Global Slack-like Chat
Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was an effective internal communications tool that broadcast messages in real-time. We're talking Slack-level features here, folks. Real-time chat in ClickUp across Lists, Projects, Spaces, and Teams would be a huge win for all of us!
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Natalie Sandford
We use ClickUp and MS Teams, with a connector from ClickUp so that comments made in ClickUp go to a specific client channel in Teams. Now that Microsoft will be deprecating their Connectors feature by August 15, 2024, we need a better option. It would be nice if, like the new Clips where we can see all of our recorded clips, a Chats portal where we can see all of our chats regardless of location within ClickUp. Showing the path (where the chat originated), any responses, etc. all in one location dedicated strictly to comments and emails sent. Please refer to the files I have uploaded, which shows what a Chat Portal might look like (with all chats as the place you land when you click the Chat Portal. Next we see that within the left side panel (when in Chat Portal) looks just like our spaces (and can be expanded as normal). However, when you click a specific location under the Chat Portal, you will only see chats (comments/emails) sent out. If you want to narrow things down, you can drill down to a specific Client Folder as an example, and only see chats within that folder (including from lists, tasks and subtasks). This would give us the history we need and easy navigation. The ability to mark that you have seen the chat (so we don't have to also clear it in notifications) directly from within the Chat Portal would also be great1.
Seeing messages in the notifications is good, but to also have a dedicated location for all Chats with the ability to drill down and only see comments, would be even better!
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Andy
The most important thing in my opinion is that the chat should be accessible from anywhere.
a Task view, list view, board view, and dashboard, without changing the page.
I'd suggest that it's implemented into the profile view that slides in from the side. This is exactly what is implemented right now per the screenshot. When you click on assignees the panel pops up.
Here's a scenario :
- I'm viewing a Gantt chart to check on progress, I see someone behind, I click one button, or use a shortcut to bring in the sliding panel, select the chat or user and send them a follow-up. Once I'm done, I hide the panel and I can continue reviewing my Gantt chart and repeat the process.
It took me few seconds and did not disturb my workflow.
- Another time I may review a task in a task view. I can technically leave a comment inside of the task, but I do not know when they will see it and respond, so a sliding pannel or a toggle between in-task comments and live chat would be great.
Perhaps there could be a tag similar to the one for calling a person. task or doc, that would also send my message from within a comment section view to the 1on1 chat or a selected group.
Example:
"Hey @jenna, here's the update for that task, please let me know if this is what you needed asap. I finish my shift in 15 minutes. @jenna#dm or @jenna#marketing"
@jenna#dm need would then also forward that comment to her dm.
or @jenna#marketing would push that message to the marketing channel chat.
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T
Tony Nieves
I too would like to request something like slack with chat. Currently the tool is fairly clunky and will likely not be used for our company. The integration with tasks is awesome but if we already use other services like google chat than it's less likely we want to have chats in multiple areas. To make "chat" more useful it needs to be integrated as a full messaging service for business, something like slack but maybe with the ease of discord.
Slack and discord share a lot of features that I think would be super beneficial within clickup. In short, I essentially would like to see Also note, this updated chat should be part of the business plan and not some side add on like AI. Basic chat services like group and individual chat as well as contact lists is self explanatory.
Channels and Categories/Sections
This system allows for organizing channels for specific groups. Teams need ways to organize their conversations. For instance, a design team would benefit from having a design category, then grouping channels for each project.
In clickup this could go a step further. We could connect channels to a project or task so that they show up from the main chat easily accessible, but also are accessible from the relevant folder or list.
Discussions (not sure if slack has this but discord does)
Discussions allow for turning a channel into a list of discussions instead of regular chat. This allows for a channel to divide up content based on a topic and have conversations within each discussion, allowing smaller groups within a larger group to organize their thoughts.
Video/Chat channels
These are essentially special chat rooms that can be shared as a link and are always open. Great for creating different virtual spaces anyone can jump into at any time.
Using clickup, we could have task and doc connections also connected, allowing a document to be assigned to a channel or discussion along with projects and tasks.
