How to Send a Chat Message
Send a text message, optionally with a file attachment or an emoji, in an open chat window.
Before you start
An open chat window — see How to Start a Chat with a Teammate Attaching files needs a licensed seat; sending plain text does not.
Steps
- Click into the text box at the bottom of the chat window (placeholder: "Write a message…").
- Type your message. The box grows as you type, up to a fixed maximum height, then scrolls.
- To add an emoji, click the smiley icon to the left of the text box, pick one from the picker (searchable, with a Recent section), and it's inserted at your cursor position.
- To attach a file, click the paperclip icon (hidden if your plan doesn't include file transfer), choose a file, and it appears in a tray above the text box with an upload progress indicator. You can also drag a file directly onto the window, or paste one from your clipboard.
- Press Enter to send, or Shift+Enter for a new line without sending.
What you'll see
Your message appears at the bottom of the conversation immediately (it's added optimistically, before the server confirms it), and the window auto-scrolls to follow it. If an upload fails, the file stays in the tray with a Retry option rather than being lost. If sending fails outright, an error banner appears above the text box and your typed text is preserved so you can try again.
Notes
- While a file is uploading, the whole composer locks so a mid-upload edit can't silently vanish; you can cancel the upload from the upload-progress panel.
- A message you're mid-way through typing is preserved per-conversation if you switch away and back (e.g. checking another open chat window) — it isn't discarded.
