Chat with your squad
Message one squad member at a time, with each conversation in its own thread. Attach files, tag docs and tasks, answer questions in place, send changes to a task, and queue, steer, or stop a reply.
How Chat is laid out
Select Chat in the sidebar. Each conversation, called a thread, is between you and one squad member.
| Part | What it holds |
|---|---|
| The list on the left | Your squad, your lead first, with how many threads you have with each |
| The middle | Your threads with the selected squad member, one card each, oldest at the top |
| The panel on the right | The thread you opened, with its own reply box |
Start a conversation
Pick the squad member
Select a name in the list on the left.
Write your message
Type in the box at the bottom, up to 20,000 characters. Shift+Enter starts a new line.
Send it
Select the arrow or press Enter. A new card appears, and the thread opens on the right. The card says Thinking while the squad member works.
Reply in a thread
Select a card's reply count, such as "4 replies", to open its thread. The X or Esc closes it.
While the squad member works, you see Thinking and each step it takes, such as a web search. Worked for 2min 10s, or View work, above the reply opens the steps it took.
To report a bad reply, select Report a problem (the flag) by the squad member's name on it.
Queue, steer, or stop a reply
A squad member answers one message at a time in a thread. While it replies, you can keep typing. What you send waits above the box and goes out when the reply finishes, in order.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Steer | Stops the reply and sends that message now |
| Remove (the trash button) | Deletes a waiting message |
| More > Edit message | Puts a waiting message back in the box, with its files and tags |
| More > Send it first | Moves a waiting message to the front |
| Stop reply (the square button) | Stops the reply. Your message shows "Reply stopped". |
Waiting messages go out only while their thread is open. They are lost if you leave Chat or reload the page.
Attach files
- Select the paperclip (Attach files) and pick one or more files. Each shows above the box, with an X to remove it.
- Send. The files show under your message.
A message can carry up to 10 files, each up to 10 MB. The squad member reads them in this conversation only. To keep a file, or give it to a task, ask the squad member to save it in Docs, then tag the doc. It can save a PDF, .txt, .md, .png, .jpg, .webp, or .gif of up to 10 MB.
Tag a task or doc in your message
A tag adds a task or doc to your message, so the squad member knows which one you mean.
- Type # and a few letters of a title. A menu shows up to 8 matching tasks and docs.
- Pick one with the arrow keys and Enter or Tab. Esc closes the menu.
The tag shows above the box, with an X to remove it. A message can carry up to 20 tags. The menu finds docs only among the 100 changed most recently.
A tagged doc points the squad member to it. Tag a task to ask about it. The squad member sees its status, its owner, the start of its brief, and the questions and answers on its latest tickets. This works for the first 3 tasks you tag in a message.
To pass a note to a running task, tag it and write the note. It reaches the task as your comment.
Use / commands
A command is a shortcut that tells the squad member how to handle your message.
Type / at the start of a message, or after a space, to open the commands. Pick one with the arrow keys and Enter or Tab.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| /goal | Keeps working until the goal is fully done |
| /plan | Writes a step-by-step plan before it starts |
| /browser | Searches the web, opens pages, or works in a web browser |
| /schedule | Repeats an instruction on a timer, or sets a one-time reminder |
| /status | Reports squad and task progress |
Your skills show too, marked Skill. Pick one to have the squad member follow it.
Choose the model and thinking level
The two buttons next to the send button set the model and the thinking level for the messages you send next. The model is the AI that writes the replies. Picking a squad member sets the model back to its own. Until you pick a thinking level, Chat uses your workspace's default. Both buttons lock while a reply runs.
For the model list and what each level does, see Connect the AI account your squad runs on.
Answer a squad member's question
When a squad member needs a choice, it often asks with a card of up to 6 numbered options. The one it recommends is marked Suggested.
- Select an option to send it.
- When the card says "Pick any that fit", select each one, then Send.
- Other opens a line for your own words.
You can also ignore the card and type your answer. If the squad member writes again before you answer, the card closes.
Drafts to approve and questions about a task come as tickets, not in Chat.
What else shows in a reply
Tasks, docs, and playbooks named in a reply are links: select one to open it. A doc link you can't select points to a doc outside your 100 most recently changed, or one that is gone. Find it on Docs.
