Contesimal: Team Chat

Modified on Thu, 5 Feb at 2:45 AM

Description

The Team Chat feature enables real-time collaboration and communication within shared projects. This feature allows team members who have access to a shared project to communicate directly about content discoveries, team strategies, content library discussions, and project-related topics. When you use Team Chat you can:

Chat with project collaborators - Only members who have access to the shared project can participate in the chat
Send formatted messages - Use text formatting options to emphasize important information
Share files and links - Attach files and insert links to share resources with your team
React to messages - Add reactions to any message to quickly express your thoughts
Create threaded discussions - Reply to specific messages to keep conversations organized
Edit and delete your messages - Maintain control over your own messages
Mention team members - Use @mentions to notify specific collaborators
Express with emojis - Add emojis to make conversations more engaging

Team Chat is only available for shared projects - you must share a project with collaborators before the chat feature becomes accessible. This feature makes collaboration seamless by providing a dedicated space for team communication within the context of your shared projects.

Chat Availability

Shared projects only: Team Chat is only available for projects that have been shared with collaborators
Project-specific: Each shared project has its own separate chat
Access control: Only team members who have access to the shared project can see and participate in the chat
Real-time updates: Messages appear in real-time for all active collaborators

Message Features

Rich text formatting: Apply bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, and lists to your messages
File attachments: Share files up to 2 MB with your team
Link sharing: Insert clickable links in your messages
Emoji support: Add emojis to express emotions and reactions
Mentions: Use @mentions to notify specific team members or all members (@here)
Reactions: Add emoji reactions to any message
Threading: Reply to specific messages to keep conversations organized
Message management: Edit and delete your own messages

Collaboration Features

Threaded discussions: Keep conversations organized by replying to specific messages
Reactions: Quickly express your thoughts with emoji reactions
Mentions: Get team members' attention with @mentions
File sharing: Share documents and resources directly in the chat
Link sharing: Share relevant URLs and resources

Message History

Date organization: Messages are organized by date with clear date separators
Timestamps: Each message shows when it was sent
Scrollable history: Scroll up to view older messages
Persistent storage: Chat history is saved and accessible to all project members

Step-by-Step:

The step-by-step instructions, screen descriptions, and UI details in this section are examples only. They are intended to help you understand how the feature works and how to complete the flow. Screens, labels, and layout may change in future product updates.

1. Access Team Chat

Log in to your Contesimal account
Navigate to Creations in the left sidebar menu
Click on Projects tab (located at the top of the Creations page)
- You'll see a list of all your projects
- Important: Team Chat is only available for shared projects - you must share a project with collaborators first
Click on a shared project (projects shared with others will have a person/people icon next to them)
- The project details page will open
Look for the Team Chat panel on the right side of the screen (or click the chat icon if it's not visible)
The Team Chat panel will display:
- Chat history (if there are previous messages)
- A message input area at the bottom
- Formatting toolbar and action icons

2. Send a Basic Message

In the Team Chat panel, locate the message input field at the bottom
The input field shows placeholder text: "Message your team"
Click inside the input field to activate it
Type your message
Click the Send button (red button with a paper airplane icon) on the right side of the input area
Your message will appear in the chat with:
- Your name and avatar
- The timestamp (e.g., "02:04 PM")
- The message content
All project collaborators who have access to the shared project will be able to see your message

3. Apply Text Formatting

Before typing your message, you can access formatting options from the formatting toolbar above the input field
Available formatting options:
- Bold (B): Click the B icon to make text bold
- Italic (I): Click the I icon to make text italic
- Underline (U): Click the U icon to underline text
- Strikethrough (S): Click the S icon to strike through text
- Bulleted List (≡): Click the bulleted list icon to create a bulleted list
- Numbered List (⋮≡): Click the numbered list icon to create a numbered list
To apply formatting:
- Click the formatting icon you want to use (it will highlight when active)
- Type your text - it will be formatted according to your selection
- Click the formatting icon again to turn it off, or select different text and apply different formatting
Alternative method:
- Type your message first
- Select the text you want to format
- Click the formatting icon to apply the format to the selected text
Your formatted message will appear in the chat with the formatting applied

4. Attach Files

In the message input area, locate the + (plus) button on the left side of the action icons
Click the + button
- A file picker dialog will open
- Navigate to the file you want to attach
- Select the file and click Open (or double-click the file)
- Important: Maximum file size is 2 MB - files larger than 2 MB cannot be attached
- The file will be attached to your message
- Type your message (optional) to accompany the file
- Click the Send button to send the message with the attached file
The file will appear in the chat as an attachment that collaborators can download

