# Collaborating using Amazon Chime chat
Amazon Chime gives you two ways to chat—regular Amazon Chime chat and in-meeting chat. The topics in this section explain how to use regular Amazon Chime chat. For information about using chat in meetings, see [Using in-meeting chat](meeting-chat.md).
You use regular chat to collaborate with the people on your contacts list. When you choose a contact for chat, that person's name appears in the side bar. You can:
+ Chat with a contact directly.
+ Add emojis to your messages and use markdown to format your message text.
+ Share attachments of up to 50 MB.
+ Create group chats by adding multiple contacts to a message.
+ Create chat rooms and send messages to everyone in the room.
+ Create a Favorites list of conversations and chat rooms.
+ Search contacts, conversations, and chat rooms.
+ Read conversations on all supported devices.
+ Call a contact, some or all of the people in a group chat, or everyone in a chat room.
**Important**
By design, Amazon Chime doesn't allow you to delete chat messages after you send them. Amazon Chime does this to comply with data retention policies. If you need to delete a message, you must contact your system administrator or IT department. However, data retention policies may also prevent administrators from deleting messages.
**Topics**
+ [
# Understanding the chat window
](understand-chat.md)
+ [
# Chatting with another user
](direct-chat.md)
+ [
# Chatting with a group
](group-chat.md)
+ [
# Finding past chats
](past-chats.md)
+ [
# Using call history to chat
](call-history-chat.md)
+ [
# Adjusting the size of chat text
](adjust-chat-font-size.md)
+ [
# Deleting sent messages
](delete-chat-messages.md)
+ [
# Using chat notifications
](use-notifications.md)
+ [
# Using chat rooms
](chime-chat-room.md)
+ [
# Administering chat rooms
](chat-admins.md)
+ [
# Using additional chat features
](chat-features.md)
+ [
# Using status messages
](status-message.md)
# Understanding the chat window
If you're new to Amazon Chime this section introduces you to Amazon Chime's chat features. Expand each section to learn more.
## Availability statuses
In the chat window, the following statuses indicate whether a user is available to chat.
+ Automatic
+ Available
+ Busy
+ Do not disturb
+ Private
If you create a custom status message, you can also use these statuses.
+ Be right back
+ Commuting
+ On call
+ Out sick
+ Vacationing
For more information about setting your status and using custom statuses, see [Using status messages](status-message.md).
## The sidebar
The home and chat windows display the sidebar on the left. The sidebar organizes your calls, chat rooms, and contacts into the following sections.
**Meetings and calls**
This section displays any ongoing meetings and calls until they end. Open the ellipsis menu (**...**) on the right to join a meeting, start an instant meeting, schedule a meeting, and view your meeting bridge information.
Choose **Call history** to view a list of your incoming, missed, and outgoing past calls.
**Chat rooms**
Lists your chat rooms. Select a chat room to open it and send messages. Use the ellipsis menu (**...**) on the right to hide a room from the side bar, leave the chat room, and change your notification settings.
**Recent messages**
Lists the contacts that you've chatted with during the past seven calendar days. The section can list 25 contacts. Choose a contact to send a message and see any past messages.
**All messages**
Displays past messages from all the contacts that you've chatted with during the data-retention period set by your company.
## The message list
The messages you exchange with a contact or a group appear to the right of the sidebar. The name of the contact appears above the messages. For a group chat, the names of everyone in the group appears above the messages. When you use a chat room, the room name appears above the messages. This image shows a group chat:
![\[Two names separated by a dot.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/chime/latest/ug/images/chat-group-names.png)
A set of icons appears to the right of the names. Use them to call the contact or group, change your notification settings, and open the actions menu, respectively.
![\[A phone, a bell, and 3 horizontal dots in a circle.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/chime/latest/ug/images/chat-name-controls.png)
## The message controls and menus
Another set of controls appears to the right of each message. They show you when the message was sent, plus another actions menu. You use the menu to quote a message, copy a message, or copy a message's ID. For group chats, you also see the number of group members who've read the message. That number changes as more group members open the chat thread.
![\[The time, the number of people who've read the message, and three dots in a circle.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/chime/latest/ug/images/chat-read-by.png)
# Chatting with another user
You can have a one-on-one chat conversation with any of your Amazon Chime contacts.
