This guide covers how administrators can configure conversation settings to control when and how conversations are used across the organization.
Accessing Settings
Navigate to Conversation Settings by:
Clicking the Conversations tile on the Home screen, then Settings
Clicking Settings under the Conversations submenu in the left-hand menu
Note: Conversation Settings are only available for Administrators in the Dashboard.
General Feature Settings
Feature Available Hours
Control when conversations can be sent and received throughout the week.
Available Days: Configure which days of the week conversations are allowed:
Su (Sunday)
Mo (Monday)
Tu (Tuesday)
We (Wednesday)
Th (Thursday)
Fr (Friday)
Sa (Saturday)
Time Restrictions: Set specific hours when conversations are active:
From: Start time for conversation availability
To: End time for conversation availability
Use Cases:
Restrict conversations to school hours only
Block weekend communications
Set "office hours" for staff availability
Prevent after-hours disruptions
Monitor Keywords
Automatically monitor conversations for specific words or phrases and alert designated recipients.
How It Works:
Add keywords that will trigger alerts when used in conversations
System monitors all conversations in real-time
Alerts are sent immediately when monitored keywords appear
Setting Up Keywords:
Enter keywords in the Keywords field
Separate multiple keywords appropriately
Consider variations of words you want to monitor
Alert Recipients:
Designate who receives keyword alerts
Can set multiple alert recipients for coverage
Recipients get notified when keywords are detected in conversations
Important: If no alert recipients are set, keyword monitoring will not function properly.
Unread Conversation Reminders
Status: Enabled/Disabled
When enabled, this feature sends reminders to users who have unread conversations, helping ensure important messages are not missed.
Benefits:
Reduces missed communications
Improves response times
Ensures important messages get attention
Translation Settings
Control how message translation works across the platform.
Translation Options:
Automatic:
Messages are automatically translated to the recipient's default language
No user action required
Seamless experience for multilingual environments
On Demand:
Users must manually request translation
Users press-hold on messages and click "Translate"
Gives users control over when translation occurs
Disabled:
No translation features available
All messages remain in original language
Considerations:
Choose based on your user base's language needs
Automatic translation works best for diverse language environments
On-demand gives users more control but requires extra steps
Role-Specific Settings
The above features apply to the entire site, but there are also role-specific settings that can be customized.
Teachers/Administrators/Staff Options:
Is Manager: Gives same conversation rights as Administrators
Can Create Public Conversations: Cannot be unselected without removing Is Manager first
Can See Hidden Users: Can be unselected regardless of Manager status
Communication permissions with other role groups
Parent option
Administrators have the option to allow parents to view student conversations.
Role Permission Details:
Above, Teachers are Managers at the site represented, meaning they have the same Conversation rights as Administrators
If the Is Manager box was unselected, the ability to unselect Can Create Public Conversations can also be unselected
Can See Hidden Users can be unselected whether the Is Manager option is selected or not
Teachers can communicate with users in all role groups - if any boxes were unchecked, Teachers as a group would not be able to communicate with that role
Students/Parents/Other Options:
Do not have Is Manager or Can See Hidden Users checked
Can only communicate with specific groups
Limited permissions compared to staff roles
Role-Specific Overrides: Each role can have custom available days and hours that override sitewide settings. Similar to General Settings, within each role group specific days and times can be turned off. Example: Teachers might only have conversations active Monday-Friday, 7 AM to 6 PM, even if the sitewide setting allows 24/7 communication.
Multi-Site Management
If the site is multi-site and an Administrator of all sites wants to apply Conversations settings quickly, the Administrator can click "Apply Settings for Other Sites" and see all of the sites they can apply these settings to.
Important: If any settings are changed, be sure to hit the Save button.
Best Practices for Administrators
Time and Day Restrictions
Consider your organization's operating hours
Account for different time zones if applicable
Balance accessibility with after-hours boundaries
Communicate restrictions clearly to users
Keyword Monitoring
Focus on words relevant to safety, policy, or compliance
Regularly review and update keyword lists
Ensure alert recipients are actively monitoring
Set up backup alert recipients for coverage
Translation Configuration
Survey your user base to understand language needs
Test translation quality with common phrases
Provide training on how to use translation features
Consider cultural sensitivity in automatic translations
Setting Changes
Document all setting changes for reference
Communicate major changes to users in advance
Test settings with a small group before full rollout
Monitor usage patterns after implementing changes
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Keywords Not Working:
Verify alert recipients are properly configured
Check that keywords are entered correctly
Ensure monitoring is enabled
Time Restrictions Not Applied:
Confirm timezone settings are correct
Verify day/time configurations are saved
Check for conflicting role-specific overrides
Translation Issues:
Test with common phrases in different languages
Verify user language preferences are set correctly
Check network connectivity for translation services
Reminder Problems:
Confirm unread reminder feature is enabled
Check user notification preferences
Verify email/SMS delivery settings are correct