5. Insert a Link

In the message input area, locate the paperclip/link icon (?) in the action icons row
Click the link icon
- An "Insert link" modal window will open
- In the modal, you'll see an input field with placeholder text: "https://example.com"
- Type or paste the URL you want to insert
- Click the "Save" button (red/pink button on the right) to insert the link
- Click "Cancel" if you want to close the modal without inserting a link
- The link will be inserted into your message
- Type any additional text for your message (optional)
- Click the Send button to send the message with the link
The link will appear in the chat as a clickable hyperlink (opens in a new browser tab)

6. Add an Emoji

In the message input area, locate the smiley face icon (?) in the action icons row
Click the emoji icon
- An emoji picker pop-up will open, displaying:
  - A search bar at the top labeled "Q Search"
  - Emoji category icons (recently used, smileys & people, animals & nature, food & drink, travel & places, activities, objects, symbols, flags)
  - A grid of emojis from the selected category, A "What's Your Mood?" section at the bottom
- To search for a specific emoji:
  - Click in the search bar
  - Type keywords (e.g., "happy", "thumbs up", "heart")
  - Matching emojis will appear in the grid
- To browse by category:
  - Click on a category icon (e.g., smiley face for "Smileys & People")
  - The grid will update to show emojis from that category
  - Scroll through the grid to see more emojis
- To select an emoji:
  - Click on the emoji you want to add
  - The emoji will be inserted into your message at the cursor position
  - The emoji picker will close automatically
- Type any additional text for your message (optional)
- Click the Send button to send the message with the emoji
The emoji will appear in the chat message

7. Mention a Team Member

In the message input area, type the @ (at symbol) character
As soon as you type @, a dropdown menu will appear showing:
- "@ here" - Mentions all team members in the project
- List of team members with their names and avatars (e.g., "Sergei Shvab", "Kirpal-Prod")
To mention all team members: Click on "@ here" from the dropdown
- This will notify all project collaborators
To mention a specific team member:
- Continue typing the person's name after @ to filter the list
- Or scroll through the dropdown and click on the team member you want to mention
- The selected person's name will appear in your message as a mention (highlighted in purple)
Continue typing your message after the mention
Click the Send button to send the message
The mentioned team member(s) will receive a notification about the mention
The mention will appear highlighted in the chat message

8. Add a Reaction to a Message

In the Team Chat panel, locate any message (yours or from other collaborators)
Hover your mouse over the message
- A reaction icon or menu will appear (a smiley face)
Click on the reaction icon
- A small emoji picker or reaction menu will appear
Select the emoji reaction you want to add (e.g., thumbs up, heart, smiley face)
The reaction will be added to the message
You can see all reactions on a message below the message text
Note: You can add reactions to any message, including messages from other team members

9. Reply in a Thread

In the Team Chat panel, locate the message you want to reply to
Hover your mouse over the message
Look for a "Reply to thread" icon that appears
Click the "Reply" button
- A thread view will open, showing:
  - The original message
  - Any existing replies in the thread
  - A reply input field at the bottom
Type your reply in the reply input field
You can use all the same features in a thread reply:
- Apply formatting
- Attach files
- Insert links
- Add emojis
- Mention team members
Click the Send button to post your reply
Your reply will appear in the thread below the original message
The original message will show a thread indicator (e.g., "2 replies") indicating there are replies
Click on the thread indicator to view or add more replies

10. Edit Your Message

In the Team Chat panel, locate one of your own messages
Hover your mouse over your message
Look for an "Edit message" icon (pencil icon)
Click the "Edit" button
- The message will become editable in the input field
- Make your changes to the message text
- Click the "Save" button to save your edited message
The message will be updated in the chat
Note: You can only edit your own messages, not messages from other team members
Edited messages will show an indicator ("edited") to indicate they were modified

11. Delete Your Message

In the Team Chat panel, locate one of your own messages
Hover your mouse over your message
Look for a "Remove this message" icon trash icon)
Click the "Delete" button
- A confirmation dialog appear asking you to confirm the deletion
- Click "Delete Now" to confirm the deletion
- The message will be removed from the chat
Notes:
- You can only delete your own messages, not messages from other team members
- Deleted messages cannot be recovered

Troubleshooting Guide

A. Team Chat Doesn't Appear or Is Not Available

Issue: You open a project but don't see the Team Chat panel, or the chat icon doesn't appear.
Fix:

Check if the project is actually shared:
- Look for a person/people icon next to the project name in the Projects list
- Click the "Share" button and verify collaborators are listed in "Who has access"
If the project isn't shared:
- Share the project with at least one collaborator
- Wait for them to accept the invitation
- The Team Chat will become available once the project is shared
If the project is shared but chat still doesn't appear:
- Refresh the page and check again
- Try closing and reopening the project
- Check if you're viewing the project correctly - navigate to Creations → Projects → Click on the shared project
- Clear browser cache and cookies, then try again
- Try a different browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox) if the issue persists
If Team Chat consistently doesn't appear for a shared project, contact Support with: The project name, Whether the project is shared (and with whom), What you see instead of the Team Chat panel

