Project Chat
Every Sutram project has a built-in chat: a real-time, project-scoped message feed for the team's conversation. This guide shows how to use it — sending messages, attaching content, replying in a thread, searching the history, and receiving notifications.
Who participates: reading and sending messages is open to all project participants, including viewers. Chat is a participation tool, not a content-editing tool.
Chat or comments?
Before you start, the distinction that avoids confusion:
| Project Chat | Comments | |
|---|---|---|
| About what | General team conversation | Feedback anchored to a document |
| Where it lives | In the project (one conversation) | Attached to a specific file/position |
| When to use | Announcements, questions, coordination | Targeted feedback on a passage |
| Example | "I just reviewed the document and left comments asking for changes" | "On this line of the PDF, revise X" |
Step 1: Open the chat
Click the Chat card on the project's home page. The conversation loads with its history preserved — anyone who joins later can see what was said before.
Step 2: Send a message
- Type in the message field
- Press Enter to send
Each message shows the sender's name and the date/time. Messages appear in real time for everyone who has the chat open.
Step 3: Attach a file or link
You can attach a project item (a file, or a video, audio, or web link) to a message. It appears as a card in the conversation, and others can preview or download the content right there, without leaving the chat. It's the practical way to say "look at this document" without pasting paths.
Step 4: Reply in a thread
To reply to a specific message, use the Reply action on it. The reply is linked to the original message, forming a thread — useful for keeping context when several conversations happen in parallel. Threads have only one level; you always reply to a main (initial) message.
Step 5: Search and browse the history
- Search: filter the conversation by text — the message content or the name/email of the sender
- Load more: scroll up to load older messages
Step 6: Unread and notifications
- The chat flags unread messages; when you open and visit the conversation, the counter resets to zero.
- You can enable browser notifications to be alerted to new messages even with the chat closed. The permission is optional and requested once.
- Sutram is a PWA application: if you install it on your phone or tablet and allow notifications, you stay up to date on the project even when you're away from your workstation.
Moderation: deleting messages
Deleting messages is a moderation action: only the owner and admin can delete chat messages (from any author). The deletion is propagated in real time to everyone.
Using chat with AI (MCP)
An assistant connected through the Sutram MCP Server can read the history, check how many messages are unread, and post messages to the chat.
Caution: posting and replying in the chat are external actions — other members see them in real time and receive a notification. Confirm before letting the AI post on your behalf.
The reference for these tools is in the Sutram MCP Server Guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can viewers send messages in the chat?
A: Yes. Reading and sending are open to all participants, including viewers — chat is a participation tool.
Q: Can I delete a message I sent?
A: Deleting messages is restricted to the owner and admin (moderation). If you need to remove something you posted, ask one of them.
Q: What's the difference between the chat and document comments?
A: Chat is the general project conversation. Comments are anchored to a file (and even to a specific position within it) and serve for targeted feedback on that document.
Q: Who sees the messages I send?
A: All project participants. The chat is single and shared — there are no private messages between two people.
Next Steps
- Document Comments — for feedback anchored to a specific file
- Roles, permissions, and need-to-know — who can do what in the project
- Sutram MCP Server Guide — the reference for the chat tools for use with AI
Document Version: 1.0 Last Updated: July 2026 Author: Sutram Development Team