# Start a chat

Open Messages in the menu and click a name under Start a chat. Type your message and press Enter. The chat is listed under Direct messages from then on.

## Start a chat with someone

1. Open “Messages” in the menu.
2. Under “Start a chat”, click the person's name.
3. Type your message at the bottom and press Enter.

Once it holds a message, the chat moves to “Direct messages”. The newest chats come first.

To find a person or a conversation quickly, type their name in “Search conversations” at the top of the list. Ctrl+K (⌘K on a Mac) goes to this box.

## From the list of employees or candidates

In the lists of employees and candidates, the actions of a person include “Send message”. It opens your chat with that person in “Messages”.

## Who you can write to

- The “Business owner” and every “Member” can write to each other. They can also write to the employees and candidates who have an application in the workspace.
- An employee or a candidate can write to the “Business owner” and to every “Member”. They cannot write to other employees or candidates.

## Three kinds of conversations

- “Direct messages”: a chat between two people.
- Channels, with **#** before the name: for the whole team. Every “Business owner” and every “Member” sees them.
- Private groups, with a lock before the name: only their members see them.

Channels and groups are listed under “Channels”. See [Create a channel or a private group](https://www.skileo.com/help/en/channels-and-groups).

## One chat for every software

“Messages” is the same in all your softwares. A chat you start in one software is also in the others.


## Common questions

### Why is someone missing from the list?

You can only write to some people. An employee or a candidate does not see other employees or candidates, and a candidate needs an application in the workspace.

### Can I delete a chat with someone?

No. A chat between two people cannot be deleted. You can delete your own messages in it. See [Edit or delete a message](https://www.skileo.com/help/en/edit-or-delete-a-message).

### Do people get an e-mail when I write to them?

No. The message appears in their “Messages”, with a count of unread messages next to the menu entry. See [Unread messages and read marks](https://www.skileo.com/help/en/unread-and-seen-messages).

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https://www.skileo.com/help/en/start-a-chat · Updated: 2026-11-02