Create direct messages and spaces

Want to get more out of Google apps at work or school?  Sign up for a free Google Workspace trial

In Chat, you can send a direct message to individuals or groups. Direct messages are private conversations between you and other people. Once you create a direct message, you can't add people, so the conversation remains private.

Send a direct message

You can send a direct message in Chat to one or more people in your business, work, or school or to someone outside of your organization. However, you can't include external people in a group message. (To chat with external guests in a group, create a space).

Send a direct message to a person

1. Go to Google Chat or your Gmail account.
2. If the name isn’t already under "Chat," click Start a chat .
3. Enter a name or email address. Suggestions appear as you enter text.
   • To send a 1:1 message to someone outside of your organization, enter their email address.
4. Click the person you want to message.
5. Enter a message, then click Send .

Send a direct message to a group

1. Go to Google Chat or your Gmail account.
2. Under "Chat," click on an existing group conversation, enter a message click Send .
3. If the group conversation isn’t under "Chat,” click Start a chat Start group conversation.
4. Enter a name or email address. Suggestions appear as you enter text.
5. Click Done .
6. Enter a message, then click Send .

Note: To hide a direct message to a group, click More Hide conversation .

Edit conversations

You can add these options to your message:

• To add a person to the conversation or mention them, click enter a name.
• To add emojis to your message, click Emoji .
• To share files from your device, click Upload file . Everyone in a space can view shared files.
• To share files from Google Drive, click Add Google Drive file . Everyone in a space can view shared Drive files.
• To start a video call, click Add video meeting .
• To schedule a calendar meeting, click Calendar .
• To send a GIF, click GIF .

Create a space

With Chat, you can meet and brainstorm ideas with your team in spaces. Chat with your co-workers, share files and other online resources, and work together on team projects.

You can chat in a space with people outside your organization if they have a Google Workspace or personal Google (Gmail) Account. Guests from outside your organization are labelled as external, and the space must be designated as external when you create it. If you created a space for people within your organization only, you won't be able to add external guests later. 

Conversations are organized into different conversation threads in spaces, so you and your team can discuss multiple subjects at the same time.

1. Go to Google Chat or your Gmail account.
2. Next to “Spaces,” click Create or find a space   Create space.
3. Enter a space name.
4. Optional: At the top left, click Choose an emoji . If you don't select an emoji, a default avatar is used.
5. Enter names or email addresses of people and groups you want to add. You can also select from suggestions. If you use a Google Workspace account, suggestions include everyone in your organization, even if they don't have Google Chat.
6. Optional: To allow threaded replies, select Use threaded replies.
   Important: 
   • You can’t change this setting.
   • Threaded spaces can only be created by Google Workspace accounts.
7. Optional: To allow external people to join the space, select Allow people outside your organization to join. If your administrator doesn’t allow this feature, you may not have this option.
   Important: 
   • You can’t change this setting.
   • The option to create spaces that allow guests is only available on Google Workspace accounts.
8. Click Create.
9. Optional: To add more people and bots to the space, click Add people & bots. Enter names or emails. Click Send.

Turn a group chat into a space

If you created a group chat, you can turn it into a space. When you use a space, you can name the space, share files, and assign tasks with other people in the space. 

1. Go to Google Chat or your Gmail account.
2. From the Chat panel, find and click the group chat you want to change to a space.
3. At the top, next to the group chat name, click the Down arrow Turn this chat into a space .
4. Add a space name. To add an optional space icon, click Add .
5. Click Done. A notification confirms your chat is now a space, and notifies members in the group of the change.

After you make the change, you can find chat, files, and tasks tabs in your space.

Tip: You can add and remove people from a space at any time.

Add or remove people in a space

Individuals are added to spaces automatically, whereas groups have the option to join a space. You can add up to 8,000 people to a space.

You can add people to a space in 2 ways:

• Invite people to a space—Invite people to join a space by email.
• Mention someone in a conversation—Enter @johns to automatically add them to the space.

If you @mention someone in a conversation, for example, @cassy, they're immediately added to the space. They can join the discussion, view the space in their space list, and receive notifications for the space.

Invite people to a space

1. Go to Google Chat or your Gmail account.
2. On the left, select a space.
3. At the top, click the space name  Add people & bots.
4. Enter a name, group, or email address or select from the suggestions.
   If you have Directory turned on, suggestions include everyone in your organization, even if they don't have Chat.
   If the space allows external participants, you must enter the full email address for each external person. You can't add a group in Google Groups that was created by an external organization.  
5. (Optional) To skip sending notifications to the people that you add, uncheck the Notify people via email box.
6. Click Send or Add.

See members of a space

1. Go to Google Chat or your Gmail account.
2. On the left, select the space.
3. At the top, click the space nameView members.
4. (Optional) To add more members to the space, click Add .

