=================
Instant Messaging
=================

You can find the instant messaging feature on the **Chat** tab. Libervia's chat
functionality supports a wide range of use cases, from professional collaboration to
personal communication.

Accessing the Chat Feature
--------------------------

1. Navigate to the main menu.
2. Select the **Chat** option.

Panels
------

There are three main panels for managing chats (not all may be visible simultaneously):

- **Left panel**: Displays current group chats and direct conversations. You can also
  start a new chat from this panel.
- **Main panel**: Shows the active conversation.
- **Right panel**: Provides information about the current discussion, such as participants
  in a chat room.

Threads and Replies
-------------------

In a message, you'll see a "Reply" button represented by a left-pointing arrow. Click
it to reply to a specific message. This action creates a thread, which functions as a
focused discussion within the main conversation or a series of replies on the same topic.

When a thread exists, a chat bubble icon with three dots will appear in the message
header, next to the timestamp. Hovering over this icon highlights all messages in the
thread. Clicking it opens a submessage panel containing all messages from that thread.
Messages written in this panel will be posted as replies to the thread.

Keywords
--------

Chat messages can have "keywords", which may help to categorize them. They can, for
instance, be added by an email gateway or a bot.

When present, these keywords will appear under the message. Clicking on one of these
keywords will show a submessage panel on the right side, where you'll see only messages
with this keyword. If you write a message in this panel, the keyword will be automatically
added to the message.