Channels

Channels are shared conversation spaces where workspace members discuss topics, coordinate work, and share updates. Every channel has a name, an optional description, and an optional topic. Channels can be public (discoverable by all workspace members) or private (visible only to invited members).

Channel types

SetGet Chat supports two channel types:

Type	Visibility	Joining	Use case
Public	Listed in channel browser; any member can see it	Any workspace member can join without invitation	Team-wide discussions, announcements, general topics
Private	Hidden from channel browser; not visible to non-members	Invitation only	Sensitive discussions, leadership channels, HR topics

TIP

Start with public channels for most conversations. Private channels are best reserved for genuinely sensitive topics. Over-using private channels fragments team communication.

Create a channel

1. Open the Chat section from the sidebar.
2. Click the + icon next to the channel list header, or click New Channel.
3. Fill in the channel details:

Field	Required	Description
Name	Yes	A short, descriptive name. Use lowercase with hyphens (e.g., engineering, design-reviews, project-alpha).
Description	No	A longer explanation of the channel's purpose. Shown when members browse channels.
Topic	No	A short status line displayed at the top of the channel. Useful for current focus or links.
Privacy	Yes	Choose Public or Private.

4. Click Create Channel.

After creation, you are automatically added as a member and can start posting immediately.

Channel naming conventions

Good channel names make it easy for team members to find the right place for a conversation. Consider these patterns:

Pattern	Example	Use case
team-{name}	team-backend, team-design	Team-specific discussions
project-{name}	project-alpha, project-mobile	Project-scoped coordination
topic-{subject}	topic-architecture, topic-hiring	Cross-team interest groups
announce-{scope}	announce-engineering, announce-company	One-way announcements
help-{area}	help-devops, help-onboarding	Support and questions

WARNING

Channel names must be unique within a workspace. If you try to create a channel with a name that already exists, you will receive an error.

Join a channel

Public channels

1. Open the Chat section.
2. Click Browse Channels (or the channel browser icon).
3. Scroll through the list or use the search field to find the channel.
4. Click Join next to the channel you want to enter.

You immediately gain access to the channel's full message history.

Private channels

You cannot browse or search for private channels. A current member of the channel must invite you:

1. The existing member opens the channel.
2. They click the Members icon in the channel header.
3. They click Add Member and search for your name.
4. They select you and confirm.

You receive a notification that you have been added to the channel and can see its full history from that point.

Channel member list

Every channel displays its member count in the header. Click the Members icon to see the full list, which shows:

• Member name and avatar
• Presence status (online/away/offline dot)
• Role within the channel (owner or member)

The channel creator is automatically designated as the channel owner. Ownership can be transferred by the current owner or a workspace admin.

Member roles in channels

Role	Capabilities
Channel owner	Edit channel settings, add/remove members, archive channel, transfer ownership
Channel member	Send messages, react, pin messages, start threads

Workspace admins and owners can always manage any channel regardless of their channel-level role.

Edit channel settings

Channel owners and workspace admins can modify channel settings at any time:

1. Open the channel.
2. Click the channel name in the header to open the settings panel.
3. Edit the desired fields:

Setting	Who can edit	Notes
Name	Channel owner, workspace admin	Changing the name does not break existing links or mentions
Description	Channel owner, workspace admin	Visible in channel browser and channel header
Topic	Any channel member	Displayed as a banner at the top of the channel
Privacy	Cannot be changed after creation	Create a new channel if you need a different privacy level

4. Click Save to apply changes.

WARNING

Channel privacy (public vs. private) cannot be changed after creation. If you need to convert a public channel to private or vice versa, create a new channel with the desired privacy setting and migrate members manually.

Leave a channel

1. Open the channel.
2. Click the three-dot menu (or right-click the channel name in the sidebar).
3. Select Leave Channel.

After leaving:

• You stop receiving notifications for the channel.
• The channel disappears from your sidebar.
• For public channels, you can rejoin at any time.
• For private channels, you need to be re-invited.

TIP

Channel owners cannot leave their own channel without first transferring ownership to another member.

Remove a member

Channel owners and workspace admins can remove members from a channel:

1. Open the channel and click the Members icon.
2. Find the member you want to remove.
3. Click the three-dot menu next to their name.
4. Select Remove from Channel.

The removed member stops seeing the channel in their sidebar. For private channels, they lose access to the message history as well.

Archive a channel

Archiving a channel preserves its message history while preventing new messages. This is useful for channels tied to completed projects or disbanded teams.

1. Open the channel.
2. Click the channel name to open settings.
3. Click Archive Channel.
4. Confirm the action.

Archived channels:

• Appear in a separate "Archived" section if you were a member.
• Are read-only — no new messages, reactions, or pins.
• Retain all message history for reference.
• Can be unarchived by a workspace admin or the original channel owner.

Unarchive a channel

1. Navigate to the archived channel.
2. Click Unarchive Channel in the channel header banner.
3. The channel returns to its original state with all members and history intact.

Channel topic

The channel topic is a short text line displayed at the top of the channel window. It serves as a quick reference for the channel's current focus.

• Any channel member can set or update the topic.
• Topics are commonly used for:
  • Current sprint or milestone
  • Links to relevant documents or dashboards
  • Status updates ("Deploy in progress — hold changes")
  • Meeting schedules

To set or change the topic:

1. Click the topic area in the channel header.
2. Type your new topic.
3. Press Enter to save.

Channel notifications

Each member can configure their notification preference for a specific channel independently:

Setting	Behavior
All messages	Receive a notification for every new message
Mentions only	Receive notifications only when @mentioned
Muted	No notifications from this channel

The default for new channels is All messages. You can change this from the channel header menu. See Chat Notifications for workspace-wide notification configuration.

Best practices

Keep channel count manageable

Too many channels leads to fragmentation. Before creating a new channel, check if an existing one covers the same topic. A workspace with 15 focused channels is easier to navigate than one with 80 overlapping channels.

Use descriptions effectively

A clear description helps new team members understand where to post. Include:

• What the channel is for
• What should go elsewhere
• Any channel-specific norms

Archive rather than delete

When a project ends or a team reorganizes, archive the channel instead of deleting it. Archived channels remain searchable and serve as institutional memory.

Pin important messages

Use pins to surface frequently referenced content — design specs, decision records, meeting notes — so members do not have to scroll through history.

Set channel-specific notification levels

Encourage team members to configure their notification level per channel. High-traffic channels should use "Mentions only" for most members, while critical channels (like incident response) should stay on "All messages."

Channel search

You can search for messages within a specific channel:

1. Open the channel.
2. Click the search icon in the channel header.
3. Type your query.
4. Results show matching messages within that channel only.

This is faster than a workspace-wide search when you know which channel contains the information you need.

Channel limits

Limit	Value
Maximum channels per workspace	No hard limit (practical limit depends on team size)
Maximum members per channel	No hard limit (all workspace members can join a public channel)
Channel name maximum length	80 characters
Channel description maximum length	500 characters
Channel topic maximum length	250 characters

Related pages

• Chat Overview — introduction to SetGet Chat
• Direct Messages — private conversations outside channels
• Messages — formatting and media sharing
• Threads — focused replies within a channel
• Pins — bookmark important channel messages
• Chat Notifications — per-channel notification preferences
• Moderation — admin tools for channel management
• Workspace Members — manage who can access channels