> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.commenda.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# General thread

> Use the company-wide general thread for communications that don't belong to a specific service request.

The **General thread** is a persistent, company-wide chat for conversations that don't belong to a specific service request. Every company on Commenda gets one General thread — Commenda automatically creates it when your company is onboarded, and you cannot delete or duplicate it.

## When to use the general thread

* Asking general questions to your advisor or Commenda team
* Sharing updates that affect multiple entities or service requests
* Discussing topics that don't fit into a specific compliance item or filing
* Coordinating across your team
* Posting company-wide announcements

## General thread vs. service request chat

|                  | General thread                               | Service request chat                         |
| ---------------- | -------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| **Scope**        | Company-wide                                 | Specific to one service request              |
| **Participants** | All company team members and linked advisors | Only people involved in that service request |
| **Use case**     | General questions and coordination           | Service-specific communication               |
| **Persistence**  | Always available                             | Tied to the service request lifecycle        |

<Tip>
  For questions about a specific filing or service, use the chat within that service request instead. It keeps the conversation in context and visible to the right people.
</Tip>

## Who can access it

* **Company users** can view and send messages in their company's General thread
* **Admins and account managers** can view and interact with General threads for companies they manage

## Message previews

The General thread shows a preview of the last message directly in your chat list, so you can see recent activity at a glance without opening the thread. Each preview displays the sender's name and a snippet of their message. File-only messages appear as "\[sender] sent a file."

## Sending messages

You can send messages in the General thread the same way you use chat in service requests:

1. Navigate to your company's General thread from the sidebar or communications section
2. Type your message in the input field
3. Press **Send**

You can also:

* **Pin the conversation** to keep the General thread at the top of your chat list for quick access
* **Pin messages** to highlight important updates so they're easy to find later
* **Mark messages as read** to track what you've reviewed

## Pinning conversations

You can pin any chat room — including the General thread and service request chats — to keep it at the top of your chat list. This is helpful when you're actively working on something and want quick access without scrolling.

* To pin a conversation, open the chat room and select **Pin**
* To unpin it, open the pinned chat room and select **Unpin**

Pinning is personal. Only you see your own pinned conversations — other team members' chat lists are not affected.

## Notifications

When a new message is posted in the General thread, participants receive email notifications:

* **Messages from Commenda's team** notify your company members with a link to the company portal
* **Messages from your team** notify the assigned account managers with a link to the relevant company page

<Info>
  Commenda only sends notifications for messages in the main customer channel. Internal notes between Commenda team members do not trigger notifications to you.
</Info>