Send and receive direct messages

Start a one-to-one Live Chat message with an eligible teammate or client contact.

A direct message, or DM, is a private one-to-one conversation between two eligible people.

Direct messages are included with active Sydnee plans. They are unavailable after a trial expires or a workspace is canceled.

Who can direct message whom?

A team member can DM an eligible team member in the workspace.
A team member can DM a client contact when portal messaging is on and the team member has access to that client's account.
A client can DM an eligible Sydnee team member shown in their portal.
A client cannot DM another client.
A DM cannot contain more than two people.

Start a DM from the team app

Open Live Chat.
Select New message.
Search for the person by name or email.
Select the person.
Write and send your message.

You can also open Directory, select People, and choose a person. Message actions on some profiles, collaborator lists, mentions, and file views open the same DM.

If you have messaged this person before, Sydnee opens the existing DM. It does not create a second conversation for the same pair.

What a client does in the portal

The client:

Opens Live Chat in your portal.
Chooses the action to start a message.
Selects an eligible member of your team.
Writes and sends the message.

The list does not offer other client contacts. Client-to-client DMs are not supported.

Archive or reopen a DM

Open the DM settings and select Archive direct message to hide it from your sidebar. This changes your own sidebar. It does not delete the message history.

The DM returns when either person sends a new message or when you start a DM with that person again.

What happens when account access changes?

A team member can use a client DM only while they still have access to that client's account. If that access is removed, Sydnee retires the DM and removes its active participants.

After valid account access is restored, start a DM with the person again. Sydnee can restore the existing one-to-one conversation.

Why can't I start or open a DM?

The workspace trial may have expired, or the workspace may have been canceled.
Live Chat or Portal live chat access may be off.
The team member may not have access to the client contact's account.
The person may no longer be an active workspace or portal member.
A client may be trying to message another client. Ask them to use the account conversation or message a team member instead.