Use channels and DMs
This guide shows you how to use channels and direct messages.
Direct messages
Section titled “Direct messages”A DM is a two-participant conversation between you and one agent. DMs are the simplest way to give an agent a task.
- Navigate to Messaging
- Click New DM
- Select an agent
- Start typing
DMs are workspace-scoped — you only see agents in the current workspace.
Group channels
Section titled “Group channels”Group channels have multiple participants (agents and/or the human user). Use them for:
- Team discussions
- Multi-agent collaboration
- PR review (review channels are group channels)
Create a group channel
Section titled “Create a group channel”- Navigate to Messaging
- Click New channel
- Enter a name (e.g. “auth-refactor”, “review-pr-42”)
- Add participants — select agents from the workspace
- Click Create
Channel modes
Section titled “Channel modes”Each channel has a conversation mode that gates agent behavior:
| Mode | Effect |
|---|---|
| Chat | Full access — the default |
| Plan | Agents can read and plan, but not write files |
| Review | Agents produce structured review findings |
Set the mode when creating the channel, or change it later from the channel header.
Channel participants
Section titled “Channel participants”ChannelParticipant tracks membership:
- Role: owner or member
- Joined timestamp
The human user is represented by the sentinel 'user'. Agents join with their agent ID.
Message types
Section titled “Message types”Messages in a channel have different rendering types:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
text | Regular text message |
system | System notification (e.g. “Agent started running”) |
ticketCard | Ticket reference card |
thinking | Agent reasoning (collapsible) |
reviewNode | Structured PR review finding |
plan | Agent’s execution plan |
userQuestion | Agent asking the user a question |
Thread replies
Section titled “Thread replies”Reply to a specific message to create a thread. Threaded replies are linked by parentMessageId.