Messages in Pistonlog are internal team chat. Three kinds of conversation share the same composer and the same notification stream:
- Jobcard threads — a chat thread attached to a specific jobcard, so context comes with the conversation
- Direct messages — a one-to-one chat between two teammates, not tied to any jobcard
- Groups — a named chat between several teammates, not tied to any jobcard
All of them are visible only to your team. Customers don't see them and don't reply to them — for customer comms you'd use reminders or reviews.
Why team chat lives in Pistonlog
Coordination about a specific car is easier when the message and the jobcard sit in the same place. A technician posts a quick "found the leak, see job 3" on the jobcard thread; reception sees it next time they open the jobcard. No app-switching, no losing context.
Mentions and notifications
@-mention a teammate in a message and they get a Pistonlog notification (in-app bell and, if they have the mobile app installed, a push). Direct messages notify the recipient on every message, no @ needed.
Messages are only part of a wider notification stream. Pistonlog raises thirteen kinds of notification in total: assignment, mention, direct message, failed inspection, a customer responding to an approval request, and eight more covering the diagnostics library (answers, comments, accepted solutions, reproductions, publications, profile claims, trust changes and moderation). They all land in the same bell.
Permissions
| Permission | Default | What it gates |
|---|---|---|
messages.view | Owner, Manager, Reception, Technician | See message threads |
messages.create | Owner, Manager, Reception, Technician | Send messages |
messages.direct | Owner, Manager, Reception | Start one-to-one DMs and group chats |
Technicians do not have messages.direct by default — they can post on jobcard threads but can't start a private DM or group chat with teammates without a custom role granting it.
"Owner" in that table isn't a role you'll find in your roles list: the company owner is a property of the account and bypasses permission checks entirely. The roles actually seeded into a new garage are Manager, Technician, Reception and Accountant.
What it doesn't do
Messages is deliberately simple, and it's worth knowing where the edges are:
- No unread state. Nothing is bolded, badged or counted as unread anywhere in the list. Mentions and direct messages notify you through the bell; everything else you find by opening the conversation.
- No editing or deleting a message once it's sent.
- No customer involvement. Customers can't see or reply to any of it.
Related
In this section
Messaging from a jobcard
Per-jobcard customer threads — send updates, ask questions, share photos, all attached to the work
Direct messages
One-to-one chat with a teammate that doesn't belong on any jobcard
Messages list
An inbox-style view of every conversation you're part of — jobcard threads and DMs together