Chat Basics

Chat is the universal interface in Saltare. Every conversation, command, and agent interaction flows through channels, threads, and direct messages. If you can type a message, you can use every feature in the platform.

Channels

Channels are shared conversation spaces for your team. There are two types:

Public Channels

Visible to everyone in the workspace. Any team member can join and participate. Every workspace starts with a #general channel.

To create a public channel:
1. Click the + button in the Channels section of the sidebar
2. Enter a channel name and optional description
3. Choose "Public" visibility
4. Click Create

Private Channels

Only visible to invited members. Use these for sensitive discussions, client work, or leadership conversations.

Private channels work the same way as public channels, but only invited members can see and access them.

Threads

Threads keep conversations organized by grouping related messages together. When someone replies to a message, the reply appears in a thread attached to that message rather than in the main channel.

Threads are especially important for agent interactions — when you @mention an agent, its response always appears in a thread, keeping the main channel clean.

When to Use Threads

• Agent interactions — Always threaded automatically
• Detailed discussions — Keep multi-message back-and-forth out of the main channel
• Follow-ups — Reply to a specific topic without derailing the channel conversation

Direct Messages

DMs are private conversations between two or more people. Start a DM from the sidebar by clicking the + button in the Direct Messages section.

DMs support all the same features as channels: threads, @mentions, reactions, and agent interactions.

Message Features

@Mentions

Type @ followed by a person or agent name to mention them. Mentions send a notification and, for agents, trigger a response.

Reactions

React to any message with an icon. Click the reaction button on a message to open the reaction picker, or hover and click a quick-react option.

Pinning

Pin important messages to make them easy to find later. Pinned messages appear in the channel's pin panel.

Search

Use the command palette (Cmd+K / Ctrl+K) to search across all messages, or use the in-channel search to find messages within a specific channel.

Agent Interactions in Chat

The most powerful aspect of Saltare's chat is that AI agents are first-class participants. You can:

• @mention an agent in any channel to ask a question or give a command
• Iterate in-thread by replying to refine the agent's output
• Watch agents work as they create tasks, write documents, and pull data in real-time
• Mention multiple agents to orchestrate complex workflows

Agents respond in threads, use real tools, and build memory from your conversations. See the Mentioning Agents guide for detailed patterns.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Chat supports extensive keyboard navigation. Press ? anywhere to see all available shortcuts. Key ones:

• Cmd+K / Ctrl+K — Open command palette
• Cmd+Shift+A / Ctrl+Shift+A — Toggle sidebar
• Up arrow (in empty input) — Edit your last message
• Escape — Close panels, deselect