**Important**
Be careful about the messages that you send. By design, Amazon Chime doesn't allow you to delete chat messages after you send them. Amazon Chime does this to comply with data retention policies. If you need to delete a message, you must contact your system administrator or IT department. However, data retention policies may also prevent your administrator from deleting messages. For more information, see [Deleting sent messages](delete-chat-messages.md), later in this section.
**To chat directly with another user**
1. In the desktop client or web app, do one of the following:
+ In the sidebar, choose the contact.
+ If the sidebar doesn't show the contact, go to the navigation bar, choose **Contacts**, then scroll to and select the contact.
1. Enter your message.
1. (Optional) to add line breaks to a message, press Ctrl\$1Enter or Shift\$1Enter.
1. (Optional) Choose **Attach a file** (![\[An icon showing a paperclip.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/chime/latest/ug/images/icon-attach-file.png)) to attach a file to the message. You can attach files of up to 50 MB.
1. (Optional) Choose **Pick an emoji** (![\[An icon showing a smiley face.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/chime/latest/ug/images/icon-add-emoji.png)) to add an emoji.
**Note**
You can also add emoji codes to a message, such as `:-)` or `:(`. The emojis appear after you send the message.
1. Choose send (![\[An arrow pointed to the right.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/chime/latest/ug/images/icon-send-msg.png)) or press **Enter**.
# Chatting with a group
You can start a group chat with up to 50 users in Amazon Chime. While you're in a group chat, you can do the following:
+ Start an instant meeting with some or all of the contacts in the group.
+ Create additional group chats with only the contacts that you select.
The following sections explain how to start and use group chats. The steps apply to the desktop client and web app.
**Topics**
+ [
## Starting a group chat
](#start-group-chat)
+ [
## Calling everyone in a chat room
](#call-group-chat)
+ [
## Adding and removing group members
](#add-remove-members)
+ [
## Leaving a group chat
](#leave-group-chat)
## Starting a group chat
When you start a group chat, the people you invite can decline the invitation. A list of the people who join the chat appears at the top of the chat window. A set of controls, including a search box, appears to the right of list.
**To start a group chat**
1. In the sidebar, next to **Recent Messages**, choose the **Message a contact** icon (![\[Line drawing of a pen.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/chime/latest/ug/images/icon-message-contact.png)).
1. In the **To** field, add up to 50 users. The first two names that you enter appear in the sidebar, along with this icon: ![\[A line drawing of two people.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/chime/latest/ug/images/icon-group-chat.png)
1. Enter your message.
1. (Optional) Choose **Attach a file** (![\[A line drawing of a paperclip.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/chime/latest/ug/images/icon-attach-file.png)) to attach a file to the message. You can attach files of up to 50 MB.
1. (Optional) Choose **Pick an emoji** (![\[A line drawing of a smiley face.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/chime/latest/ug/images/icon-add-emoji.png)) to add an emoji.
**Note**
You can also enter emoji codes to a message, such as `:-)` or `:(`. The emojis appear after you send the message.
1. Choose send (![\[An arrow pointed to the right.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/chime/latest/ug/images/icon-send-msg.png)) or press **Enter**.
Group chats appear in the sidebars of the desktop client and web app. If you use the Amazon Chime mobile app, group chat messages appear as push notifications if you enable that service. For more information about push notifications in the mobile app, see [Additional Amazon Chime settings](app-options.md#mobile-chime-settings).
## Calling everyone in a chat room
The following steps apply to the desktop client and web app.
**To start an instant meeting**
+ In the sidebar, open the ellipsis menu (**...**) next to the group chat.
—OR—
Choose the phone icon in the upper-right corner of the chat window (![\[Line drawing of a phone receiver.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/chime/latest/ug/images/icon-chat-call.png)).
## Adding and removing group members
Once you create a group chat, you can add or remove users. When you do, Amazon Chime creates a new group chat that includes just the new users.
**To edit group chat users**
1. In the side bar of either client, choose the group chat that you want to edit.
The names of everyone in the chat appear at the top of the chat window.
