing the desktop notification sound
- Chat email frequency (never or when away)
- Header activity indicator (all new messages, DMs and mentions, mentions only, or never)
- Send shortcut (Enter or Meta+Enter)
- Separate sidebar mode for forum and chat
- Show thread title prompts
Functionality exclusive to chats
Full-Screen Chat
Expand the chat window to a full-screen view using the appropriate button. This is useful for a focused chat experience.
If you use chat often, opening it in full-screen view and pinning the tab in your browser makes for a great and convenient experience.
Managing Channels
Tap on the 
icon next to Channels in the sidebar to manage channels. Hover over the header if the icon isn’t visible.
You can star channels to pin them to a “Starred” section for quick access.
Configure channel settings (e.g., muting, desktop notifications) by visiting the channel setting page:
Leave a channel via the About tab in its settings.
Message Retention
Chats are short-lived by default, with messages in channels lasting 90 days. This period can be customized by admins. Personal chats last indefinitely by default.
Threads
When threading is enabled on a channel, replies to a message will create a separate conversation thread. This keeps the main channel tidy while allowing in-depth discussions on specific messages. Admins can enable or disable threading per channel in the channel settings.
You can view all threads you participate in via the My Threads tab in chat.
Chat Search
Chat includes a built-in search feature that lets you search through messages across channels. Access it via the Search tab in full-screen chat.
Quote in Topic
Share chat messages in a topic by first selecting them — hover over a message, open the more menu (⋮), and choose Select. Once you’ve selected the messages you want, click Quote in Topic from the selection toolbar.
Messages quoted in this manner will remain in the topic indefinitely, even after expiring in chat itself and no longer being available there.
Reactions
React to messages with a range of emoji. Commonly used emoji are pinned, with more available by tapping on the icon to the right.
Functionality shared with posts and topics
Bookmarks
Bookmark a message by hovering over it and clicking the bookmark icon. These share the same list as regular posts and topics.
Copy Link
Copy a message link via the more menu. Discourse will automatically convert such links into oneboxes.
Deletion
Delete a message through the more menu. The message becomes hidden from other users and flagged for admin/moderator review during the retention period.
Edit
Edit a message using the more menu. The edit will be indicated on the message without showing revision history.
Flags
Flag inappropriate messages through the more menu for moderator attention.
Insert Date/Time
Use the Insert Date/Time tool available in the toolbar for accurate time referencing. This feature requires the Local Dates plugin.
Oneboxes
Links in chat messages form oneboxes similar to regular posts. Right-click links in full-screen chat to open in a new tab.
Replies
Reply to specific messages using the arrow icon in the on-hover menu. In channels with threading enabled, replies will create a new thread. In channels without threading, replies show a preview of the original message above your own. Here’s an example of what this looks like:
Search GIFs
Tap on the icon to the left of the text box to open the toolbar and search for GIFs hosted by GIPHY.
Uploads
Upload files (e.g., images, videos, text files) by selecting “Attach a file” from the toolbar. Supported extensions include .JPG, .PNG, .PDF, .MP4, and more.
User Cards
Access user cards by clicking a name or avatar in chat. Cards allow initiating personal chats unless the user has restricted this in their preferences.
Feel free to incorporate or modify this guide for your own community needs. You can copy the raw text of this post from here: https://meta.discourse.org/raw/239695
Last edited by @sam 2024-07-05T00:42:48Z
Last checked by @hugh 2024-06-18T10:55:54Z
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