Easy access to chats and channels is key. No one is going to use chat if they have to dig into a few menus just to even access it. Additionally, notifications for chats should show up in the main sidebar and be easily accessible.
Aida Johnson
The biggest thing for our team is trying to use the least amount of tools as possible. Currently, how we use Slack, is we have a general channel for just internal reminders, meeting recaps, or just fun, etc. We have a separate channel for calls where we note any messages left if our team is too busy to take a call and need a call back. We like to use threads in case anyone needs to share context for whomever ends up calling back.
Also, what's important is the ease to create a chat. Sometimes what we have to communicate is not appropriate for a channel and is a 1:1 conversation or three of us, etc. I like how easy it is to start a chat with someone on the team without a million steps to get there. Ideally, it would be nice to have a separate section just for chats so that the side-bar doesn't get so cluttered as we keep project specific comments in the activity area of a project anyway.
I like how I can pin important information and/or docs in a chat to refer to later and make it easy to find.
I also like that I can set up recurring posts and schedule posts in advance as well as setting reminders or bookmark a chat post.
This update is coming at a good time as I know that Slack is introducing some kind of project management feature I'll be learning about on Wednesday. We will see how that goes though. They may not have all the features we are looking for.
Thank you for taking the time to review our feedback. :)
Philipp Berner
Aida Johnson: Thank you for putting in the time to reply.
You mention recurring posts. Can you give me a better idea what you use those for and how?
Aida Johnson
Philipp Berner I use automations to create reminders/announcements that are recurring in the Slack channels currently. So on a certain day, I'll remind our team to submit work orders as they are due. Although I have this in ClickUp, this is an extra general nudge to the entire team. I also we have one very important meeting weekly that I announce to the team to remind them of day the day of. I also post a link every morning so our team can get straight to our list of projects for the day. Take the guessing out for them since they are so busy.
ClickUp adoption has been slow and steady for our team, therefore we do lean into Slack a lot as we appreciate the chat capabilities. We know it's a space that no one will miss a message.
James Wooldridge
Please ensure this is an optional feature.
I can see a built in chat may be beneficial for those who have their entire business within ClickUp . However, for those of us who are a small team within a much larger organisation, who are already struggling with the wide spread use of Slack, MS Teams and Yammer, the addition of another chat tool will only server to further dilute and confuse the communications we already have.
Andres Perez
As a someone that works in knowledge and information management, I commend ClickUp's current chat function for promoting action and task-based communication. Instead of replicating Slack (which is by no means an effective tool for managing information) I would suggest to build upon the great tool you already have with the following improvements:
From Private 1-1 Chats (DMs) to pseudo one time internal emails
Private 1-1 chats (DMs) have a negative impact on the overall company communication and information availability by encouraging the sharing of task-relevant information in silos. I instead propose a feature that allows sending a private message to another person (not in a chat view, more like how remainders work), but the message would arrive in their inbox and await being resolved, converted into a task, or assigned to an existing task. This approach ensures that critical information is not lost and remains accessible within the project context.
Limited access to threads
The feature of having users that are not part of a task but still can input information through a specific thread in the chat.
Subtask and Parent Task Communication
Another valuable addition would be the ability to view messages related to subtasks within the parent task view, with an option to toggle this feature on or off for specific messages. This enhancement would provide better context and visibility into task-related discussions, fostering more efficient collaboration and decision-making.
Team Groups and Broadcasts
The current chat view for team groups and broadcasts is sufficient, but it would be beneficial to have the option to see relevant updates or conversations happening within the tasks in the list. This integration would streamline the workflow and reduce the need to switch between different views constantly.
Quick Huddles and Video Calls
Incorporating quick huddles or video call functionality at the task and group levels would greatly enhance real-time collaboration. Leveraging Audio-to-Text AI to transcribe these interactions would ensure that valuable discussions are captured and easily searchable for future reference. Additionally, allowing voice recordings with AI transcriptions would provide another medium for knowledge sharing and documentation.
