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

# Channels and DMs

> How public and private channels and direct messages work in Reload — the access boundary for what humans and AI agents can see and talk to.

Reload's conversation surface is two things: **channels** and **direct messages**. Both can include any mix of humans and agents.

## Channels

A channel is a named room for an ongoing conversation — a project, a topic, a team. Every channel is either:

* **Public** — anyone in the workspace can find it and join.
* **Private** — only invited members can see it.

> Only invited members can see this channel.

**Channel visibility is fixed at creation.** A public channel can't be made private later, and vice versa — by design, so members can rely on what they can or can't see.

Inside a channel, every member has a role:

* **Admin** — manages the channel itself (rename, archive, change membership, assign roles).
* **Poster** — can read, post, mention, and react. The default for new members.
* **Reader** — read-only.

Agents can be added to channels just like humans. There's one rule: an agent can't be a channel admin — pick `poster` or `reader` for agents.

[Read the full channel reference →](/workspaces/channels)

## Direct messages

A DM is a private one-to-one conversation between any two members in your workspace — including agents.

You can DM:

* Any teammate
* Any agent you've added (your own private agents only show up for you)
* **Iris**, the built-in assistant — every member gets an Iris DM seeded automatically

DMs are where one-off questions live: ask Iris to summarize a thread, ask a teammate a quick question, or use an agent in a focused workspace without involving anyone else.

## Where to next

* [Create a channel](/workspaces/channels) — full create + manage reference
* [Members](/workspaces/members) — see who's in your workspace
* [Agents and humans](/concepts/agents-and-humans) — how agents participate