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Must know
  • Web Only is selected when the dialog opens. People missing what a channel needs stay in the list but are greyed out.
  • The list shows everyone at your current club who can receive communications about an athlete there, not only families in your programs.
  • You have one conversation per person. Picking someone you already chat with opens that thread, and a different channel asks you to confirm Switch channel?.
  • Web & SMS needs the SMS feature on your club’s plan.
1

Open the New Conversation dialog

In Chat, click the + beside Conversations. On a computer you can also click New Conversation in the right-hand pane (“Select a conversation”). On phones that pane is hidden, so use the +.
2

Choose a channel

Pick Web Only, Web & SMS or Web & Email. Web Only is selected to start, and your pick stays if you reopen the dialog during the same visit.
3

Search for and select a contact

Search matches name, email and phone number (the box reads “Search guardians by name…”). Click a row. Rows load as you scroll, with “Showing [number] of [total] guardians - keep scrolling for more, or search to narrow the list.”
4

Confirm a channel switch if prompted

If you already chat with that person on another channel, Switch channel? reads, for example, “You already have a Web Only chat with [name]. Switching to Web & SMS will route future messages accordingly.” Click Switch to [channel], or Cancel to go back to the list with nothing changed.
5

Send your first message

The chat opens with “No messages yet”. Type in Type a message… and send. See message limits.
Greyed-out people. Changing channel hides nobody. Someone you cannot pick is dimmed, and hovering on a computer shows why, such as “Phone number must be verified to use SMS” or “An email address is required for email conversations”. Each row also shows “No email”, “No phone number” or “(unverified)” beside the phone. Existing chats. The channel badge and Switch channel? only appear when that chat is in your Conversations list (narrowed by its search). Otherwise Uplifter switches that chat to your new channel without asking. Starting again also reopens a Closed or Archived chat. If it does not start. A message appears and the dialog stays open, such as “This person cannot receive athlete communications in this club”, Feature “sms” is not available on your current plan, “User does not have a phone number”, “User does not have a verified phone number”, “User does not have an email address” or “Failed to create conversation”. Your club only. Switch clubs to message families at another club. Athlete profiles and the Families page also start Web Only chats. Related: Which families can I message from the coach portal? · How do I message a family contact from an athlete’s profile? · How do I message a family member from the Families page? · Why can’t I pick a family member for an SMS or email chat?