1. Choose **Chat settings** (**...**) , to the right of the list of names, then choose **Edit members**.
1. In the **To** field, enter any new names. To remove names, just choose them.
As you add or remove members, Amazon Chime loads any previous conversations with the group of users that you select. If you had no previous conversations with the group, Amazon Chime creates a new, blank group chat.
## Leaving a group chat
To leave a group chat, contact the person who created the chat and ask to be removed from the conversation.
# Finding past chats
When contacts no longer appear in the sidebar, you can use the following methods to restore them and view the messages you've exchanged.
## Use your Contacts list
When a contact disappears from the sidebar, open your **Contacts** list and select the contact.
**To add a contact (desktop client)**
1. On the navigation bar, choose **Contacts**.
1. In the **Contacts** dialog box, select the contact.
**To add a contact (web app)**
1. Under **Quick actions**, choose **View my contacts**.
1. In the **Contacts** dialog box, select the contact.
## Using the All messages command
Your contacts list may not display some of your past contacts. For example, a contact may have left your company. If you need to see the messages you exchanged, use the All messages command. These steps apply to both clients.
**To use the command**
1. In the sidebar, choose **All messages**.
1. Scroll through the messages and select the contact.
**Note**
The number of past contacts and messages varies, depending on your company's data retention policy. For more information about your company's policy, contact your manager or IT administrator.
# Using call history to chat
Amazon Chime keeps a list of the calls (instant meetings) that you make, calls that you miss, and calls that you receive. The listings for each call include the contact who sent or received the call. You can message those contacts directly from your call history.
**To message a contact from your call history**
1. In the desktop client or web app, under **Meetings and calls**, choose **Call history**.
1. In the **Call history** window, choose **Incoming**, **Missed**, or **Outgoing**.
1. In the listing for the call, open the ellipsis menu (*...*) and choose **Message**.
1. Enter your message.
1. (Optional) Choose **Attach a file** (![\[An icon showing a paperclip.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/chime/latest/ug/images/icon-attach-file.png)) to attach a file to the message. You can attach files of up to 50 MB.
1. (Optional) Choose **Pick an emoji** (![\[An icon showing a smiley face.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/chime/latest/ug/images/icon-add-emoji.png)) to add an emoji.
**Note**
You can also enter emoji codes to a message, such as `:-)` or `:(`. The emojis appear after you send the message.
1. Choose send (![\[An arrow pointed to the right.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/chime/latest/ug/images/icon-send-msg.png)) or press **Enter**.
# Adjusting the size of chat text
**To select your chat font size**
1. In the desktop client or web app, choose your name (![\[A stylized person.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/chime/latest/ug/images/profile-gray.png)).
1. Choose **Settings**, and then choose **Accessibility**.
1. Under **Chat type size**, select a size.
1. Close the **Settings** pane to return to the Home window.
# Deleting sent messages
By design, Amazon Chime prevents you from deleting chat messages after you send them. This applies to messages sent in conversations, groups, and chat rooms. Amazon Chime does this in order to comply with data retention policies.
If you need to delete a chat message, you must copy the ID of the message, and the ID of the conversation or chat room, and send those values to your Amazon Chime system administrator.
The following steps explain how to find and copy the IDs needed to have a message deleted.
**To copy message IDs**
1. In a conversation, group, or chat room, open the ellipsis menu next to the message that you want to delete.
1. Choose **Copy message ID**.
![\[Menu showing the Copy message ID command.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/chime/latest/ug/images/copy-message-id.png)
Amazon Chime copies the ID of the message and the ID of the conversation or the chat room, depending on the message's location. The administrator needs both values.
1. Send the IDs to your Amazon Chime administrator and request to have the message deleted.
# Using chat notifications
By default, Amazon Chime displays a notification whenever you recieve a chat message. You can take several actions on notifications. For example, you can use your operating system settings to turn off notifications. You can also drag the notification to another part of your screen, or use Amazon Chime's settings to turn off just the notification sound.
**Note**
For information about turning off chat notifications during meetings, see [Hiding chat notifications while sharing your screen](hide-notifications-screen-share.md), in this guide.
**Topics**
+ [
# Turning off notifications
](notifications-off.md)
+ [
# Moving the notification window
](move-notifications.md)
+ [
# Turning off the notification sound
](notification-sound-off.md)
# Turning off notifications
To turn off chat notifications, you change your operating system's notification settings. We assume that you know how to change those settings. For more information, see the help for your operating system.
