This guide details the use and management of channels in kChat.

Introduction

• A kChat channel is a dedicated communication space for a project, topic, or team where members can share documents, chat in real-time, and organize video conferences.
• The number of private (and public) channels, as well as guests, is limited according to the kSuite offer acquired; refer to the comparative table on the sales page for more information.

General Channel

Every Organization on kChat automatically has a General channel to which all users are automatically invited.

You can use this channel to share information that concerns your entire organization, such as company outings or motivating good news.

You can of course start a new thread within the General channel.

Additional Channel

To add a new discussion channel:

1. Click on the button ‍ located in the left sidebar of the Web app kChat (online service kchat.infomaniak.com).
2. Click on Create a new channel:
   

Information about a channel

When you create a new channel, you can choose:

A. its name

It will be modifiable later on.

B. its URL

By default, it takes the name of the channel, but you can modify it using lowercase letters, numbers, periods, hyphens, and underscores - it can also be modified later.

C. its status PRIVATE or PUBLIC

It will be modifiable later (read below).

D. its description

The description specifies how this channel should be used. This text appears in the list of channels in the "More..." menu and gives users an indication of whether they should join the channel or not.

Once the channel is created, you can also set:

E. a header

Differences between PRIVATE or PUBLIC channels

PUBLIC channels increase transparency. All users can see and join a public channel, ensuring that all individuals involved in a project, topic, or team have access to the same information.

Private channels allow you to restrict sensitive content to users of your choice. Only an existing member can invite another user to a private channel. There are also differences in the management of archiving/deletion (read more below).

Convert a public channel to a private channel

To convert a Public channel to a Private channel:

1. From the Web app kChat (online service kchat.infomaniak.com), click on the Public channel in the left sidebar.
2. Then click on the chevron ‍ on the channel title at the top of the discussion.
3. Choose Convert:
   

The history and membership of the members are preserved; publicly shared files remain accessible to anyone with the link; the change is permanent and cannot be undone.

What about the opposite?

The reverse (changing a private channel to a public channel) is also possible, but only a kChat administrator user can do it; the message history and members who already have access to the channel will be retained; the channel will become accessible to all users of the other public channels of the Organization except external users who will need to be invited manually.

To perform the conversion from kChat management on the Manager:

1. Click here to access the management of your product on the Infomaniak Manager (need help?).
2. Click on the dropdown menu to display the private channels.
3. Click on the action menu ⋮ located to the right of the relevant item.
4. Click on Convert to public channel:
   

Leave a channel

Except for the main channel named General, you can leave a channel at any time:

1. From the Web app kChat (online service kchat.infomaniak.com), click on the relevant Public channel in the left sidebar.
2. Then click on the chevron ‍ on the channel title at the top of the discussion.
3. Click on Leave channel:
   

If you leave a private channel, you will no longer find it in the search results, but only via its URL if you have it or by being reinvited by a member of the channel.

If you leave a public channel, you leave it immediately but can rejoin it whenever you want simply by finding it by name (2) in the search (1), even if it has been archived:

Archive / delete a channel

Besides the main channel named General, you can archive a channel at any time, which prevents any new messages and will no longer count it towards your available channel quota. This operation can be performed from the Manager or directly on the kChat interface:

1. From the Web app kChat (online service kchat.infomaniak.com), click on the channel in the left sidebar.
2. Then click on the chevron ‍ on the channel title at the top of the discussion.
3. Click on Archive the channel:
   

If you create a channel and then archive it, you can join it whenever you want by simply finding it by name (2) in the search (1):

You can then unarchive it:

1. From the Web app kChat (online service kchat.infomaniak.com), click on the relevant channel in the left sidebar.
2. Then click on the chevron ‍ on the channel title at the top of the discussion.
3. Click on Unarchive the channel:
   

or close it to no longer see it on your interface:

You can also delete a channel and in this case all associated data will be permanently deleted:

1. Click here to access the management of your product on the Infomaniak Manager (need help?).
2. Click on the action menu ⋮ located to the right of the relevant item.
3. Click on Delete:
   
    

Add to favorites

To favorite any channel:

1. From the Web app kChat (online service kchat.infomaniak.com), click on the star icon located at the top of a channel.
2. A new Favorites menu will appear in the left sidebar, grouping all the items you have favorited (valid for your user only):
   

Mute a channel

You can hide the notifications of a channel:

1. From the Web app kChat (online service kchat.infomaniak.com), click on the action menu ⋮ to the right of the relevant channel (in the left sidebar).
2. Select Mute:
   
   
   
    

Organize by categories

By clicking the + button located in the left sidebar of kChat, you can add one or more categories allowing you to place items (channel, contact, etc.) within them. Then drag the desired channel to the created category (valid for your user only):

User-to-user discussion channel

Personal messages are direct conversations between two or more people that take place outside of channels.

Each user of an Organization can freely create personal messages whose content will be visible only to the people concerned: