Feature Guide

Complete guide to RustChat features.

Table of Contents

• Messaging
• Channels
• Search
• Notifications
• Settings

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Messaging

Sending Messages

• Type in the composer at the bottom of a channel
• Press Enter to send
• Press Shift+Enter for a new line

Editing Messages

1. Hover over your message
2. Click the ... menu
3. Select Edit

Deleting Messages

1. Hover over your message
2. Click the ... menu
3. Select Delete

Markdown Formatting

Style	Syntax	Example
Bold	**text**	bold
Italic	*text*	italic
Code	`code`	code
Code block	```	Multi-line code
Quote	> text	Blockquote
Link	[text](url)	Link

Mentions

Use mentions to get someone's attention:

• @username - Notify a specific user
• @channel - Notify everyone in the current channel
• @all - Notify everyone on the team (use sparingly)

Threads

Keep conversations organized:

1. Hover over a message
2. Click the Reply icon
3. Thread replies appear in the Right Sidebar

Emoji Reactions

React to messages quickly:

1. Hover over a message
2. Click Add Reaction
3. Select an emoji

File Uploads

Share files:

• Drag and drop files into the message pane
• Click the + icon in the composer
• Images and PDFs show previews

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Channels

Public Channels

• Open to anyone on the team
• Marked with #
• Good for broad discussions

Private Channels

• Invitation only
• Marked with 🔒
• For sensitive topics

Creating Channels

1. Click + next to "Channels"
2. Choose Public or Private
3. Enter a name
4. Add members (optional)

Direct Messages (DMs)

1:1 conversations:

1. Click + next to "Direct Messages"
2. Search for a teammate
3. Start chatting

Group Messages

Group DMs with multiple people:

1. Click + next to "Direct Messages"
2. Select multiple people
3. Start the conversation

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Search

Basic Search

Type keywords in the search bar at the top.

Search Filters

Filter	Syntax	Description
From user	from:@username	Messages from specific person
In channel	in:#channel	Messages in specific channel
With file	has:file	Messages with attachments
Before date	before:2024-01-01	Messages before date
After date	after:2024-01-01	Messages after date

Jump to Results

Click any search result to jump to that point in history.

Pinned Messages

Important messages can be pinned:

• Click the Pin icon in the channel header to view pinned messages

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Notifications

Desktop Notifications

Enable in Settings > Notifications:

• Browser notifications
• Desktop app notifications

Email Notifications

Configure when to receive emails:

• Mentions and DMs
• Daily/weekly digests

Channel Muting

Mute noisy channels:

1. Click the channel header
2. Select Mute Channel

Notification Preferences

Customize in Settings > Notifications:

• What triggers notifications
• Sound settings
• Email frequency

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Settings

Profile Settings

Update in Settings > Profile:

• Display name
• Avatar
• Bio

Appearance

Customize in Settings > Display:

• Light/Dark theme
• Font size
• Message density

Language & Timezone

Set in Settings > Display:

• Language preference
• Local timezone

Keyboard Shortcuts

View all shortcuts with Ctrl+/ (or Cmd+/ on Mac)

Common shortcuts:

Action	Shortcut
New message	Ctrl+N
Search	Ctrl+K
Previous channel	Alt+Up
Next channel	Alt+Down
Settings	Ctrl+,

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For troubleshooting: See Troubleshooting