# Moving the notification window
You can move the notification at any time. Just drag and drop.
# Turning off the notification sound
You use the Amazon Chime settings to turn off the notification sound.
**To turn off the sound**
1. In the desktop client or the web app, choose your name, and on the menu that appears, choose **Settings**.
The **General** settings page appears by default.
1. Under **Application**, clear the **Play sound for notifications** checkbox.
1. Close the settings window.
# Using chat rooms
The topics in this section explain how to create and use chat rooms. You can create a chat room whenever you need to collaborate with a group of people, usually for ongoing issues or projects. You can invite any number of users to your chat rooms, and users can join any number of chat rooms.
**Note**
To comply with data retention policies, Amazon Chime doesn't allow you to delete chat rooms. Instead, you hide chat rooms to remove them from the sidebar. For more information, see [Hiding a chat room from the sidebar](hide-from-sidebar.md), in this section.
Unless otherwise noted, the steps in the following sections apply to the desktop client and web app.
**Topics**
+ [
# Creating chat rooms
](create-chat-room.md)
+ [
# Joining a chat room
](join-chat.md)
+ [
# Sharing chat room URLs (web app only)
](share-chat-url.md)
+ [
# Sending messages in chat rooms
](chat-messages.md)
+ [
# Calling the members of a chat room
](im-chat-room.md)
+ [
# Viewing chat room details.
](chat-room-details.md)
+ [
# Changing a chat room's notification settings
](chat-notification-settings.md)
+ [
# Hiding a chat room from the sidebar
](hide-from-sidebar.md)
+ [
# Deleting chat rooms
](delete-chat-room.md)
+ [
# Leaving a chat room
](leave-chat.md)
+ [
# Sending @ notifications
](at-mention.md)
# Creating chat rooms
The steps in this section explain how to use the Amazon Chime desktop client and web app to create chat rooms.
You can create as many chat rooms as you need. When you create a chat room, you automatically become the administrator. For information about administering a chat room, see [Administering chat rooms](chat-admins.md), later in this topic.
**To create a chat room (desktop client)**
1. In the desktop client, on the navigation bar, choose **Rooms**.
1. In the **View all chat rooms** dialog box, choose **Create a chat room**.
1. In the **Create a chat room** dialog box, enter a name for the chat room, then choose **Create**.
1. In the **Add members to** *name of new chat room* dialog box, select one or more contacts, then choose **Add**.
**To create a chat room (web app)**
1. In the web app, under **Quick actions**, choose **Create a new chat room**.
1. In the **Create a chat room** dialog box, enter a name for the chat room, then choose **Create**.
1. In the **Add members to** *name of new chat room* dialog box, select one or more contacts, then choose **Add**.
The new chat room appears in the sidebar under **CHAT ROOMS**.
Invitees receive an Amazon Chime notification about the room. Mobile users receive push notifications. Invitees can decline to join a chat room, and they can leave at any time.
# Joining a chat room
To join a chat room, accept the chat room invite. If you decline the invite by mistake, contact the chat room administrator.
**To find a chat room administrator**
1. In the sidebar, select the chat room.
The room opens, and a pane on the right shows the chat room members. A crown icon denotes the room's administrator.
1. Contact the administrator and ask to be added to the chat room.
If you use the web app, you can share the chat room URL with other users. For more information, see [Sharing chat room URLs (web app only)](share-chat-url.md).
# Sharing chat room URLs (web app only)
Web app users can invite others to a chat room by sharing the room's URL.
**To share a room URL**
1. In the web app, open the chat room.
1. In your browser's address bar, copy the entire URL.
1. Paste the URL into a chat message, email, or other communication channel and send it to the desired recipients.
# Sending messages in chat rooms
When you send messages to a chat room, everyone in the room sees them. If you want to communicate privately, send messages to just that contact.
**To send messages in a chat room**
1. In the sidebar, select the chat room.
The room opens and displays any messages. A pane on the right shows the members who are present in the chat room, and the members who aren't present. A crown icon denotes the room's administrator.
1. Enter your message.
1. (Optional) Attach files or add emojis to the message.
