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

# Chat App: Channels and Direct Messages

> Collaborate with your simulated team in workspace channels or send direct messages to AI personas to build relationships and advance your scenario.

The Chat app gives you two ways to communicate inside your simulation: workspace channels for team-wide conversations, and direct persona chat for one-on-one exchanges with individual AI characters. Both modes are active at the same time and serve different purposes depending on what you are trying to accomplish in your scenario.

## Two modes of chat

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Workspace channels">
    Workspace channels are shared spaces where multiple participants can contribute to a conversation. They work like a team messaging tool — you create a named channel, and messages posted there are part of a persistent thread visible to everyone in that channel.

    Channels are useful for coordinating team activities, sharing updates, or running discussions that involve more than one stakeholder.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Direct persona chat">
    Direct persona chat lets you have a private, one-on-one conversation with a specific AI character in your scenario. Each character has their own chat history, and their replies are generated based on their personality, role, and the current state of your simulation.

    This mode is best for relationship building, information gathering, or sensitive conversations you want to keep out of team channels.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Working with workspace channels

### Viewing your channels

When you open the Chat app, the current state of your workspace chat loads automatically, including all existing channels and their message histories.

### Creating a channel

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the channels panel">
    Navigate to the Chat app and select the option to create a new channel.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name your channel">
    Enter a channel name — up to 80 characters. Choose a name that reflects the channel's purpose (for example, "project-alpha" or "leadership-updates").
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start messaging">
    Once created, the channel appears in your channel list. Post messages up to 4,000 characters.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Sending a channel message

Select a channel from the list and type your message in the input field. Messages support up to 4,000 characters. Press Enter or click Send to post.

## Working with direct persona chat

### Viewing available personas

The Chat app sidebar shows all AI characters active in your session. Select a character to open your conversation history with them.

### Starting a direct message

If a persona is not yet listed in your direct messages, you can initiate a conversation by selecting their character ID. The conversation thread is created automatically and persists for the rest of your session.

### Sending a message to a persona

Type your message in the input field at the bottom of the chat window and press Enter or click Send. Messages to personas support up to 4,000 characters. The persona's reply appears in the thread once it is generated.

## Channels vs. persona chat: what is the difference?

| Feature     | Workspace channels    | Direct persona chat                      |
| ----------- | --------------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| Audience    | Multiple participants | One specific AI persona                  |
| Persistence | Full history saved    | Full history per character               |
| Use case    | Team coordination     | Relationship building, 1:1 conversations |
| Context     | Scenario-aware        | Character-aware and scenario-aware       |

<Tip>
  Use direct persona chat when you want to build a working relationship with a specific character, probe their perspective privately, or handle a sensitive matter that should not surface in a team channel. AI personas remember what you have discussed and will respond accordingly.
</Tip>

<Note>
  The characters available in your chat are determined by your scenario. Different scenarios include different personas, and each has their own role, personality, and agenda within the simulation.
</Note>