Direct Messages#

Direct Messages (DMs) provide private communication between team members outside of channels. Use them for one-on-one conversations, small group discussions, or personal notes.

Types of Direct Messages#

One-on-One DMs#

Private conversations between two people.

Starting a DM:

1. Click the + button next to "Direct Messages" in the sidebar
2. Search for a team member by name or email
3. Select the person and click Start Conversation

Or simply click on a person's name or avatar anywhere in CommFlow.

Group DMs#

Private conversations with up to 8 people.

Creating a Group DM:

1. Click the + button next to "Direct Messages"
2. Select multiple team members (up to 8)
3. Click Start Conversation

Group DM Features:

• All members can see the full conversation history
• Any member can add new participants
• Name the group for easy identification

Notes to Self#

A private space for your own notes, drafts, and reminders.

Accessing Notes to Self:

1. Click on your own profile in the DM list
2. Or search for your name when starting a new DM

Use Cases:

• Draft messages before sending
• Save important links and information
• Keep personal to-do lists
• Store code snippets or templates

DM Features#

All Team Chat Features#

DMs include all the features available in channels:

• Rich text formatting - Bold, italic, lists, code blocks
• File sharing - Up to 100MB per file
• Emoji reactions - React to messages
• Threads - Reply in threads to keep conversations organized
• Link previews - Automatic URL previews
• Message editing - Edit sent messages
• Message deletion - Delete your own messages

Presence Indicators#

See when someone is available:

Typing Indicators#

See when someone is typing a response in real-time.

Read Receipts#

Know when your messages have been seen:

• Sent - Message delivered to server
• Delivered - Message received by recipient's device
• Read - Recipient has viewed the message

Managing Direct Messages#

Finding DMs#

Recent Conversations: DMs are listed in the sidebar, sorted by most recent activity.

Search: Use Cmd/Ctrl + K to quickly find any conversation by person's name.

Muting Conversations#

Temporarily silence notifications:

1. Right-click on the DM in sidebar
2. Select Mute conversation
3. Choose duration: 1 hour, 8 hours, 24 hours, or until turned off

Archiving Conversations#

Hide inactive conversations:

1. Right-click on the DM
2. Select Archive conversation

Archived DMs can be found in the "Archived" section and will reappear when new messages arrive.

Leaving Group DMs#

Exit a group conversation:

1. Open the group DM
2. Click the group name/header
3. Select Leave conversation

Note: You'll lose access to the conversation history.

Privacy & Security#

End-to-End Privacy#

• DMs are only visible to participants
• Workspace admins cannot read DM contents (unless compliance features are enabled)
• Messages are encrypted in transit

Message Retention#

• DM history follows your workspace's retention policy
• Messages may be retained for compliance purposes in Enterprise plans

Keyboard Shortcuts#

Best Practices#

1. Use channels for team topics - Keep DMs for truly private matters
2. Create group DMs sparingly - If a topic is ongoing, consider a private channel
3. Check presence - See if someone is available before expecting immediate response
4. Use threads - Keep multi-topic conversations organized
5. Utilize Notes to Self - Great for drafts and personal reminders

Next Steps#

• Mentions & Notifications - Learn how to get attention and manage alerts
• Channels - Explore team-wide communication