B. Can't Send Messages

Issue: You type a message but can't send it, or the Send button doesn't work.
Fix:

Ensure you're a member of the shared project - only project members can send messages
Check if the message input field is empty - you need to type something before sending
Verify your internet connection - a poor connection may prevent messages from sending
Refresh the page and try sending the message again
Check if the project is still shared - verify with the project owner
Clear browser cache and cookies, then try again
Try typing a shorter message - very long messages may cause issues
If the Send button consistently doesn't work, contact Support with: The project name, What happens when you click Send, Whether you can see the chat history, Your browser and version

C. Can't Attach Files or File Upload Fails

Issue: : You click the + button to attach a file, but the file doesn't attach or an error appears.
Fix:

Check file size: Maximum file size is 2 MB - ensure your file is 2 MB or smaller. If file is too large: Compress the file, reduce image quality, or split into smaller files
Ensure you're clicking the + button (not other icons)
Check file format - some file types may not be supported
Try a different file to see if the issue is file-specific
Refresh the page and try attaching again
Check your internet connection - a slow connection may cause upload failures
Clear browser cache and cookies, then try again
Check browser permissions - ensure file access is allowed
Try a different browser if the issue persists
If file attachment consistently doesn't work, contact Support with: File size and type, What happens when you click the + button, Error message (if any)

D. Can't Mention Team Members

Issue: You type @ but the mention dropdown doesn't appear, or you can't select team members to mention.
Fix:

Ensure you're typing @ in the message input field (not elsewhere)
Wait a moment - the dropdown may take a second to appear
Check if there are team members in the project - the dropdown only shows project collaborators
Verify you're a member of the shared project - only members can mention others
Try typing @ and then start typing a team member's name to filter the list
Refresh the page and try mentioning again
Check your internet connection - a slow connection may delay the dropdown
Clear browser cache and cookies, then try again
If mentions consistently don't work, contact Support with: Whether the dropdown appears when typing @, How many team members are in the project, What happens when you try to select a team member

E. Can't Edit or Delete Your Messages

Issue: You try to edit or delete one of your messages, but the options don't appear or don't work.
Fix:

Hover your mouse directly over your message - the Edit/Delete options should appear
Refresh the page and try again
Clear browser cache and cookies, then try again
Verify you're logged into the correct account - you can only edit/delete messages from your own account
If edit/delete consistently doesn't work, contact Support with: Whether the Edit/Delete buttons appear, What happens when you click them, Whether it's your own messag

F. Can't Insert Link

Issue: You click the link icon but the "Insert link" modal doesn't open, or the link doesn't insert.
Fix:

Ensure you're clicking the paperclip/link icon (?), not other icons
Refresh the page and try clicking the link icon again
When the modal opens, ensure you're entering a valid URL:
- Include "http://" or "https://" at the beginning
- Example: "https://example.com" (not just "example.com")
- Check for typos in the URL
Click "Save" after entering the URL - the link should insert into your message
Clear browser cache and cookies, then try again
Try a different browser if the issue persists
If link insertion consistently doesn't work, contact Support and mention: What happens when you click the link icon, Whether the modal appears, What URL you're trying to insert

G. Emoji Picker Doesn't Open or Emojis Don't Insert

Issue: You click the emoji icon but the emoji picker doesn't open, or emojis don't insert into your message.
Fix:

Ensure you're clicking the smiley face icon (?), not other icons
Refresh the page and try clicking the emoji icon again
When the picker opens, try clicking directly on an emoji
If search doesn't work, try browsing by category instead
Clear browser cache and cookies, then try again
Try a different browser if the issue persists
Ensure pop-ups aren't blocked by browser settings
If emoji picker consistently doesn't work, contact Support and mention: What happens when you click the emoji icon, Whether the picker appears, Whether clicking emojis works

H. Can't Add Reactions to Messages

Issue: You try to add a reaction to a message but the reaction doesn't appear or the reaction menu doesn't open.
Fix:

Hover your mouse directly over the message - the reaction option should appear
Try hovering over different parts of the message
Click on the reaction icon when it appears
Select an emoji from the reaction menu
Refresh the page and try adding a reaction again
Check if reactions are visible on other messages - this helps verify if the feature is working
Clear browser cache and cookies, then try again
Try a different browser if the issue persists
If reactions consistently don't work, contact Support and mention: Whether the reaction icon appears when hovering, What happens when you try to add a reaction, Whether you can see reactions added by others