Desktop & web
Sending a message in the app desktop and web
Last updated on February 14, 2022
As we discussed in Intro to Message in the app, you can start a chat with one other person (a direct message) or with a group of people (either in a group or team).
In addition to sending a message to a user in the account, you can also send a message to any non-users of the app. This will send them an invite to join the app so they can start communicating with you. To learn more, visit Adding a new user to the app desktop and web.
Note: Sending messages may exclude external guest users depending on the permissions set by your administrator.
Sending a new message via New actions
One way you can send a message is via the New actions plus button. When you send a message via this option, you can easily start a new chat with one individual or a group of people.
- Click the New actions button at far right in the top bar to reveal a dropdown menu.
- Select Send new message.
- Enter a list of names or email addresses in the Members field and separate each name or email with a comma or semicolon.
- Type the body of your message in the Type new message field.
- Click Send.
Once you’ve sent a new message, that conversation will appear at the top of your conversations list.
Note: If you’re sending a message to a group of people but you decide you’d like to create a team instead, you can click the create a team text at the bottom of the New message window to switch to creating a team. Visit Creating a new team in the app desktop and web to learn more.
Sending a message via the search bar
- Click into the search bar at the top of your screen.
- Begin typing the name of the person, group, or team to begin populating a list of options in the search dropdown menu.
- Once the name of the person, group, or team appears, click on the name to open a conversation in the app.
- Begin typing a message in the message field at the bottom of the app.
- Once you’ve drafted your message, press Enter or Return on your keyboard to send the message.
Once you’ve sent your message, it will appear in the conversation stream as the most recent message.
Note: If the message was not successfully sent, a Resend post red looping arrow will appear in the far right-hand corner of the message. Click on the arrow to try resending the message.
Message options
Now that we’ve reviewed how to send a message, let’s review some of the message options you can use while drafting your message. All your message options are available via the icons above the message field. Selecting any of these options will allow you to configure your message using the associated action.
- Text formatting tools: Select the rich text format icon to edit and format your message (more on this below)
- Attach files: Select the paperclip icon to select a file from your computer or from Google Drive. Any type of file can be uploaded, including image files. To learn more, visit Attaching a file in a message in the app desktop and web
- Emoji: You can select an emoji by clicking the smiling face icon. Selecting this icon pulls up a menu of emojis, where you can either scroll through to find your desired emoji or type keywords into the search bar to filter through the list of emojis
- GIF: Find a GIF you want to share by selecting the GIF paper icon. Here, you can select a GIF from the GIPHY library or search for one using the search bar at the top of the page
- New task: Select the checkmark icon to post a task to the current conversation, whether it's just a few ad-hoc tasks or many tasks that are part of a project. For more info, visit Creating a task in the app desktop and web
- New event: Select the calendar icon to create a new event. For more info, visit Creating an event in the app desktop and web
- New note: Select the paper icon to compose a long-form, formatted document. For more info, visit Making a note in the app
- New code snippet: Select this icon to post a new code snippet. For more info, visit Using code snippets in the app desktop and web
Text formatting tools
Rich text editor allows you to edit and format your messages with handy tools. You can also preview the formatted text in the input field and edit before sending the message if you find any text that still needs some work.
The text format options include the following:
- Bold
- Underline
- Italic
- Strikethrough
- Numbered list (single level list)
- Bullet list (single level list)
- Increase indent
- Decrease indent
- Insert link
- Insert horizontal bar
To use the rich text editor, click the rich text format icon above the message field. As you start typing a message, the send button appears above the message field at the top right.
The preview is kept after you switch back to non-rich text editor mode. In non-rich text editor mode, you can send the message by either
- Pressing Enter on the keyboard OR
- Using a keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+S (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+S (Mac)
In rich text editor mode, you can send the message by either
- Clicking the Send button OR
- Using a keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+S (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+S (Mac)
Note: Pressing Enter on the keyboard adds a new line in the message field in rich text editor mode.
Using markdown in your message
You can use markdown in your message to bold, italicize, underline, or strikethrough your text. To reveal a list of markdown options, simply begin typing a message in the message field and your options will appear in the bottom right-hand corner, beneath the message field.
These markdown options include the following:
- *italics* : italics
- **bold** : bold
- __underline__ : underline
- ~~strikethrough~~ : strikethrough
Inline code formatting
You can use a simple inline code in your message to add emphasis to a word or string. This will allow you to highlight keywords or phrases in a body of text or call out code strings. To highlight a word or phrase, use back quotes (`example text`) to achieve simple inline code.
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