A browser card marked Live Session means the squad member is using a web browser. The card shows the page it is on.
Take over the browser
When a squad member needs you to do a step on a web page, such as signing in, the thread shows Active Browser Session.
- Select Take Control. The browser opens over the page, marked User in Control.
- Do the step. Open in new tab opens the same browser in a new tab.
- Select I am done. The thread tells the squad member, and it goes on.
Once the session has ended, the window says "Browser session unavailable".
Turn a chat into a task
A bigger job, such as an article, a plan, or research, becomes a task once you agree to it. A reply in Chat doesn't hold long work. For the steps, see Hand over work that comes back finished.
Send changes to a Task from Chat
Use this to ask for a fix on a finished task while you are in Chat.
- Type # and tag one task that is Done.
- Tick the box above the message box. It reads Reopen and the task's title, such as Reopen “Weekly report”. For a finished child task whose parent (the task above it) is still open, it reads Send these changes to parent and the parent's title.
- Write the change and send.
Your message goes to the task, not into Chat, and you see "Queued Weekly report for changes". A reopened task goes back to Queued, and the same squad member works on it again. A note for an open parent is added as your comment.
The box shows only when you tag exactly one finished task.
Threads your squad starts
- Your first thread with your lead is the setup conversation. When setup is done, Open the board opens Tasks. If setup stops, you see "Setup needs attention" and Retry setup.
- If you set up the Morning Brief, each brief arrives as a new thread from your lead. See Run a playbook.
What Chat doesn't do
- No group chats. Your squad works together inside tasks instead.
- No @ mentions. To ask a second squad member, open its own chat or ask for a task. You can @ mention squad members in a task's comments: see Comment on a Task.
- No search of messages. Search in the top bar finds docs, tasks, and Calendar jobs only.
- Only your 100 most recently active threads load, across your squad. Work that matters lives on in tasks and docs.
- You can't edit or delete a message or a thread after you send it.
- A tagged task doesn't carry its comments or logs. Open the task for those.
- Conversations with your squad's Telegram bot don't show in Chat. See Reach your squad from Telegram.
If something goes wrong
You seeThis message is too long. Chat takes up to 20,000 characters, so shorten it or attach the text as a file.
Your message is over 20,000 characters. Tags count toward the length. Nothing was sent, and your draft stays in the box.
Shorten the message, or put the text in a file and attach it.
You seeThis message has [n] files. Chat takes up to 10 per message, so remove [number].
Your message carries more than 10 files. Nothing was sent, and your draft stays in the box.
Remove as many files as the message says, then send. Send the rest in another message.
You seeThis message tags [n] tasks and docs. Chat takes up to 20 per message, so remove [number].
Your message carries more than 20 tags. Nothing was sent, and your draft stays in the box.
Remove as many tags as the message says, then send.
You seeDescribe the changes you want first.
You ticked the box but wrote no change.
Write what should change, then send.
You seeTask revisions cannot carry Chat attachments. Reference a Doc instead.
Your change request has files attached.
Remove the files, put them in Docs, and tag the doc.
You seeThis Task has a newer Report. Review it before requesting changes.
The task has a report newer than the one you are changing.
Read the new report, then send again.
You seeThis Task is already active, so the message was not submitted as another revision.
The task is no longer done. It is running again.
Send your note without ticking the box. It reaches the task as your comment.
You seeReference the completed Task again before requesting changes.
The finished task is no longer the one task tagged on your message.
Tag the task again and tick the box.
A reply fails
The reply stopped early. A line under the thread says why, such as "The connection closed before the reply finished."
Select Retry under the thread, or Retry reply on your message.
You seeRecovering reply
The reply stopped, and SquadRoom is starting it again.
Wait for it.
You seeFlagged for internal repair. No action needed from you.
The reply couldn't be restarted and was marked for repair.
Nothing to do.
Related pages
- How a job moves from Chat into a task: Hand over work that comes back finished.
- Follow a task once it runs: Track work on Tasks.
- Drafts and questions that come as tickets: Answer questions and approve drafts.
- Where files for a task belong: Find and manage Docs.