Threads & Search

Keep conversations focused with threads and find any message instantly with full-text search.

Threads

What Are Threads?

Threads are focused sub-conversations attached to a specific message. Instead of cluttering the main channel with back-and-forth replies, threads let the discussion happen in a side panel — keeping the channel timeline clean and readable.

Use threads for:

• Detailed follow-ups on an announcement
• Technical discussions branching off a question
• Decisions that need more debate without drowning out other messages

Starting a Thread

1. Hover over any message
2. Click Reply in thread (the speech bubble icon)
3. The thread panel opens on the right side
4. Type your reply and press Enter

Continuing a Thread

If a thread already has replies:

1. Click View thread or click the reply count indicator below the message
2. The thread panel opens showing all replies
3. Add your reply at the bottom

Thread Indicators

Messages with active threads show:

• Reply count — Number of replies so far
• Participant avatars — Showing who's replied
• "View thread" link — Click to open the thread panel
• Latest reply timestamp — When the most recent reply was posted

All Threads View

See every thread you're participating in across all channels:

1. Click All Threads in the sidebar (under Chat)
2. View threads where you've replied or been mentioned
3. Jump directly to any thread

Thread Notifications

You're automatically subscribed to thread notifications when you:

• Start a thread
• Reply to a thread
• Get mentioned in a thread

Configure thread notification behavior in Settings → Notifications.

Saved Messages (Bookmarks)

Save any message to revisit later — useful for action items buried in long conversations, links you want to follow up on, or messages that need a response when you're less busy.

Saving a Message

1. Hover over any message
2. Click the bookmark icon (or use the ... menu → Save)
3. A confirmation appears — message is now saved

Viewing Your Saved Messages

1. Click Saved in the Chat sidebar
2. All bookmarked messages appear in chronological order
3. Click any saved message to jump to it in context
4. Each saved message shows the channel and timestamp so you know where it came from

Removing Saved Messages

1. Open the Saved panel
2. Hover over a saved message
3. Click the bookmark icon again to unsave it

Message Search

Search across every message in every channel you're a member of. FanDesk's full-text search is fast and supports advanced filters.

Basic Search

1. Click the search icon (or press Ctrl+K / Cmd+K)
2. Type your search query
3. Results appear instantly as you type

Results show the matching message snippet, the channel it's in, and who sent it. Click any result to jump directly to that message in context.

Search Filters

Narrow results with filters:

Filters can be combined: from:@john in:#backend has:file finds files shared by John in the backend channel.

Search Tips

• Phrase search — Put terms in quotes for exact phrase: "deployment pipeline"
• Partial words — Searching "auth" finds "authentication", "authorized", etc.
• Recent results — Results are sorted by relevance with recency weighted highly
• DeskMate for semantic search — For concept-level search ("messages about the pricing issue"), ask DeskMate instead — it uses the knowledge graph for meaning-based retrieval

Message Forwarding

Share a message from one channel to another:

1. Hover over the message
2. Click ... → Forward
3. Choose the destination channel or DM
4. Add an optional note to provide context
5. Click Forward

The forwarded message appears in the destination with a link back to the original. This is useful for escalating something from a support channel to engineering, or sharing an announcement from one team channel to another.

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Next: Learn about the AI assistant in DeskMate AI.