Create a channel
Start a group chat in Fuxam, name it, add members from your organization, and understand how group channels differ from direct and course chats.
A group channel lets several people share one conversation instead of juggling separate direct messages. It is the right tool for a standing team, a project group, a committee, or any set of people who need to talk together over time. Group channels appear under Group Channels in the chat sidebar.
Why it matters
The moment a conversation needs a third participant, direct messages stop working well — people get left off replies, and the same thing has to be said twice. A named group channel fixes this by giving everyone one shared thread with a clear purpose in its name. It also creates a lasting home for the group’s discussion, files, and decisions, rather than a scatter of one-to-one chats.
Channel types
Fuxam distinguishes three chat types. Choosing the right one is the first decision:
| Type | What it is |
|---|---|
| Direct | One-to-one message between two people. See Start a conversation. |
| Group | A named channel you create with selected members from your organization. |
| Course | A chat tied to a course enrollment. Course channels appear under Course Channels and are created automatically when course chat is enabled for that course. |
This guide covers group channels you create yourself.
Create a group channel
Open Chat from the sidebar.
Click New Chat and choose New Group in the new-message panel.
Select at least two other people from your contact list. Use search if needed, then click Continue with N contacts.
On the confirm screen, enter a Group name and review the member list.
Click Create group chat.
Fuxam creates one group chat for the selected members — it does not create separate direct messages for each person.
Naming
- Group name — required before creation. You can change it later if you are a group admin. See Manage channels.
- Unnamed Group — appears temporarily if no name is set during creation; give the channel a clear name so members can find it in the sidebar.
A good name states the group’s purpose (“Thesis Supervision — Group B”, “Open Day Volunteers”) so members can tell channels apart at a glance and new joiners understand what the channel is for.
Add members
Members are chosen during creation. To add people later:
Open the group channel.
Open Channel details from the conversation header menu (group chats) or the info panel.
Use Add members and select people from your organization.
Confirm the addition. New members can read and send messages in the channel.
Only users in your current organization can be added. Inactive accounts are removed automatically when a group is created.
Best practices
- Name the channel for its purpose, not the people in it, so it still makes sense as membership changes.
- Reuse the existing group when Fuxam offers Open group chat rather than making a near-duplicate.
- Prefer course channels for classes; create group channels for cross-course teams, committees, and projects.
- Keep groups focused — a channel with one clear topic is easier to follow than a catch-all.
Common pitfalls
- Trying to create a group with only one other person — that is a direct message; groups need at least two others.
- Leaving a channel as Unnamed Group — it becomes hard to find; name it right away.
- Recreating a group that already exists — open the existing one instead to keep history together.