Docs

Beech chat replaces project WhatsApp groups with work-linked conversations. Messages stay inside your firm, can link drawings and Vault files, and never bypass project permissions.

Where chat lives

• Messages (inbox icon in the header, or /messages) — direct messages and firm-wide groups across the firm.
• Project → Chat — that project’s General room (every project member) plus optional project groups you create for a subset of the team.

Unread badges appear on the Messages icon and on project Chat. Opening a conversation marks messages read for you.

Direct messages and firm groups

From Messages, start a DM with any active firm member or create a firm group (name + members). Firm groups are not tied to a project; use them for studio-wide coordination. Leave a group you no longer need; Admins and Managers can manage membership on groups they can see.

Project Chat

Every project has a General room. Create additional project groups when only part of the team should see the thread (e.g. structure coordination). Only project members can open project Chat — if you cannot see the project, you cannot see its rooms.

Work links and Vault

In project chats, attach from Vault, link tasks/drawings/reviews/vendor requests, or use Discuss in chat from a work detail panel to open Chat with that item already attached. Chat file uploads stay private to the conversation until you Save to Vault — then they land in the project Vault like any other upload.

Threads, pins, and promote

• Reply opens a thread drawer — the main stream stays root messages only.
• Pin important decisions; pinned messages appear in the conversation header so people can find them later.
• Promote a message to a task or meeting log entry; Beech keeps a link chip on the message so you can jump back.

Mentions

Type @ to mention someone in the conversation. They get an in-app notification (and a Slack ping if your firm enabled chat mentions on the Slack integration).