## Messages App

The Messages App lets you and your clients securely and seamlessly communicate.

### **Overview**  
The Messages App makes client communication seamless, secure, and integrated. Clients can send messages in your portal or respond directly to messaging email notifications, leading to a seamless experience even if your clients are used to an email workflow.

### **App library**  
#### Welcome messages  
Welcome messages are sent to clients the first time they log in. It’s important to customize your welcome message because they are a critical part of the onboarding experience for your clients.

The best welcome messages introduce your firm, and tell your clients how they should use the portal. You can customize your welcome message in the Messaging App settings ( _App Library > Messaging App > Edit_).

You can also disable automatic welcome messages in the Messaging App settings ( _App Library > Messaging App > Edit_).

#### Default messaging channel  
If you have companies enabled you can select a default channel on the _Settings > General_ page. The default channel works as follows:

| Companies enabled | Companies disabled |
| --- | --- |
| If the default channel is company-level, when a new client with a company is created then a company-level messaging channel is created. If in the future, other clients associated with the same company are created, they will be added to the existing company messaging channel.<br>If the default channel is client-level, when a new client with a company is created then a client-level messaging channel is created. New clients, regardless of their associated company, always get their own messaging channel. | When a new client is created, a client-level messaging channel is always created. |

#### Key workflows  
There are 4 common workflows for internal users.

**App view**  
To see a list of all conversations sorted by recency, navigate to the Messages App by clicking on _Messages_ in your sidebar. Here you’ll see a **messaging channel** for every conversation you have access to. To see a particular conversation and send messages, select the messaging channel. Once you’ve selected a message channel, you will be able to read the message thread and send messages.

**Client Details view**  
To dive into a particular client’s message channel, you can click on a client on the _Clients_ page and then navigate to the _Messages_ tab. This will only surface the messaging channel associated with that particular client.

**Reply via email**  
If you receive an email notification for a message, you can reply via email and your response will automatically surface in the Messaging App.

**Mentioning teammates**  
Type **`@`** in the message input to open a picker scoped to the channel's participants, and select an internal user to mention. Mentioned users receive a dedicated notification for the mention, separate from regular channel activity, so it's easier to triage where you've been explicitly called out.

**Note:** Messages sent by internal users do not automatically notify other internal users. Use **`@`** mentions to bring teammates into a conversation.

#### The Contextbar  
When viewing any client, company, or group messaging channel, the _Contextbar_ is available on the right side of the screen. You can open it to quickly view client details, leave internal notes, or chat with your teammates — all without leaving the conversation. The Contextbar has three tabs:

- **Details**: View and edit the client or company’s custom fields and properties.
- **Internal Notes**: Leave private notes about the client or company, visible only to your internal team.
- **Internal Chat**: Have a private conversation with your teammates about this client or company, never visible to clients.

#### Creating messaging channels  
After you create a client, they will always get a new messaging channel or be assigned to an existing messaging channel which will be either **client-level** or **company-level**.

In addition, there are **group-level** messaging channels. These are useful if you want to send messages to multiple clients associated with a company, but not everyone assigned to the company.

**Note:** Clients must belong to the same company when creating a group message channel.

**Creating a messaging channel**  
1. Click on the _+_ on the messaging channels sidebar.
2. Select one or more clients, or select a company. Note that you cannot create a messaging channel that already exists.

**NOTE:** When creating a channel, clients associated with companies will display the company name below the client name. Clients with multiple companies will appear once for each company. Select the clients based on which company or companies you want to create the channel for.

#### Mass messages  
If you want to send one message to all of your clients or all of your companies, you can create a mass message.

Mass messages work similarly to BCC in email, clients will not be able to see responses from other clients.

If a mass message is sent to companies, all members of a company channel will be able to see the message, but it will only populate in the company-level message channel.

**Sending a mass message**  
1. Click on the _+_ on the messaging channels sidebar.
2. Select _Mass Message_.
3. Choose between mass messaging companies, or mass messaging clients. If companies are not enabled, you will only have the option to mass message clients.
4. Select the clients or companies you want to mass message. You can search for specific clients or companies in the _Search_ input. You can select all clients or companies, or you can select specific clients or companies.
5. Enter your message in the _Message_ input.
6. Once you’ve selected your recipients and drafted your message, click _Send_ to send your mass message.

### **Client experience**  
There are 2 common workflows for clients.

#### Seeing and responding to email notifications  
If clients receive a messaging email notification, they can reply via email and their response will automatically surface in the Messages App.

#### Portal notifications  
Clients can see messages by clicking on _Messages_ on the portal sidebar. In most cases, clients will only have one messaging channel, so they will not see a messaging channel sidebar.

## Frequently asked questions

How do I mark messages as unread?  
To mark a message as unread, select the appropriate message channel and click the drawer icon at the top of the _Conversations_ list, then select _Mark as unread_.

02. [Overview](/content/guide/assembly-messages-app#overview/index.html)  
03. [App library](/content/guide/assembly-messages-app#app-library/index.html)  
04. [Welcome messages](/content/guide/assembly-messages-app#app-library-welcome-messages/index.html)  
05. [Default messaging channel](/content/guide/assembly-messages-app#app-library-default-messaging-channel/index.html)  
06. [Key workflows](/content/guide/assembly-messages-app#app-library-key-workflows/index.html)  
07. [The Contextbar](/content/guide/assembly-messages-app#app-library-the-contextbar/index.html)  
08. [Creating messaging channels](/content/guide/assembly-messages-app#app-library-creating-messaging-channels/index.html)  
09. [Mass messages](/content/guide/assembly-messages-app#app-library-mass-messages/index.html)  
10. [Client experience](/content/guide/assembly-messages-app#client-experience/index.html)  
11. [Seeing and responding to email notifications](/content/guide/assembly-messages-app#client-experience-seeing-and-responding-to-email-notifications/index.html)  
12. [Portal notifications](/content/guide/assembly-messages-app#client-experience-portal-notifications/index.html)  
13. [FAQ](/content/guide/assembly-messages-app#faqs/index.html)