Start conversations and manage people¶

Use a direct conversation for a one-to-one exchange, a named group for a team discussion, and a channel for a shared stream of updates. Choosing the right people matters more than the name: check the audience before sharing work or attachments.

Availability: These steps describe the intended app experience. The current app preview still displays sample forms and moves between sample views when you select Start, Add people or Leave. That movement does not prove that a conversation was created or membership changed. Confirm that these features are connected and available in your workspace before relying on them.

Before you start¶

Open the correct workspace in WorkOS, then HiveComms and Collaboration. The intended design places a + action beside the Collaboration heading to open Start collaboration. Use its Direct conversation, Group conversation and Channel choices to select the appropriate form.

You need active workspace membership and WorkOS access. Basic HiveComms access supports direct messaging; groups and channels require advanced access for normal participation. A manager, administrator or executive title does not automatically make you a member of a conversation or its creator.

The people picker searches workspace people. It can show an unavailable person with an explanation, such as needing HiveComms access. “Available” describes access eligibility in the directory; it is not an online-presence indicator, a promise that the person will respond, or a guarantee that they can use every advanced feature. Ask your administrator to check the person's relevant access when a group or channel cannot be opened.

Use the person's name, job title and department to check that you selected the right colleague. Search may also match a work email address. A short results page is not the complete workspace directory. If you cannot continue through the results or search fails, refresh and ask your administrator for help; do not assume an absent result means the person has left the organization.

Start a direct conversation¶

1. In Start collaboration, choose Direct conversation.
2. Use Search people to find a colleague. Choose Select on an available result.
3. Check Selected person to start with. Use Remove if you selected the wrong person, then choose the correct colleague.
4. Select Start direct conversation, or Cancel to leave the form.
5. Confirm that the resulting conversation identifies the intended person before writing a message.

The intended form selects one other person and does not ask for a conversation name. You cannot start a direct conversation with yourself. If a direct conversation already exists, use that conversation; another start attempt currently returns an error instead of opening it automatically.

Starting the conversation and sending a message are separate actions. A successful start does not establish that a message was sent, delivered or read. If the result is unclear, check the conversation list before trying again.

Create a group conversation¶

1. Choose Group conversation in Start collaboration.
2. Enter a recognizable Group name, such as “Regional rollout team.”
3. Search for the people who should participate and select Add on each available result. The final screen asks you to choose more than one other person.
4. Review Selected people to add now. Use Remove to correct the audience before creating the group.
5. Select Create group conversation, or Cancel to leave the form.
6. Check the saved group name and participant list before sharing information.

The creator is included automatically. A group name describes its purpose; it does not grant access to a project, request or record. Keep sensitive information out of the name unless it is appropriate for everyone who will see it.

Choose distinct people and check the saved participant list. Selecting someone twice does not add them twice, and the creator is already included. Some smaller selections can currently create a group that a person with only basic access cannot open. A small group is not a way to bypass advanced-access requirements.

Create a channel¶

1. Choose Channel in Start collaboration.
2. Enter a Channel name. The design shows a name such as “operations-policy” displayed as #operations-policy.
3. Use Search people and Add to build the initial audience.
4. Check Selected people to add now, then select Create channel. Use Cancel if you do not want to create it.
5. Confirm the saved channel and people before posting.

Creating a channel does not automatically make it visible to the whole workspace. This start form does not save an open-versus-private setting, a topic, a linked business record or an opening message. Extra fields in the current app preview are not proof that those choices are saved. Channels connected to business work need their own verified setup steps.

The channel screen's supporting text still contains group wording. Use the selected Channel form, Channel name field and Create channel action to understand the intended operation; that helper text needs correction.

Review the people in a conversation¶

Open the intended conversation and its details. The final detail screen shows a People panel, identifies You, and offers participant actions. Confirm the conversation title and current audience before making a change.

An active member of a group conversation or a channel created through the form above can add another person. Removing someone else requires the conversation creator to remain an active participant. Other active members can remove themselves by leaving. Being allowed to leave does not mean you can remove other people; follow the actions available for each person.

You cannot add or remove people from a one-to-one conversation using these actions. Start the appropriate group when you need a different audience.

Add someone¶

1. Open the group conversation and choose Add people.
2. In the side panel, use Search people and check the person's identity and availability.
3. Select Add beside that person. The intended design adds one person at a time.
4. Check the refreshed participant list to confirm the addition before adding someone else or sharing further information.

Adding someone does not assign a Reviewer or Owner role. Those role choices in the current app preview do not grant saved conversation permissions.

A person who is already active cannot be added again. A former participant can be re-added, which reactivates their existing membership. Adding someone does not prove that they have read the conversation, received an email, or can open every linked record.

Remove someone or leave¶

If you created the conversation and are still an active member, use Remove beside the intended person in the People panel when that action is available. Check the refreshed list afterward. A separate removal confirmation has not yet been verified. If you are not the creator, ask the creator to make the change.

To leave yourself:

1. Open the group conversation and select Leave.
2. Read the Leave conversation panel. Choose Stay in conversation to cancel.
3. Select Leave conversation to confirm.
4. Confirm that your membership has changed. If the result is unclear, follow the recovery guidance below before trying again. Moving between sample views in the current preview does not save this change.

Leaving makes your membership inactive; it does not delete the conversation, erase past messages or remove access granted separately to business records. The intended design says you will stop receiving new messages and that another participant can add you back. How quickly that change affects an already-open messaging window still needs verification, so some notifications may already be on their way.

If another active participant remains, they can add you again through the ordinary add-person action. The current operations do not transfer creator authority when the creator leaves and do not prevent the final active person from leaving. If everyone has left, there is no verified self-service recovery journey. Contact support before relying on later re-entry, especially when you are the last active participant.

Recover from an unclear or failed result¶

When asking for help, provide the workspace, conversation name or available reference, approximate time, action and visible error through your approved support channel. Share message contents or attachments only when necessary and authorized. A missing membership notification is not proof that the membership change failed.

For managers and business readers, named groups and channels help maintain a shared discussion with an explicit audience. They do not replace the owning workflow's approvals, assignment rules or records, and leaving a discussion does not complete the underlying work. Use the Messaging overview and inbox guide for those distinctions.