1. Choose **Send**.
# Calling the members of a chat room
You can call one or more members of a chat room. You can also call the entire chat room.
All calls take place in the Meetings Window. When you start a call you automatically become the meeting host, and you can use additional meeting controls. For more information, see [Starting instant meetings and calls](start-call.md) and [Hosting meetings](chime-organizer-call-controls.md).
**To call a chat room**
1. In the sidebar, select the chat room.
1. Choose the **Select people to call** icon, to the right of the chat room name (![\[Line drawing of a phone.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/chime/latest/ug/images/icon-chat-call.png)).
1. In the **Select people to call** dialog box, choose one or more people.
—OR—
To call the entire room, choose **Add all room members**.
1. Choose **Start**.
If you add someone to a call by mistake, you can remove them before you start the call.
**To remove someone from a call**
+ In the **Select people to call** dialog box, choose the person you want to remove.
# Viewing chat room details.
A chat room's details provide information about the room, including who created it and how long messages are retained.
**To view details**
1. Open the chat room.
1. Open the **Room settings** menu (**...**), to the left of the Search box.
1. Choose **Room details**.
# Changing a chat room's notification settings
By default, Amazon Chime notifies you when messages arrive in a chat room. You can change the notification settings at any time.
**To change settings**
1. In the sidebar, open the actions menu (**...**) next to the chat room.
1. Choose **Notification settings**.
1. In the **Room notifications for** *room name* dialog box, select one of the options, then choose **Save**.
# Hiding a chat room from the sidebar
Chat rooms often become inactive, usually when a project ends. You can manage your list of chat rooms by hiding them from the side bar.
**To hide a chat room**
1. In the sidebar, open the chat room.
1. Choose the ellipsis menu located to the right of the chat room name, then choose **Hide from side bar**.
**To restore a hidden chat room**
1. In the side bar, open the ellipsis menu next to **CHAT ROOMS**.
1. Choose **View all my chat rooms**.
1. Select the chat room.
# Deleting chat rooms
To delete a chat room, contact your Amazon Chime administrator. Administrators can only delete chat rooms in enterprise accounts.
To manage the list of chat rooms in your sidebar, see the previous topic, [Hiding a chat room from the sidebar](hide-from-sidebar.md).
# Leaving a chat room
You can leave a chat room at any time, but you must be re-invited to return. The following steps apply to the desktop client and web app.
**To leave a chat room**
1. In the sidebar, open the chat room.
1. Choose the ellipsis menu (**...**) to the right of the chat room name.
1. Choose **Leave chat room**.
**Note**
You can't leave a chat room if you're the only administrator. You must promote another member to administrator before you can leave. For more information, see
# Sending @ notifications
Because chat rooms are continuous conversations, you can send an audible notification to call attention to new messages. The desktop client and web app send a sound. The mobile client sends a push notification.
Enter **@** or choose **At-mention** and select a member’s name, the entire chat room, or present members. Chosen members see new messages in bold with their names highlighted. If they’re online but the chat room is closed, the chat room opens automatically on their screens.
**Note**
Chat rooms with more than 50 users do not support **@all** and **@present** notifications. Also, Windows users who enter **@** to mention a chat room member do not see that member's presence status in the **At-mention** user list when a chat room has more than 50 users.
# Administering chat rooms
When you create a chat room, you automatically become the room's administrator. Chat room administrators can perform a number of tasks, such as adding members.
For more information about creating chat rooms, see [Creating chat rooms](create-chat-room.md).
The following sections list and describe the tasks that administrators can complete. Expand them to learn more.
**Topics**
+ [
# Adding members to a chat room
](chat-add-members.md)
+ [
# Promoting members to administrator
](chat-promote.md)
+ [
# Adding webhooks to a chat room
](chat-webhooks.md)
+ [
# Adding chat bots to chat rooms
](add-chat-bot.md)
+ [
# Editing a chat room
](edit-chat-room.md)
+ [
## Deleting a chat room
](#delete-chat-room)
# Adding members to a chat room
You can add anyone on your Amazon Chime contacts list to a chat room. By default, all members can send messages, and read all sent messages.
