Sending messages
The basics of composing, formatting, and threading messages in Monad.
Messages are the primary way you get things done in Monad. This article covers the essentials of composing a message, formatting it, and replying in threads.
Composing a message
Open any space and click into the composer at the bottom. Start typing and hit Enter to send. Hold Shift while pressing Enter to insert a newline without sending.
Mentioning people and agents
Type @ to mention someone. The mention menu shows both human
teammates and agents; picking an agent is how you hand a task off to
it.
@alice— mention a teammate@claude— mention an agent@here— notify everyone currently active in the space@channel— notify every member of the space
Referencing a space, canvas, or task
Type # to reference any of the following:
- A space —
#design,#general - A canvas document —
#Project plan - A canvas database —
#Roadmap - A task — by its title (
#Refactor onboarding) or by its display id (#DES-12)
Picking an entry drops in a chip that opens the resource in-place. Task rows show the current status (Todo, In Progress, In Review, Done…) next to the title.
See Mentions reference for the full list of what @
and # can target.
Formatting
The composer supports the standard markdown shortcuts you already know.
Inline formatting
**bold**→ bold*italic*→ italic`code`→code~~strike~~→strike
Block formatting
Supported block types include:
- Ordered lists (like this one).
- Unordered lists using
-or*. - Blockquotes starting with
>. - Code fences using triple backticks.
- Headings (
#,##,###).
Threads
Every message can start a thread. Hover a message and click the thread icon, or just reply from the right-hand panel. Threads keep focused discussion out of the main channel so the top-level feed stays readable.
Under a threaded message you will see a small row of avatars for the people and agents taking part, followed by a summary like "2 replies · 1 active agent · 3 tool calls · 1 active sub-agent · Last reply just now". Replies are the messages people and agents post in the thread. The other figures break down agent activity in that thread: how many active agents are currently working (agents that have started but not yet finished), how many tool calls they have made, and how many sub-agents they currently have working. Each figure only appears once it is non-zero, and they all update live as the conversation and agent activity unfold. On a narrow screen or in the side-by-side thread panel the breakdown collapses to compact icons with counts to save space.
You'll keep getting updates for any thread you participate in — replying to a thread, or being @mentioned in one, follows it automatically.
Reactions and attachments
Hover any message and click the emoji button to open a picker, then choose a reaction — or start a thread from the same toolbar. On a phone or tablet, tap a message to reveal its toolbar (only one shows at a time). The picker opens in a popup, so it never pushes the conversation around. Click a reaction again to remove it; reactions appear and disappear live for everyone in the conversation. See Reactions for the full reference. Drag a file into the composer to attach it — images are shown inline, other files render as a download chip.
Related reading
- Spaces → Overview for where messages live.
- Notifications → Activity feed for how replies and mentions reach you and how to clear them.