Chat that works like a business record
Messages can't be secretly edited, corrections stay visible, files are stored safely and records are linked.
LiveWhat does Messages that are records do? The record of who said what survives disputes and departures, without anyone exporting chats.
How it works
A sent message is permanent: edits add a visible correction while the original remains. Attached files are filed in the document store under that conversation and open through short-lived links that record who opened them. Linked records are checked against what the sender may open. Unread counts are per conversation, with no overall unread badge.
A message never points to a file that wasn't saved; if storage is full, sending is refused and the files stay in place.
Step by step
Say your accounts executive and a customer's purchase head agree a part-payment over chat on an invoice. This is what makes that exchange safe to rely on later.
- Start on the record. From an invoice or order, pick Discuss. The conversation is filed against that record, so it can be found from the record years later.
- Write and send. A sent message cannot be quietly changed. If the author edits it, the correction appears as a new line, the first version stays and is labelled Original, and the edited line is marked edited.
- Attach files. Up to 10 files can go on a message. Before the message is stored, Kinnow asks the document store to keep each file in the sender's name and file it under this conversation. Only then is the message posted.
- Open a file. Opening gives a link that works for 60 seconds, and the document store's access log records who opened it. Only people who can read the conversation can get one.
- Refer to records. A message can point to a record such as an invoice. Kinnow checks that the sender may open it, and each reader sees only what their own permissions allow.
- Note, read and agree. Colleagues press Got it so the writer knows it was seen. Unread is kept per conversation. When something is settled, Mark as agreed fixes it as what was agreed, visible to everyone who can see the conversation.
See an invoice conversation kept as a record. Pick one that went wrong in the past and we will show how it would look.
What you see on screen
The screens are in Conversations (Zest), under Talk.
- Conversations: a list with search, an Unread marker and, when empty, the line Start one from an order or invoice, and it will appear here.
- A conversation: messages with Got it, Edit, Copy text and Quote. Corrected messages show edited and Original. A banner reads Nothing agreed yet, 3 turns in on a long thread.
- Agreed line: Agreed by and the name, shown above the discussion. Marking something as agreed warns that it can't be replaced or undone.
- Open link: Open and the record's name, taking you to the invoice or order the conversation is about.
- Closed: a closed conversation says This conversation is closed and takes no new messages.
Who uses it
| Who | When | What they do |
|---|---|---|
| Accounts and sales staff | Daily | Discuss invoices and orders, attach proofs, mark what was agreed. |
| Managers | When a dispute comes up | Read the thread, the files and who opened them. |
| Auditors or your CA | At review | See who said what, and what was corrected. |
Related
- Zest: conversations, mail, meetings and visits.
- Vault: where attached files are kept and logged.
- Talk about a record on the record itself: the same thread seen from the record.
- Field-level change history: the matching history for the records themselves.
Questions
What is Messages that are records in Kinnow?
Messages can't be secretly edited, corrections stay visible, files are stored safely and records are linked.
What changes for the business?
The record of who said what survives disputes and departures, without anyone exporting chats.
Is it available today?
Yes, it is live.
Can someone delete a message to hide it?
Not quietly. Messages are not edited in place. A correction adds a new line and the original stays, labelled Original, so the record of who said what survives.
Can a customer or an outsider see these conversations?
No. These are internal conversations. Only people who can read the conversation can read it or open its files, and each file link records who opened it. Linked records are checked against what each reader may open.
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