Google Chat offers different ways to communicate with your team and external contacts. Understanding when to use direct messages (DMs), group DMs, and Spaces can help keep conversations organised and productive.

Direct Messages (DMs): #

• Purpose: For one-to-one conversations with a single individual.
• Use Cases: Quick questions, private discussions, sharing information directly with one person.
• External Access: You can typically DM external users who have a Google Account, provided your organisation’s external chat settings are enabled by your administrator.

Group Direct Messages (Group DMs): #

• Purpose: For ad-hoc chats with a small, fixed group of people (e.g., 3-5 colleagues for a quick, temporary discussion).
• Use Cases: Short-term coordination on a specific task, quick informal discussions among a few people.
• Membership: You add specific individuals to the group DM. It’s less formal than a Space.
• External Access: Generally, you **cannot** add external users (those outside your Google Workspace organisation) to a group DM that was initiated within your organisation. External communication is primarily for 1:1 DMs or within Spaces specifically configured for external members.
• Limitations: Group DMs lack features like threaded conversations or task management, making them less suitable for ongoing project work.

Spaces (Recommended for Projects & Teams): #

• Purpose: Dedicated, persistent places for projects, teams, ongoing topics, or announcements.
• Use Cases:
  • Managing a specific project (e.g., “Project Alpha Design Team”).
  • Departmental communication (e.g., “Marketing Team Updates”).
  • Topic-based discussions (e.g., “Industry News & Trends”).
  • Client communication for a specific project (if configured for external access).
• Key Features:
  • Threaded Conversations: This is a major advantage. Messages within a Space can be organised into threads, keeping discussions on sub-topics neatly grouped and easier to follow than a single, long chat stream. This prevents important information from getting lost.
  • File Sharing: Easily share files from Google Drive directly within the Space. Files shared are typically accessible to all Space members (respecting Drive permissions).
  • Tasks: Assign tasks to members within the Space, set due dates, and track progress.
  • Membership Management: Add or remove members as needed.
  • External Access (Configurable at Creation): Spaces can be configured when they are created to allow people from outside your organisation to join (provided your administrator has enabled external chat and external Spaces for your organisation). This setting usually cannot be changed after the Space is created.
  • Search: Content within Spaces is searchable.
• How to Create a Space:
  1. Open Google Chat (chat.google.com or within the Gmail interface).
  2. Next to “Spaces” in the left navigation panel, click the + icon and select Create space.
  3. Give the Space a clear and descriptive name.
  4. Add a description (optional).
  5. Add initial members (internal or external, if permitted).
  6. Access Settings: Choose if the Space is restricted to added people or open to everyone in your organisation (discoverable).
  7. Crucial for External Collaboration: Tick the box “Allow people outside your organisation to join” if this Space needs to include external clients, partners, etc.
  8. It’s highly recommended to keep “Use threaded replies” enabled for better organisation.
  9. Click Create.

When to Choose Which: #

• Use **DMs** for quick, private 1:1 chats.
• Use **Group DMs** sparingly for very short-term, informal chats with a small internal group where threads aren’t needed.
• Use **Spaces** for almost all project work, team communication, ongoing discussions, and any collaboration that might involve multiple people, file sharing, task management, or external members. The threaded conversation feature is invaluable for keeping complex discussions organised.