> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://assembly.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Employee communication app

> Team chat for your internal users, with channels, direct messages, threads, mentions, and pinned announcements.

> [!NOTE]
>
> **Template.** You can change anything about this app by describing it in its build chat. See [App templates](https://assembly.com/docs/building-new-apps/app-templates.md).

Give your team one place to talk inside Assembly. Your internal users chat in channels and direct messages, reply in threads, and pin the posts that matter. The app is for your team only. Clients never see it.

**Category:** Internal · **Used by:** your team

## Features

* Channels with a name and topic, and two that come set up: **general** for everyone, and **announcements**, where only admins can post
* Direct messages with one person, or group messages with two or more
* Threaded replies that open beside the conversation, with a **Threads** view of every thread you're in
* Emoji reactions, mentions, and a **Mentions** view of who mentioned you or reacted to your messages
* Pinned messages in each channel, and a **Saved** list of messages you want to come back to
* Search across channels, messages, and people
* File attachments, formatting, and **Draft with AI** to write a reply from a short instruction
* Presence and a custom status, so people can see who's around
* Unread counts on every channel and conversation
* Admin settings for who can create channels, which channels everyone joins, and archiving

## How to use it

### For your team

> [accordion] Join or create a channel
>
> 1. Open the app and click the browse button next to **Channels** in the sidebar.
> 2. In **Browse channels**, click **Join** next to any public channel. Channels you're already in are marked **Joined**.
> 3. To make a new one, click **Create a channel**, enter a **Name** and an optional **Topic**, then click **Create channel**.
>
> Channel names are saved in lowercase, with spaces turned into dashes. If your admins have limited channel creation to admins, **Create a channel** doesn't appear.

> [accordion] Send a direct or group message
>
> 1. Click the new message button next to **Direct messages** in the sidebar.
> 2. Pick one person for a direct message, or two or more for a group message.
> 3. Click **Start conversation**.

> [accordion] Write and format a message
>
> Type in the message box and click **Send**. Use the toolbar for **Bold**, **Italic**, **Code**, **Link**, and **List**, **Insert emoji**, or **Attach file**. Use **Mention someone** to tag a teammate. Mentioning someone who isn't in the channel adds them to it.
>
> To have AI write it for you, click **Draft with AI**, describe what you want to say, and click **Draft reply**. The draft uses the last few messages in the conversation as context and lands in the message box for you to edit before sending.

> [accordion] Reply in a thread
>
> Hover a message and click **Reply in thread**. The thread opens beside the conversation. Everyone who has posted in the thread is notified of new replies. Open **Threads** in the sidebar to see every thread you're part of.

> [accordion] React, pin, save, edit, or delete a message
>
> Hover a message to click **Add reaction**, or open **More actions** to:
>
> * **Copy text**
> * **Pin to channel** or **Unpin from channel**. Pinned messages are listed under **Pinned messages** in the channel header.
> * **Save** it to your **Saved** list, or **Remove from saved**
> * **Edit** or **Delete** your own messages
>
> You can only edit your own messages. Admins can delete anyone's. A deleted message that has replies shows **This message was deleted** so the thread stays readable.

> [accordion] Catch up on mentions and reactions
>
> Open **Mentions** in the sidebar to see who mentioned you and who reacted to your messages. Dismiss items one at a time, or click **Clear all**.

> [accordion] Find a conversation
>
> Click **Find a conversation…** at the top of the sidebar and search channels, messages, and people.

> [accordion] Set your status
>
> Click your name at the bottom of the sidebar to open **Set your status**. Choose **Active** or **Away** under **Presence**, and add an emoji and a short message under **Status**.

> [accordion] Manage channel members
>
> Open a channel's menu and choose **Members** to see who's in it. Admins can click **Add people**, pick teammates, and click **Add to channel**. To leave, choose **Leave channel**. You can't leave a default channel.

> [accordion] Manage channels as an admin
>
> Admins open **Settings** from the app's header menu to:
>
> * Choose **Who can create channels**: **Any member** or **Admins only**
> * Set each channel's access under **Channels**: **Normal**, **Default**, or **Admins only**. Everyone is added to a **Default** channel and can't leave it. Only admins can see, join, or be added to an **Admins only** channel. A channel can't be both.
> * **Archive** a channel, which hides it from everyone's sidebar and from **Browse channels**
> * Under **Archived channels**, **Unarchive** a channel to bring it back, or **Delete** it permanently with every message, file, and reaction in it
>
> Admins can also choose **Archive channel** from a channel's menu.

Only your internal users can open the app. Private and **Admins only** channels never appear to people who aren't members, and only admins can archive channels, add members, or change channel settings.

## Notifications

* **When someone sends you a direct or group message**, you get an email and an in-product notification.
* **When someone mentions you**, you're notified with the message and where it was posted.
* **When someone replies in a thread you've posted in**, you're notified of the reply.

Each person can turn these on or off for email and in-product separately. Opening the conversation in the app clears its notifications. To change who's notified or what the messages say, see [Configuring notifications](https://assembly.com/docs/building-new-apps/configuring-notifications.md).

## Set it up

**1. Add the template**

Click **Add App** in the Dashboard sidebar. Find **Employee communication app** under **Start from a template**, or scroll down to **Browse all apps** and pick the **Internal** filter.

**2. Try it as your team**

The app lands in your sidebar as a draft. Post in **general**, start a direct message with a teammate, and reply in a thread.

**3. Publish it**

Publish the app so your team can use it. Clients never see it. See [Launching apps](https://assembly.com/docs/building-new-apps/launching-apps.md).

## Change it with the app builder

This app is a template, so you can change anything about it by describing what you want.

**1. Open the build chat**

Open **Employee communication app** from your Dashboard sidebar, click its name at the top, then click **Switch to builder**.

**2. Describe the change**

Write what you want the way you'd ask a teammate. Say who it's for and where it shows up, such as the sidebar, a channel, or the admin settings.

**3. Check the preview**

The app builder makes the change and updates the preview. Check it as an admin and as a regular team member.

**4. Publish**

Click **Publish** when you're happy. Until you do, your team keeps seeing the last published version.

Changes people often make to this template:

* "Show who has read each post in announcements"
* "Let members create private channels from the New channel form"
* "Add an @channel mention that notifies everyone in the channel"
* "Let people schedule a message to send later"
* "Add a Leadership default channel where only admins can post"
* "Send a daily email digest of unread mentions"

See [Iterating on apps](https://assembly.com/docs/building-new-apps/iterating-on-apps.md) for how to describe changes well and how to go back to an earlier version.

To rename the app, or change who can see it and how it notifies people, click its name at the top and choose **Rename app** or **Manage app**.

## Related

> [card] [Internal wiki](https://assembly.com/docs/apps/internal-wiki.md)
>
> Keep your team's guides and resources in one place

> [card] [Client ticketing system](https://assembly.com/docs/apps/client-ticketing-system.md)
>
> Track and answer client support requests

[View this template on assembly.com](https://assembly.com/templates/internal-communications-app)


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.