External Communication Integration
Simplifying external communications within ClickUp would be a game-changer. Suggested features include:
- Email Integration: Allowing emails to be directly imported into the ClickUp inbox, where they can be converted into tasks, add them to a chat of an existing tasks, attach or archived as needed.
- Unified Chat: For external parties using ClickUp, enabling a unified chat experience where internal users can seamlessly communicate with external collaborators. Additionally, providing the option to mark certain messages as "internal-only" would maintain privacy and control over sensitive information.
This suggestion can further solidify ClickUp's position as an effective tool for knowledge management, ensuring that information is readily available where actions are being performed. This approach aligns with the principle that collaboration and knowledge sharing should be tightly integrated with task execution, fostering a more productive and efficient work environment.
Michael
Incredibly insightful Andres Perez. Hope ClickUp Admin is listening Philipp Berner
Hakon Kotzem
Andres Perez Hey the E-Mail integration would be great! As well as all the other suggestions. Hope the ClickUp-Team is reading this! Philipp Berner
Philipp Berner
Andres Perez: Thank you for taking the time writing this. The cu ClickUp Team is reading Canny very regularly.
Elias
Clickup Team, before building this, I would really love if you could deeply think about how you want to implement Mail in the future also.
Mail at the end is like a chat, just more formal with another communication protocol. I would be amazing to have tasks, docs, chats, mail in one tool. In a way, where it makes little difference if I am writing a mail or chat. This would also be amazing from a distribution perspective for you.
I am aware that this will not happen immediately, but I find it important to consider this. At least I would intuitively design chat different, if mail will be integrated one day.
Philipp Berner
Elias: Thank you for the feedback.
In your ideal vision, how would Mail tie into cu ClickUp? Do you think only about your personal emails and how those can be linked to Tasks (and other) or broader team email addresses for projects?
Would love to learn more about your thinking here.
Courtenay Hollis
If you want to be successful on this, then you need to ensure you replicate the standard Slack as set. Do go half-backed on this, otherwise you will never cease an opportunity to get people off Slack.
Understand the mistakes of others
Microsoft Teams has failed to provide an effective chat solution like Slack, and have struggled to generally may chat as part of its broader suit when collaborating with tasks, documents, etc. Teams chat is nowhere as good as slack, but it has the benefits of being "free" in the MS suite, and connected to everything else likes Files, etc. Plus the benefit of being about to have a Workspace with all chat channels centralised. So whilst chat is bad, its better integrated from a collaboration standpoint.
Clickup has an excellent task management capability. So you need to think about how you can make chat core throughout all facets of clickup. However, you also need to be able to have standalone chat capability like Slack, as not everything is task orientated (e.g. company updates, or engagement with the customer or partner). Having chat streams organised within a space would be great. You could also start to think about replacing the concept of comments in tasks, and make this chat-oriented, as that is essentially hows it being used.
You need to think about a tab that gives me a Slack like chat feel e.g. its fully chat focused, structured by Space, then Folders, then the various dedicated channels and tasks specific chats. This would mean a single place to flip from comms to tasks without changing interfaces.
Integration Consideration
This may be more technically challenging, but if there was a way to invite Slack or Teams users (from other or same org), thus allowing chat to be sync'd between ClickUp and Slack, that would be a powerful capability.
Commercial Consideration
This is also your opportunity to truly think about how you can help organisations that want to go ALL in on ClickUp engage their customers and partners in a way that doesn't become expensive for the org or their customers/partners. You need to recognise that organisations will remain committed to Teams or Slack... for now... and thus create an ability for us to add chat guests from external organisations without charging us... make this type of users unlimited. If you do this (and you implement a Slack like or better capability), then you will take rapid marketshare aware from Salesforce/Sales.
Other Consideration
If you truly ant to excel as a company, then you need to seriously start adding CRM concepts into ClickUp. So many orgs that use ClickUp want to ditch their crappy ITSM, Service Management, Sales CRM etc products, and use ClickUp... but the lack of data model concepts makes this not feasible. Not everything is a task (or makes sense to be a task). You are so close... go hard on this, as you will accelerate your market share.