**To add room members**
1. In the sidebar, open the chat room.
1. Choose the ellipsis menu located to the right of the chat room name, then choose **Add members**.
1. In the **Add members to** *room name* dialog box, select the contacts that you want to add.
1. Choose **Add**.
Amazon Chime notifies the contacts that you add. They can accept or decline the invitation.
# Promoting members to administrator
By default, chat room members can only send and read messages. As needed, you can promote members to administrator, and they can perform the tasks listed in this section. Also, if you want to leave a chat room, and you're the only administrator, you must promote someone to administrator before you can leave.
**To promote room members**
1. In the sidebar, open the chat room.
1. Choose the ellipsis menu located to the right of the chat room name, then choose **Manage members**.
1. Locate the member that you want to promote, open the list in the **Role** column, and choose **Administrator**.
1. Choose **Done**.
# Adding webhooks to a chat room
Webhooks send messages to chat rooms programmatically. For example, a webhook can notify a customer service team about the creation of a new, high-priority ticket and add a link to the ticket in the chat message. Webhooks require custom development or third-party tools that can help integrate external systems with Amazon Chime.
Webhooks only work with chat rooms. You can't share them. Amazon Chime chat room administrators can add up to 10 webhooks to a chat room.
**Note**
Chat room members can't interact with webhooks or send messages back to them.
**To add a webhook to a chat room**
1. In the sidebar, open the chat room.
1. Choose the ellipsis menu located to the right of the chat room name, then choose **Manage webhooks and bots**.
1. In the **Manage incoming webhooks and bots in** *chat room name* dialog box, choose **Add webhook**.
1. In the **Create webhook for** *chat room name* dialog box, enter a name for the bot.
1. Choose **Create**.
1. Choose the **Copy URL** link to copy the webhook's URL.
1. Send the webhook URL to the webhook developer.
The webhook developer uses the webhook URL in their application to allow it to send messages to the Amazon Chime chat room. The webhook appears in the chat room roster with a webhook icon next to its name. Chat room messages sent by the webhook appear in the chat room under the webhook name followed by (**Webhook**).
# Adding chat bots to chat rooms
Chat bots provide conversational interfaces for a chat room. For example, a chat bot can answer frequently asked questions, then route users to more information about their issues. Chat bots can also enable voice conversations with the members of a chat room.
**Important**
To use chat bots, you must have an Amazon Chime Enterprise account. Also, your Amazon Chime account administrator must create the bots before you can add them to rooms. After the administrator creates the bot, get the bot's email address from the administrator.
**To add a chat bot to a chat room**
1. Obtain the email address of the chat bot from your Amazon Chime system administrator.
1. In the sidebar, open the chat room.
1. Choose the ellipsis menu located to the right of the chat room name, then choose **Manage webhooks and bots**.
1. In the **Manage incoming webhooks and bots in** *chat room name* dialog box, choose **Add bot**.
1. Enter the email address provided by your administrator.
1. Choose **Add**.
# Editing a chat room
When you edit a chat room, you can change the room's name, and control who can invite new members.
**To edit a chat room**
1. In the sidebar, open the chat room.
1. Choose the ellipsis menu located to the right of the chat room name, then choose **Edit chat room**.
1. In the **Name** box, enter a new name for the room.
1. Under **Who can invite new members into this room?**, choose **Administrator only** or **All members**.
1. Choose **Save**.
## Deleting a chat room
Chat room administrators can delete chat rooms at any time. Deleting a chat room also deletes all messages and other data, such as attachments. Deletions are permanent. You can't undo them.
**To delete a chat room**
1. In the sidebar, open the chat room.
1. Choose the ellipsis menu located to the right of the chat room name, then choose **Delete chat room**.
1. Choose **Delete**.
# Using additional chat features
The following sections list additional Amazon Chime chat features and explain how to use them.
**Topics**
+ [
## Features and actions
](#features-list)
+ [
## Sending markdown messages
](#send-chat-markdown)
+ [
## Sending code blocks in messages
](#send-chat-blocks)
## Features and actions
The following list describes additional features that you can use, and actions that you can take, when using Amazon Chime chat.
**Search as you type**
Searches your contacts, conversations, and chat rooms and starts displaying results as you type in the search bar. Press **Enter** to search all content.
