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Messages

Keep the conversation next to the record

Link an order, a quote, or a project to a message in a channel or a direct conversation, and the message also shows on that record's timeline. Turn requests in chat into tasks, and everyone sees the linked records and files only as far as their access allows.

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Runs in your browser. In the cloud or on your own server, it's the same IWB.

Conversation types
Channels, direct messages
Attachments
10 types, 1-100 MB
Where it opens
Bottom-right window, full page, phone
Connected modules
6

01

Make it clear which order you mean

Link the order to your message, and it sits in the message as a clickable record card. The record picker searches by name or code and sorts results by record type. Type @ to see your coworkers; the person you mention sees the conversation marked with a red @.

  • Link records such as contacts, quotes, orders, projects, and service orders
  • The card’s code and name come from the record itself, not typed by hand
  • Link a file from file management to a message as a card too

02

Don't lose what was said about an order

Find the message about an order on the order itself. The message also shows on the order's timeline, and a channel member who opens the order later reads it next to notes, emails, and status changes. On the contact's timeline, messages linked to the contact's orders and quotes show up too, each with its source.

  • Only members of that channel see the message on the timeline
  • Only messages with a record card reach the timeline, and replies stay in the chat
  • A message linked to a quote, invoice, opportunity, project, or service order shows on that record's timeline too

03

Don't let a request in the chat get forgotten

You don’t need to write down a request made in chat. “Create task” on the message opens the task form already filled in: the title comes from the message’s first line and the description from its text. If the message is linked to an order, the task is linked to that order too.

  • You pick the owner and due date, and the task opens once you save it
  • The linked record stays locked on the form, and the task shows among the order’s tasks
  • The button shows when Tasks is turned on and you’re allowed to create tasks

04

See what's addressed to you, without interruptions

On a desktop, Messages opens in a window at the bottom right of the screen you're working on, so you can chat without closing the order. A new message doesn't pop the window open. Your unread count shows the same number on the top bar icon, on the minimized window's tab, in the browser tab title, and on the Messages tile on the home screen.

  • A conversation that mentions you keeps a red @ badge until you read it
  • Narrow the list with the Unread or Mentions chip
  • Enlarge or minimize the window, or open it on a full page

05

Keep chat within each person’s access

Seeing a message doesn’t mean seeing the record in it. People who can see the order get its code and name on the card, and clicking opens the order. Anyone without access sees only “Record you can’t access,” and the card can’t be clicked. You also can’t link a record you can’t read.

  • Only members read a channel, and only the two people in it see a direct message
  • You can turn off record links and pinning per role

06

Decide which files enter the chat

Set the size limit for chat attachments between 1 and 100 MB, and narrow the allowed file types. The attach button’s tooltip and the warning for an oversized file show the same number. Unless you change it, the limit is 10 MB.

  • Turn off any of the 10 built-in file types you don’t want
  • Everyone who uses Messages can see the setting, and changing it takes a separate permission

Hide attachments by role

Hide attachments in a role, and people in that role see “Hidden attachment” in its place, can’t download the file, and can’t attach files in chat.

Looking to correspond with customers and vendors?Go to Email

07Document flow

Keep the work you discuss tied to the order

A message you link to an order shows on the order's timeline. A task you create from that message is linked to the same order and shows among the order's tasks.

  1. OrderSO-2026-00188
  2. Channel message#Sales team
  3. Task

08IWB AI

Find the conversations waiting on you

Ask which channels and direct messages have unread messages and what the latest message says. IWB AI shows a channel message on an approval card and waits for your approval before it sends it.

See how IWB AI works

IWB AI sees only the latest message in your conversations, not their history. It doesn't add files or record cards.

Answers your questions

  1. Which conversations have unread messages for me?

    IWB AI
    Fetching channels

    You have 3 unread messages in 2 conversations:

    #WarehouseShipping plan and loading1 unreadWSWarehouse supervisor2 unread

  2. What was the last message in the Sales team channel?

    IWB AI
    Fetching channels

    The last message was “I’ve opened a task for the warehouse supervisor, due tomorrow.” Nothing there is unread.

    #Sales teamOrder and delivery coordination7 members

  3. What's the Warehouse channel about, and how many members?

    IWB AI
    Fetching channels

    The Warehouse channel is about Shipping plan and loading, and it has 5 members.

    #WarehouseShipping plan and loading5 members

  4. Tell the Warehouse channel delivery must be before 9 a.m.

    IWB AI
    Send channel messageWaiting for approvalRunning
    Channel
    Warehouse
    Message
    The Bosphorus shipment must be delivered before 9 a.m. tomorrow.

    Send channel message· completed

Acts with your approval

  • Send channel message

Every action comes to you first as an approval card. IWB AI doesn't create or change records without your approval.

09Capabilities

What you can do with Messages

  • Channels and direct messages

    Open a channel for a team or a topic and give it a topic line. Add members later, and keep one direct conversation with each coworker.

  • Quote, react, and pin

    Quote a message in your reply or react with one of 8 emoji. Pinned messages stay in a list in the channel header.

  • Search a conversation

    Type at least 2 characters to see the 50 most recent matches in that conversation, with author and date.

  • Status and “Seen”

    Set your status to Online, Busy, Away, or Invisible. In a direct message, “Seen” appears under your last message once the other person reads it.

  • Drafts wait for you

    Switch to another conversation and your half-written message waits where you left it. Come back in the same browser and pick up from there.

  • History stays in the channel

    Someone added to a channel later can read the earlier conversation. Channels aren’t deleted. When the last member leaves, the channel is archived.

  • Desktop window, full screen on phones

    On a desktop, enlarge the window or minimize it to the bottom edge. On a phone, it opens full screen, and there’s no separate app to install.

  • Shared across group companies

    Messages isn't split by company. Coworkers from different companies in your group talk in the same channel, and switching companies doesn't change the conversation.

10Connected modules

They share the same database and permission model

11

Frequently asked questions

How do I know a new message has arrived?

The Messages icon on the top bar, the Messages tile on the home screen, and the browser tab title show your unread count. An open conversation refreshes every few seconds. The window doesn't pop open for new messages, and no phone or desktop notifications are sent.

Which records can I link to a message?

Any record you can find in the global search. Besides documents such as quotes, orders, invoices, and purchase orders, you can link contacts, opportunities, projects, and tenders. Service and production orders, contracts, and support tickets are on the list too. Results come in tabs by record type, and you can’t link a record you aren’t allowed to see.

Can everyone see a record I link to a message?

No. People who can see the record get its code and name on the card, and clicking it opens the record. Anyone without access sees "Record you can't access" on the card and can't click it. On the record's timeline, the message shows only to members of that channel.

Which files can I share in a conversation?

You can share images, PDFs, Excel files, and Word files. Text, CSV, and ZIP files work too. The default limit is 10 MB, and your administrator can set it between 1 and 100 MB and narrow the allowed types. For a larger file, upload it to Files and link it to the message as a card.

Can I message customers or vendors from Messages?

No. Messages is for your IWB users to talk with each other. You correspond with customers and vendors in Email, and an email linked to a record also shows on that record’s timeline.

Can I edit or delete a message I sent?

Yes, you can edit or delete your own messages. An edited message shows "edited," and a deleted message is replaced with "This message was deleted." You can't edit the text of a message that has a file attached.