Direct Messages

Direct messages (DMs) are private conversations between specific workspace members. Unlike channels, DMs do not appear in the channel browser and are only visible to their participants. Use DMs for quick questions, sensitive discussions, or conversations that do not need a dedicated channel.

Start a direct message

One-on-one DM

1. Open the Chat section from the sidebar.
2. Click the New Message icon (pencil icon) at the top of the DM list.
3. Search for a workspace member by name or email.
4. Select the person and press Enter or click their name.
5. The DM conversation opens. Type your message and send.

Alternatively, you can start a DM from anywhere you see a member's avatar:

• Click the member's avatar or name in the workspace member list.
• Select Send Message from the profile popover.

Group DMs

Group DMs include three or more participants. They behave like a private channel without a name:

1. Click the New Message icon.
2. Search for and select the first participant.
3. Continue adding participants (up to the group limit).
4. Press Enter to open the group conversation.
5. Start messaging.

Group DMs are displayed in your DM list with the names of all participants.

TIP

If a group DM conversation becomes ongoing and important, consider creating a private channel instead. Channels offer richer features like topics, descriptions, and easier member management.

DM list

Your DM list appears in the sidebar under the Direct Messages section. It shows:

Element	Description
Participant name(s)	The other person (or people) in the conversation
Avatar	Profile picture with presence indicator dot
Last message preview	A snippet of the most recent message
Timestamp	When the last message was sent
Unread badge	A count of unread messages, if any

The list is sorted by most recent activity. Conversations with unread messages appear with a bold name and an unread count badge.

Find a DM

If your DM list is long, use these methods to find a conversation:

• Scroll through the list (sorted by recency).
• Search using the command palette (Ctrl+K / Cmd+K) and type the person's name.
• Filter by clicking the search icon at the top of the DM list.

DM notifications

DMs have their own notification behavior that differs from channels:

Behavior	Detail
Default setting	All messages — you are notified for every new DM
Desktop notifications	Appear as browser push notifications if enabled
Sound	A notification sound plays for incoming DMs (configurable)
Unread badge	The Chat section in the sidebar shows an aggregate unread count
Muting	You can mute a specific DM conversation to suppress notifications

Because DMs are inherently directed at you, the default notification level is higher than for channels. You can adjust this per conversation from the conversation header menu.

WARNING

Muting a DM does not block the other person. They can still send you messages, and the messages will appear in your DM list. You simply will not receive notifications.

DM vs channel comparison

Choosing between a DM and a channel depends on the conversation's audience and longevity:

Factor	Direct message	Channel
Audience	Specific people (1-on-1 or small group)	Open to team or entire workspace
Discoverability	Private — only participants see it	Public channels are discoverable by all members
Persistence	Informal; no topic or description	Structured with name, topic, description
Member management	Cannot add/remove people after creation	Members can join, leave, be added or removed
Features	Messages, threads, reactions, file sharing	All DM features plus pins, topic, archive
Best for	Quick questions, sensitive topics, ad-hoc coordination	Ongoing team discussions, project coordination

When to use DMs

• Asking someone a quick question that does not concern the wider team.
• Sharing sensitive information (performance feedback, salary discussions).
• Coordinating a small ad-hoc task between two or three people.
• Following up on a channel conversation privately.

When to use a channel instead

• The topic is relevant to more than three or four people.
• You want the conversation to be searchable and discoverable.
• The discussion will be ongoing over days or weeks.
• You need features like pinned messages, topics, or channel-level notification settings.

Group DM details

Group DMs have specific behaviors that differ from one-on-one DMs:

Aspect	Behavior
Name	Automatically generated from participant names
Member limit	Up to 8 participants
Adding members	New members cannot be added after creation; start a new group DM instead
Leaving	You can leave a group DM; the conversation continues for remaining participants
History	New participants (in a new group DM) do not see previous conversation history

TIP

For ongoing group conversations that need flexibility with membership, create a private channel instead. Private channels allow you to add and remove members at any time.

Message features in DMs

DMs support the same message features as channels:

• Rich text formatting — bold, italic, code, links, lists
• File and image sharing — drag and drop or use the attachment button
• Threads — reply to a specific message in a side thread
• Reactions — add emoji reactions to messages
• Edit and delete — modify or remove your own messages

See Messages for complete formatting and media options.

Privacy and visibility

DM conversations are private to the listed participants:

• Workspace admins cannot read DMs through the admin panel.
• DMs are not included in channel exports or bulk data exports.
• DM messages are included in individual data export requests (GDPR compliance).
• Deleted DM messages are permanently removed and cannot be recovered.

Related pages

• Chat Overview — introduction to SetGet Chat
• Channels — shared conversation spaces for teams
• Messages — formatting, editing, and media sharing
• Threads — focused replies within conversations
• Chat Notifications — configure DM and channel notifications
• Presence — see who is online before messaging