Messaging

The Message Center is Factor's built-in communication feature that keeps project-related discussions inside the application where your budget, timeline, and resource scheduling information already lives.

The Message Center has two main sections:

Each topic in the Message Center represents a project. When you are assigned to a project, Factor automatically subscribes you to that project's topic channel. If you no longer want to follow a project's discussion after your work is done, you can unsubscribe. Conversely, you can subscribe to projects you're not assigned to if you have the necessary permissions.

Mentions and message activity generate in-app notifications only — they do not trigger email notifications. When someone @mentions you, you will see indicators within Factor on the Message Center icon, the side tab, and quick-launch links. Users need to be logged into Factor to see new message notifications.

The Message Center is opened from the side tab on the right side of the Factor interface. You can navigate to other parts of Factor while keeping it open. You can also launch it from specific locations throughout Factor — including the project list, project pages, and the Resource Scheduler — which takes you directly to that project's discussion channel.

Topical discussions (project-based messaging) are an optional feature. A Firm Owner or Office Manager must enable messaging before team members can use topic channels:

When messaging is disabled, the Message Center side tab will not appear for any users. Alerts are available to all users regardless of this setting.

Messaging visibility is controlled by the Can Subscribe to All Projects permission. This determines whether a user can see and access project messaging across the system, including the ability to subscribe to projects they are not directly assigned to. Permissions are configured per user under SETTINGS > Your Team.

When a user is assigned to a project, Factor automatically subscribes them to that project's topic channel — no manual setup required. Users can unsubscribe from any topic channel at any time.

If you don't see the Message Center side tab, messaging may be disabled for your firm. A Firm Owner or Office Manager can enable it under SETTINGS > Your Firm. If messaging is enabled but you still can't see it, check that your user permissions include access to messaging — contact your administrator if needed. Also try refreshing the page or clearing your browser cache.

You may not be subscribed to that project's channel. Users must be assigned to a project or have the Can Subscribe to All Projects permission to subscribe to and message in a project channel. Contact your administrator to be added to the project or to have your permissions updated. Note that closed projects may have messaging disabled — if you need to communicate about a closed project, contact your administrator.

Try refreshing the page. If the message still doesn't appear, check your internet connection and try sending again.

Clear your browser cache and reload the page. If the Message Center is slow, a large number of open channels or a slow internet connection may be the cause.