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Change Notification Messaging

Messaging lets you communicate directly on a Change Notification (CN) instead of over email, text, or Slack. You can send a message to everyone on the CN, or, if you're on the company that sent it, leave a note that only your own team can see. Messaging is available to Account Owners, Admins, Project Managers, and Field Users, with access scoped based on role and project assignment.

Table of Contents

  1. Why it matters
  2. How it works
    1. Messages tab
    2. Internal Messages tab
    3. Message Center integration
  3. Step-by-step instructions
    1. Send a message on a CN
    2. Leave an internal note on a CN you sent
    3. Follow a mention to the right CN
  4. What each role can see
  5. Tips and best practices
  6. FAQs

Why it matters

Before this feature, the only way to clarify scope or ask a question on a CN was to leave Clearstory — over email, Slack, or a phone call. That splits the conversation away from the record it's about, and makes it harder to reconstruct what was discussed if a CN turns into a dispute. Change Notification Messaging keeps that conversation where the CN lives, so anyone looking at the CN later can see the full context.

How it works

Messaging appears as a side panel on the CN Details page. It does not appear on the CN Log. The panel has up to two tabs, depending on your role and the CN.

Messages tab

The Messages tab is the standard messaging channel. Anyone on either side of the CN — your company (General Contractor, or GC) and the other company (Specialty Contractor, or SC) — can see and send messages here. Use it to ask questions, clarify scope, or leave a note the other party needs to see.

The message composer supports rich text, file attachments, and @mentions. Typing @ followed by a name brings up an autocomplete list of people who are members of the CN.

Internal Messages tab

The Internal Messages tab is visible only to users at the company that sent the CN. If you received the CN, you won't see this tab at all. Use it to coordinate with your own team — for example, to flag a concern before responding to the other party — without the other company seeing that conversation.

Message Center integration

CN message threads show up in the Message Center, which you reach through the Messages icon in the page header. The icon's unread count includes unread CN threads. A CN thread appears in the All tab whenever there's a new message, and in the Direct tab if you were @mentioned. Selecting a CN thread from the Message Center takes you straight to that CN's Details page with the messaging panel open.

Step-by-step instructions

Send a message on a CN

  1. Open the Change Notification you want to message on from either the Sent or Received CN Details page.
  2. Select the Messages icon to open the messaging panel.
  3. Select the Messages tab.
  4. Type your message in the composer. Type @ and a name to mention a teammate.
  5. Select Send.

Note: If a message fails to send, an inline error appears on the composer. Select Retry to send it again.

Leave an internal note on a CN you sent

Note: This task is only available to users at the company that sent the CN. If you received the CN, you won't see the Internal Messages tab.

  1. Open the Sent Change Notification you want to leave a note on.
  2. Select the Messages icon to open the messaging panel.
  3. Select the Internal Messages tab.
  4. Type your note in the composer. Type @ and a name to mention a teammate.
  5. Select Send.

Follow a mention to the right CN

  1. When you're @mentioned in a CN message, look for an unread count on the Messages icon in the page header, or check your email for a notification.
  2. Select the Messages icon, then select the CN thread from the Direct tab. Or, select the link in the email notification.
  3. Clearstory opens the correct CN Details page with the messaging panel already open to that thread.
What each role can see
Action Account Owner Admin Project Manager Field User
View and send standard Messages ✅ Office only Assigned projects only Assigned projects only
View and send Internal Messages (Sent CNs only) ✅ Office only Assigned projects only ❌

Account Owners can see and send messages on every CN thread across the company. Admins are scoped to CNs on projects within the office they administer. Project Managers and Field Users can only access threads on CNs tied to projects they're assigned to. Field Users never see the Internal Messages tab, regardless of which company sent the CN.

Tips and best practices
  • Use the Internal Messages tab to align your team internally before responding on the standard Messages tab — your internal discussion never becomes visible to the other company.
  • @mention a teammate any time you need them to weigh in — they'll get an email and an in-app notification, but only if you mention them directly.
  • Messaging is scoped to a single CN. If a conversation applies to more than one CN, send it separately on each one so the record stays accurate.

FAQs

Why can't I see the Internal Messages tab on a CN I received? The Internal Messages tab is only visible to users at the company that sent the CN. It's used for internal coordination and is never shown to the company on the other side of the CN.

Will I get an email every time someone posts in a CN message thread? No. You only receive an email notification when you're explicitly @mentioned in a message. Posting or replying without mentioning someone doesn't trigger an email to them.

Where does CN messaging show up outside of the CN itself? CN threads appear in the Message Center, accessible from the Messages icon in the page header, alongside your Change Order Request and Time & Materials (T&M) message threads.

Can I message across multiple CNs at once? No. Each message thread is scoped to a single CN. There's no way to broadcast a message across several CNs from one place.