# Conversations

# Managing conversations

At the core of each team is strong communication. Conversations and [workflow](https://manual.codecks.io/workflow/) are two key components of Codecks.

![Card with sample conversation](https://manual.codecks.io/_astro/intro.DOtOzwAL_zUkii.webp)

## Creating a new conversation

All conversations live inside of Cards. Click on the conversations button on any opened Card to see all conversations tied to that Card. Hit "New Thread" and your cursor will be placed directly in the comment field, ready to type. Click 'send' or `ctrl/cmd + enter` to open a new thread or to reply to an existing thread.

The conversation sidebar is resizable - drag its edge to make it wider or narrower depending on how much space you need.

Mention [team members](https://manual.codecks.io/users/) to draw them into the conversation. You can do this by typing `@` and selecting their name from the popup list or by clicking on their portrait image. Adding teammates to the conversation will notify them that you're looking for their input. You can see who is part of a conversation by looking at the user icons on top of each conversation.

> If your team uses Discord for internal chat, you can map Codecks users to Discord members. Mapped members then get an `@` mention in [Project Notifications](https://manual.codecks.io/discord/#project-notifications) posts about a conversation they take part in. The author of the post isn't mentioned. Set this up under [User Mapping in your Discord integration settings](https://manual.codecks.io/discord/#user-mapping).

All conversations in Codecks are open. You can read all ongoing or past conversations on any Card that you have access to. If you comment on a conversation that you were not yet part of, you will automatically be added to the participants list and be notified on further replies.

## No-loose ends

Ever had to deal with tasks that were not done because they were forgotten? Tasks that got lost in the gaps of the proverbial project management cushions, to be found again too late and close to a deadline? Codecks features a no-loose ends paradigm 🚀 , which guides many of our design decisions, but here are a couple of key rules:

- **Closable Conversations** Conversations in Codecks have a clear start and end point. As long as a conversation is not closed by a team member, the topic will be regarded as unresolved and all the active participants will receive reminders to push them towards coming to a conclusion.

> Yes, these reminders are _slightly annoying by design_. In our experience dragging out decisions
> and talking points over many days is rarely a good idea. Codecks is designed to nudge you towards
> coming to conclusions (say no to zombie threads that go nowhere).

- **Threaded Conversations** You may have multiple conversations running at the same time on a Card. This allows addressing different topics with different participants on the same Card. Less participants often also helps with coming to a conclusion quicker.

- **Snoozing & Awakening** If you can't act on a conversation right now, snooze it to keep your inbox focused (see below). Snoozed conversations automatically reappear when somebody else comments — so a reply you're waiting on can't slip past you.

- **Smart Notifications** Notifications are automatically dismissed when you inspect them - no need to manually click dismiss buttons. Think of them as an impromptu todo list that stays relevant to what needs your attention right now. See [notifications](https://manual.codecks.io/notifications/) for an overview of when you get notified.

- **Browser Notifications** You can enable real-time operating system notifications to stay on top of conversations even when the Codecks tab is in the background or closed. Enable this per device in your [profile](https://manual.codecks.io/profile/#browser-notifications).

> **Conversations with Endpoints**
>
> Conversations in Codecks have a clear start and end, unlike endless Slack threads or email chains. When you start a review or block a card, you're asking a specific question that needs resolution.
>
> This creates natural closure. Once the question is answered or the blocker is resolved, the conversation ends. No stale threads from six months ago that nobody remembers the context for.
>
> Team members can also opt out of conversations when they have nothing more to add, which signals "I've given my input, continue without me" rather than leaving people guessing if you're still involved.

## Snoozing conversations

![Snoozing conversation picker](https://manual.codecks.io/_astro/snooze-convo.eMZ7x_F9_6mBsv.webp)

Sometimes you're part of a conversation but can't take action right now - maybe you're waiting on someone else's reply or some other information. To keep your conversation list focused on what actually needs your attention, you can snooze conversations to temporarily move them out of your inbox.

Snoozing a conversation is a manual reminder for yourself: you pick a return time, and the conversation drops out of your hand until then. The available durations are "Until tomorrow" (or "Until next work day"), "For 3 work days", "Until next week", "For 1 week", "For 2 weeks" and "Forever". A conversation snoozed forever stays out of your hand until somebody else comments or you un-snooze it. You can also un-snooze a conversation again at any time.

Don't worry about missing important updates while a conversation is snoozed: as soon as somebody else leaves a comment on it, Codecks automatically wakes it back up. Snoozing is a reminder, not a mute — it pauses your attention, not the thread.

To snooze a conversation look for the button with the snoozing icon below the comment field. It'll show you a couple of options. You can also trigger the button by hovering over the conversation and hitting `v`. The button needs to be in view for this to work as there might be multiple ongoing conversations on a single Card.

This helps keep your conversation tab focused on discussions that require your immediate attention, rather than being cluttered with conversations you're waiting on others to advance.

![5 snoozing vonversations hidden behind a button](https://manual.codecks.io/_astro/snoozing-convos-button.BA4q_UvP_HibX1.webp)

## Reactions

Sometimes a full comment isn't necessary, but you want to quickly acknowledge a message, show appreciation, or give simple feedback. Emoji reactions let you do just that directly on individual comments.

**To add a reaction:**

1. **Hover your mouse** over the comment you want to react to.
2. An emoji selection bar will appear.
3. Click on one of your **recently used emojis** for a quick reaction, or click the **add reaction button** to open the full emoji picker and find the perfect one.

A key benefit is that **you don't need to be part of the conversation thread to add a reaction**. This avoids the awkwardness of joining a thread just to drop a quick "👍" or "✅" and then immediately leaving. Whether you opted out previously or are just browsing a conversation you weren't part of, you can add a reaction without affecting your participation status.

Reactions provide a lightweight way to enhance communication, making interactions more seamless and adding a touch of personality to your team's discussions on Codecks.

## Opting-out

Unless you're the owner of a Card or the last remaining participant, you can remove yourself from a conversation, if you don't have anything to add and don't want to receive further notification. To remove yourself from a conversation click on your own portrait icon on top of the thread. Your portrait icon will become grayed out to signal that you were part of the conversation but opted out from further updates. Codecks will also add a note to let the other participants know.

You may return to the conversation by clicking on your portrait icon again. Other team members might also add you back into the conversation by mentioning you again.

> ### Slash Commands
>
> ![Slash Commands on a blocked Card](https://manual.codecks.io/_astro/slash-commands.DjYKWk6N_2jTGOB.webp)
>
> When writing a comment, there exist a few conversation-specific slash commands:
>
> - `/close`: Close conversation
> - `/done`: Close conversation and mark Card as done
> - `/opt-out`: Opt out of conversation
>
> Should the input contain other text, it will be posted as comment. Otherwise the command will be executed without adding a comment.

## Conversation View

If you want to get an overview of all conversations that you're part of or that are currently happening in your project(s), open the 'conversations tab' in your [hand](https://manual.codecks.io/hand/) dashboard. This will show you all Cards conversations that you're involved in:

- Blocked Cards
- Cards in review
- Cards with open comment threads

The conversation tab focuses on discussions that need your attention. Snoozed conversations are hidden from this view unless they're awakened by new activity — a "X snoozing" button on the right reveals them on demand. You can also inspect any conversation that is going on without your involvement by clicking the 'Show all' toggle next to it. Conversation updates also show up in the activity stream.