**External content URL previews**
Shows a preview of content, such as titles, descriptions, and thumbnails, when pasting URLs to external sites.
**Message actions**
Message actions appear in the menu next to a message. Choose **Copy** to copy the message to your clipboard. Choose **Quote message** to insert the selected message into your compose message field as a quotation. To report a message to your administrator for removal, choose **Copy message ID** to copy the message ID information to your clipboard, then send the information to your administrator.
**Rich text support for markdown and code blocks**
Use [markdown syntax](http://commonmark.org/help) to format text using bold font, lists, and heading levels, and other options. Amazon Chime also supports sending code blocks. For more information, see [Sending markdown messages](#send-chat-markdown) and [Sending code blocks in messages](#send-chat-blocks).
**Emoji and .gif support**
To insert an emoji in regular Amazon Chime chat—not the chat in a meeting—choose **Pick an emoji** next to the chat input field. You can also choose **Attach a file** to upload a saved .gif file into the chat input field and play it inline, or use markdown to display .gif files from the web.
You can also send emojis in chat messages during meetings, but the method you use depends on your machine and how you run Chime. If you run the Amazon Chime desktop client on a PC or a Mac, you use *emoji codes*, words or numbers surrounded by colons. If you run Amazon Chime in a browser, or on iOS and Android machines, you use an emoji picker. For more information about using markdown, see [Sending markdown messages](#send-chat-markdown). For more information about using emoji codes in meeting chats, see [Adding emojis to in-meeting chat messages](add-meeting-emojis.md).
**Drag and drop files**
Drag and drop files into the chat pane, or copy and paste images directly from your clipboard.
## Sending markdown messages
To send an Amazon Chime chat message using [markdown syntax](http://commonmark.org/help), enter `/md` followed by a space at the beginning of your message. Compose your message using markdown syntax. Press **Enter** to send.
The following example demonstrates how to format an Amazon Chime chat message using markdown syntax.
```
/md **Hello world!**
```
The message looks like this when sent.
```
Hello world!
```
The markdown syntax in the following example shows how to format a link to a .gif file. This link displays the .gif file in your Amazon Chime chat message.
```
/md 
```
## Sending code blocks in messages
To send a code block in an Amazon Chime chat message, enter `/code` followed by a space at the beginning of your message. Copy and paste your code block into the message. Press **Enter** to send.
The following example demonstrates how to send a code block in an Amazon Chime chat message.
```
/code CreateBotRequest createBotRequest = new CreateBotRequest()
.withAccountId("chimeAccountId")
.withDisplayName("exampleBot")
.withDomain("example.com");
chime.createBot(createBotRequest);
```
The following example demonstrates how the sent message appears in Amazon Chime.
```
CreateBotRequest createBotRequest = new CreateBotRequest()
.withAccountId("chimeAccountId")
.withDisplayName("exampleBot")
.withDomain("example.com");
chime.createBot(createBotRequest);
```
# Using status messages
Amazon Chime provides several preset status messages, such as **Available** and **Busy**. You can also choose from a set of common status messages, such as **Be right back** and **Out sick**. Finally, you can enter a 40-character custom message, such as **Meeting a huge deadline**, and you can add an emoji or other graphic to the message.
The following sets of steps explain how to use status messages.
**To use a preset status**
1. In the desktop client or web apps, choose your name.
1. On the menu that appears, point to **Automatic**.
1. On the menu that appears, choose a status, either **Automatic**, **Available**, **Busy**, **Do not disturb**, or **Private**.
Your choice remains in effect until you change it.
**To use other status messages**
+ Repeat step 1 in the procedure above, then do one of the following.
**Create a custom status message**
1. Choose **Add a custom status message**.
1. In the **Status message** dialog box, under **Enter an emoji and status below**, enter a status message.
1. (Optional) Choose the smiling-emoji next to your message, then choose an emoji.
1. When done, choose **Save**.
**Use a preset message**
1. Under **Quick select options**, choose a message.
1. (Optional) Choose **Do not disturb**. or **Internal only**.
1. (Optional) Choose **Add a message**, then enter a message that others see while **Do not disturb** is on.
1. (Optional) Choose **Internal only** to hide your status from anyone outside your organization.
1. When done, choose **Save**.