Join or leave a space

If you are no longer interested in a space, you can leave it. When you leave a space:

• Your content stays unless you delete it.
• You won't get any notifications from the space except for @mentions.
• No one in the ​​​​​​​space is notified that you have left.

Join a space from Chat

1. Open Google Chat or your Gmail account.
2. At the top left, click Start a chat .
3. Click Browse spaces. The spaces that you're directly invited to appear at the top of the list. To find a space, enter its name.
4. Optional: To preview a space, point to the space name and click Preview. When you preview a space, you can read messages, but you can't participate in the conversation or get notifications.
5. To join the space, in the preview, click Add or Join.
6. To open the space, click Open.

Join a space from Gmail

1. Open Gmail.
2. Next to "Spaces", click Add Browse spaces.

3. The spaces that you're invited to appear at the top of the list. Enter a space name to quickly find a space.

4. Optional: To preview a space, point to the space name  click Preview.
   When you preview a space, you can read messages, but you can't participate in the conversation or get notifications.
5. Click Add or Join in the preview to join the space.
6. To open a space, click Open.

Leave a space

1. Go to Google Chat or your Gmail account.
2. Next to a space name, click More options Leave.
3. Click Leave space.

Rejoin a space

1. Open Chat. 
2. At the top left, click Find people, spaces, bots.
3. Click Browse spaces.
4. Next to the space name, click Add .

 

Start multiple conversations in a space

If you’re collaborating on a large project with your team, you might need to chat about different topics. Having multiple ongoing conversations helps everyone share information and ideas faster.

Start a different conversation in a space

1. Go to Google Chat or your Gmail account.
2. Under Spaces, select a space.
3. At the bottom, click New thread in space name.
4. Enter the message and click Send .

Send a direct message to someone in a space

1. Go to Google Chat or your Gmail account.
2. On the left, under "Spaces," select a space.
3. At the top, click the space name View members.
4. Point to the person's name and click More Message.
5. Enter your message and then click Send .

Block a space

If you find a space abusive in Google Chat, you can block and report the space. For more details, see Block or report a space in Google Chat & Gmail.

Block a space

Important: You can only report spaces as spam or abuse that include external members.

1. Go to Google Chat or your Gmail account.
2. Choose one:
   • On the left, under “Spaces,” next to the space name, click More options   Block space.
   • Select the space you want to block  Click the space details drop-down  Block space.
3. Click Block.

Tips:

• To report the space as spam or abuse, check the box next to Report this space as spam or abuse. 
• If you report a space for abuse, a copy of the last 50 messages in the space is sent to Google for review.

Unblock a space in Chat

1. Go to Google Chat.
2. On the top right, click Settings .
3. Under “Blocked Spaces,” click Manage blocked spaces.
4. Point to the space you want to unblock to select it Click Unblock.

Tip: When you unblock a space, it becomes browsable. You can search for it in “Browse spaces."

Unblock a space in Gmail

1. Go to your Gmail account.
2. In the top right, click Settings  See all settings.
3. On the top, click Chat and Meet.
4. Next to “Chat notification settings,” click Manage chat settings.
5. Under “Blocked Spaces,” click Manage blocked spaces.
6. Point to the space you want to unblock to select it  Unblock.

Block a space marked as spam in Chat

1. Go to Google Chat.
2. On the left, next to "Spaces," click Create or find a space Browse spaces Menu items Spam invites Preview.
   Tip: For your protection, you can't download links or view images when you preview the space.
3. To block the space and future invitations, click Block.

Optional: To report the space, click the box next to "Report this space as spam or abuse" Block.

Block a space marked as spam in Gmail

1. Go to your Gmail account.
2. On the left, next to “Spaces,” click Create or find a space Browse spaces Menu items Spam invites Preview.

   Tip: For your protection, you can't download links or view images when you preview the space.

3. To block the space and future invitations, click Block.

Optional: To report the space, click the box next to “Report this space as spam or abuse” Block.

Join a space marked as spam in Chat

1. Go to Google Chat.
2. On the left, next to "Spaces," click Create or find a space Browse spaces Menu items Spam invites Preview.
   Tip: For your protection, you can't download links or view images when you preview the space.
3. Click Join.

Tip: When you join a space marked as spam, the spam label is removed and the space is added to your list of joined spaces.

Join a space marked as spam in Gmail

1. Go to your Gmail account.
2. On the left, next to “Spaces,” click Create or find a space Browse spaces Menu items Spam invites Preview.
   Tip: For your protection, you can't download links or view images when you preview the space.
3. Click Join.

Tip: When you join a space marked as spam, the spam label is removed and the space is added to your list of joined spaces.

Inactivate a space

While you can't delete a space, you can ask its participants to leave and indicate that the space is no longer used. If you’re the space owner, update its name. For example, add No longer used to it. Or, reply to the last conversation in the space with Final Conversation. This space is no longer active.

 

Google, Google Workspace, and related marks and logos are trademarks of Google LLC. All other company and product names are trademarks of the companies with which they are associated.