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

# What are the chat channels, and what are their limits?

> The difference between Web Only, Web & SMS, and Web & Email chat — and what chat can't do.

<Note>
  **Must know**

  * **Web Only** sends no email or text nudge — the family only sees the message when they open their portal.
  * **Web & SMS** requires the SMS plan plus a verified phone number and counts toward your SMS usage. Available on plans that include **SMS** — if you don't see it, ask your Uplifter contact.
  * Chat has no attachments or photo sharing, but it is live: when a family replies, the thread and its unread badge update the moment they respond — no refresh wait.
</Note>

When you start a chat, you pick one channel for that thread. It controls whether the family gets a nudge outside the portal:

* **Web Only** — the message lives in the family's portal. They get no email or text; they'll see it the next time they log in. Best for low-urgency notes.
* **Web & SMS** — the message is also sent as a text. This needs a verified phone number on the family's account and counts toward your monthly SMS usage. It's part of the SMS plan.
* **Web & Email** — the message is also sent as a branded email with a link back to the portal. This needs an email address on the family's account.

A family can reply two ways. When they open the portal, their reply is always stored as a plain portal message no matter the thread's channel — so a parent answering an "SMS" thread from their portal costs you no text, and it isn't relayed back out over SMS or email. But on a **Web & SMS** or **Web & Email** thread they can also reply straight from their own phone or email app without opening the portal; that reply is captured too, landing in the conversation as an actual text or email on that channel.

**Current limits.** Chat doesn't support attachments, photos, or file uploads on any channel. Replies from families do arrive live, though — the open thread and the unread-count badges update the moment a family responds, so you don't have to reload to catch a new reply.

**Related:** [How do I chat one-on-one with a family?](/club/communications/how-do-i-chat-one-on-one-with-a-family) · [What counts toward my email and SMS usage?](/club/communications/what-counts-toward-my-email-and-sms-usage) · [Chat channels explained (coach)](/coaches/coach-messaging/coach-chat-channels-explained)