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Messaging — post-enable runbook

Messaging is on. Members can immediately start direct and group chats — there is very little to set up before it works. The first 30 minutes is mostly about deciding policy (auto-chats, attachment limits) and communicating the change.

For the surface-level overview, see the Messaging module reference.

Prerequisites​

Before Messaging is useful, confirm:

  • Storage is configured and verified for the org. Message attachments live in your storage bucket.
  • Email delivery is configured at the platform level. Delivery alerts for unread messages flow through email.
  • Push notifications are wired up for mobile users if you want real-time delivery on iOS or Android.

Who can enable it​

Only a platform admin can toggle Messaging for your org. Org admins request the change through their platform admin.

What gets auto-created​

Enabling Messaging does not create conversations on its own. The per-org MessagingSettings record is created on demand the first time you open the messaging settings panel — until then, the platform uses default values (10 MB attachment limit, all common attachment types allowed, every auto-chat toggle off).

Auto-chats are only created if you turn the toggles on (see step 2 below). When enabled, the platform materializes the relevant conversations the next time the appropriate cohort is read.

What appears in the sidebar​

A single Messages top-level item appears for everyone — org admins, regional admins, chapter officers, and members.

First 30 minutes — required steps​

  1. Open Org → Messages as an admin and confirm the page loads. Send yourself a short test message to confirm delivery, attachments, and reactions all work.
  2. Open the Messaging settings panel and pick which auto-chats (if any) you want. The four toggles are pledge-class chat, exec-board chat, per-chapter chat, and per-region chat. Most orgs turn at least one of these on so members find a conversation already waiting for them.
  3. In the same panel, set the attachment size limit. The default is 10 MB; raise it if your members swap large files often, lower it to be kinder to your storage bill.
  4. Decide whether to restrict attachment MIME types. Leaving the list empty allows all common types. Adding entries makes the list strict — anything not listed is blocked.
  5. Post a one-line bulletin telling members read receipts are on and there is no per-user opt-out. Surprise here generates support questions.

First 30 minutes — recommended next steps​

  • Create an officers-only group chat manually if you did not turn on exec-board auto-chat. It is the most-used chat in most chapters.
  • If you serve regulated environments, document your retention posture explicitly — there is no automatic retention or legal-hold feature today, so member messages stay until they are manually deleted.
  • Encourage chapter officers to use Engage forums for anything that should be searchable later. Messages are searchable per conversation, not across all conversations.

What happens if you disable​

Turning Messaging off hides the Messages sidebar item and returns 403 on the related endpoints. Conversations and messages are preserved — every direct message, group chat, attachment, reaction, and read receipt stays in the database. Re-enabling restores access.

Auto-chat materialization stops while the module is off. If you enable auto-chats now, disable Messaging, and add new members during the off-period, those members will not be auto-added to chats until Messaging is back on.

Common gotchas​

  • Read receipts are on for everyone. There is no per-user toggle. Tell your members before they find out the hard way.
  • There is no group-size cap. A 500-person group chat is technically possible. Set a policy if you need one.
  • Conversations are org-scoped. Two users in different orgs cannot share a conversation, even if they have the same email and a connection elsewhere.
  • Retention is forever by default. No background job removes old messages. Deletion is manual or happens when the org itself is deleted.
  • Push notifications need the mobile app installed. Web users get email alerts only.

Where to go deeper​

Last verified against v0.62.1 (2026-05-10).