Who you can message

Messages are one-to-one conversations between a shepherd and the people who book them. There's one conversation for each pair, and it holds everything you've said to each other.

Finding your messages

• Press the speech-bubble icon at the top of any page. A red badge shows how many conversations have something new.
• On your phone, Messages is in the menu too.
• Type into Search by name to find a conversation.

As a talent

You can message a shepherd once:

• they've accepted a coffee chat with you (it stays open after the chat), or
• they've written to you first, or
• they've switched on Open profile, which means anyone on KoffeeChat can message them.

When you can, Message and their first name appears on their profile, on their booking page and under More on your chat in Your coffee chats. Until then, book a coffee chat to get started. Booking a chat in 3 steps

As a shepherd

• You can write to anyone who has requested a coffee chat with you, even before you accept: a good way to ask a question first.
• You can reply to anyone who has written to you.
• With Open profile on, anyone on KoffeeChat can start a conversation with you. Message emails and Open profile
• Booking a fellow shepherd for a peer chat works the same way as a talent booking a shepherd.

When a conversation is paused

• A shepherd whose profile hasn't been approved yet can't send or receive messages. Earlier messages stay readable, and the conversation picks up again once they're approved.
• A shepherd who hasn't joined KoffeeChat yet (their profile was added for them) can't receive messages until they sign in.
• Nobody can send in a blocked conversation. Blocking or reporting a conversation

When you can't write yet, the box at the bottom of the conversation tells you why, for example that you can reply once your shepherd accepts your chat or messages you.