Philipp Berner
Courtenay Hollis: Thank you for taking the time to write such a thoughtful reply 🙏
What do you think are the top 5 reasons why MS Teams Chat is not on par with Slack chat?
Dan Milberg
It needs to be a simple UI that separates from the folders, tasks, and lists. I'm thinking of the higher leadership, and sales staff, who don't get in the weeds or sometimes even bother adopting a non-intuitive chat system
Philipp Berner
Dan Milberg: In your organizations, are those people you mentioned cu ClickUp users today? If not, what do you think would it take for them to switch from eg Slack to cu ClickUp Chat?
Dan Milberg
Philipp Berner -- they have access to ClickUp, but rarely login due to the non-intuitive hierarchy of Spaces, Folders, Lists, and Tasks. They instead communicate in Slack that simply has 1 hierarchy, being Channels. Slack, therefore, is easier for these staff to adopt, due to easier onboarding and understanding of the UI.
To answer your question, what would it take for them to switch? I suggest a separate ClickUp app that is solely used for a chat function, but connects to ClickUp desktop. If the chat function mimics Slack, as a stand-alone app to download on the phone, then this is an opportunity to breadcrumb ClickUp chat users to move towards using ClickUp desktop.
I doubt we will switch from Slack unless it's a stand-alone chat app.
Michael
Dan Milberg 100% Sales Bros are not, and never will be, actual ClickUp users. I believe it is the #1 or #2 reason ClickUp did not take off with my employer. All they know is email & chat and can barely do that functionally because it means thinking about how to construct a sentence to be understandable by a literate human.
Dan Milberg
Michael hahahaha, thanks for reaffirming. Perhaps ClickUp's sales team use their own product? Would love to see a demo on "how our sales team uses ClickUp", by ClickUp
Michael
Dan Milberg hahah 4 sure. Might be a good subject for one of those “hilarious” LinkedIn posts…
Philipp Berner
We're planing to build Chat in ClickUp and would like your help informing what's important. Please take this 2-minute survey to share your feedback.
Thank you for all your feedback so far 🙏
Elias
Philipp Berner I forgot to mention one thing: it would be great for some projects to have one chat for the whole hierarchy level (e.g. list), in which all the threads of the tasks & docs of the project are gathered.
Pranav Bhatia
Philipp Berner I guess having a standalone app that competes with slack is the way to go, this product can become bigger than the project management part at clickup. Its shud have most of the slack related features and UI/UX and the additional ability to work with clickup tasks/project management/ docs and everything else within the channels.
So it shud be slack, but made for clickup existing users in mind. So that one can easily create tasks and by default if the users want, they can replicate clickup hierarchy of spaces, folders and lists as channels by default, and they shud have the ability to have separate channels also which are different from the clickup hierarchy.
And trying to integrate chat within clickup apps may not be the best idea, let it function as a standalone app, which works seamlessly with clickup project management and provides all possible options. Even if u put this in clickup app, put it in a manner that users feel its a standalone app. I understand why you may want it within clickup mobile app, but it shud work like an independent app within clickup mobile app. And within desktop also it shud feel like a separate app.
Like Clockify has project management app Plaky and chat app Pumble. I feel thats the way to go.
Also, MS teams messed up by introducing separate teams with a dedicated General channel for all teams which cant be deleted, They shud have simply copied slack channel structure and hierarchy . And you should too.
Wish u best of luck. Any ETA on this, by when we can beta test this? Few months from now, or years?
And I am guessing you are using your learnings from Closer here, and this would evolve into a solid product. Something that would push Clickup valuations a lot further.
But yes try to make it in a manner that new users come to clickup leaving slack, and they primarily come here for team chat and later start using project management here too.
So you shud target slack users with this app, and don't worry about asana / monday users. They will all come eventually.
Best of Luck!
Michael
Philipp Berner I'm not sure what you guys were playing at for "option "I"", but we DO NOT want some kind of chat-view-in-task-chat-view nightmare fuel chaos sauce. Please no.
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