Create and manage channels

A channel is a named, ongoing conversation for a group, such as #toddler-team for staff or #toddler-families for one room's parents. For a quick note to one or two people, send a direct message.

Create a channel

1. Open Messages. On the web, choose Channel. In the app, choose New channel at the bottom of the list.
2. Choose Staff or Families. This is labeled Section on the web and Audience in the app. Families channels can include parents. Staff channels cannot, so switching to Staff clears any parents you picked.
3. Type a Name. Short, lowercase, hyphenated names read best.
4. Add a Description if it helps. It is optional.
5. Choose who can find it (see below), then add Members.
6. Choose Create channel.

The button stays gray until the channel has a name.

Who can find it

• Public channel: on Staff channels only. Any staff member can find it under Browse (on the web) or Browse channels (in the app) and join it.
• Private channel: only invited members can see it.
• School-wide channel: directors only. Everyone at the school is added automatically.

Add members

You are in the channel from the start. Members is a search-and-pick list. You can also use quick-add groups, such as all teachers or one classroom's parents, when your school has them. In the app, tap a group under Quick Add to add everyone in it, and tap again to take them out. On the web, the groups are under Quick add groups, and choosing one adds its people. Remove anyone you don't want from Members.

On a Families channel, a line under the list counts who a post will reach, for example "12 students" becoming "9 households". Siblings share a household, so a family gets one message, not two.

Once the channel exists, anyone in it can post. See post and reply.

See members and leave

Open a channel and choose its member count or Info to see everyone in it, with their roles.

Two kinds of channel are managed for you and cannot be left: a school-wide channel, and a classroom channel, whose membership follows the classroom roster. On any other channel, choose Leave channel and confirm. A channel manager can add you back later.