Thank you for choosing Infomaniak and kChat as your discussion solution for you, your network, or your company!

These guides will help you organize your channels, users, discussions, and more!

Getting Started

Cross-platform, kChat is the instant messaging service of kSuite that allows you to exchange, share, and coordinate with your teams securely from your web browser, iOS/Android device, mobile tablet, or macOS/Windows/Linux computer.

Download the kChat app for your devices!

What would you like to do?

• Manage users
• Manage a channel
• Manage a conversation
• React to messages
• Manage kChat notifications
• Format messages and insert images
• Send a voice message and its automatic transcription

Have a question or feedback?

• Infomaniak support is here to help
• see all kChat FAQs
• click here to share a review or suggestion about an Infomaniak product

This guide allows you to manage external applications with kChat using webhooks.

Introduction

• A webhook is a method that allows an application to be notified immediately when a particular event occurs in another application, rather than constantly asking that application if something new has happened (known as "polling").
• It is not possible to import chat history from another application (Slack, Teams, Jabber, etc.) or from another organization.
• Outgoing webhook: kChat communicates information to other apps when an event occurs in kChat.
• Incoming webhook: kChat receives information from other apps to trigger actions in kChat.

Accessing the kChat Webhooks Interface

Prerequisites

• Must not be an external user (they will not see the Integrations menu).

To configure a webhook, find applications and self-hosted or third-party integrations:

1. Open the kChat app (on your device or from a browser at the URL kchat.infomaniak.com).
2. Click on the chevron ‍ next to your kChat organization name.
3. Click on Integrations
   
    
4. Access the categories:
   

Integration Example

• Infomaniak Calendar Event Reminder on kChat

Create a Simple Incoming Webhook

To do this:

1. Click on the category Incoming Webhooks.
2. Click on the blue button Add Incoming Webhooks
   
3. Add a name and description (max 500 characters) for the webhook.
4. Select the channel that will receive the messages.
5. Save to obtain the URL (do not disclose publicly) of type:
   https://your-kchat-server.xyz/hooks/xxx-generated-key-xxx

Using the Webhook

On the application that needs to post to kChat:

1. Adjust the code below according to the obtained URL:

   POST /hooks/xxx-generated-key-xxx HTTP/1.1
   Host: your-kchat-server.xyz
   Content-Type: application/json
   Content-Length: 63
   
   {
       "text": "Hello, this is a text\nThis is another text."
   }

2. Optionally use the same request but in curl (to test from a Terminal on macOS, for example):
   curl -i -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"text": "Hello, this is a text\nThis is another text."}' https://your-kchat-server.xyz/hooks/xxx-generated-key-xxx

If no Content-Type header is set, the body of the request must be preceded by payload= like this:

payload={"text": "Hello, this is a text\nThis is another text."}

A successful request will receive the following response:

HTTP/1.1 200 OK	
Content-Type: application/json	
X-Version-Id: 4.7.1.dev.12799dvd77e172e8a2eba0f4041ec1471.false	
Date: Sun, 01 Jun 2023 17:00:00 GMT	
Content-Length: 58	
	
{	
    "id":"x",	
    "create_at":1713198308869,	
    "update_at":1713198308869,	
    "delete_at":0,	
    "user_id":"x",	
    "channel_id":"x",	
    "root_id":"",	
    "original_id":"",	
    "participants":null,	
    "message":"test",	
    "type":"",	
    "props":{	
        "override_username":"webhook",	
        "override_icon_url":null,	
        "override_icon_emoji":null,	
        "webhook_display_name":"test",	
        "attachments":[	
	
        ],	
        "card":null,	
        "from_webhook":"true"	
    },	
    "hashtags":null,	
    "metadata":{	
        "embeds":[	
            {	
                "type":"message_attachment"	
            }	
        ],	
        "files":[	
	
        ],	
        "reactions":[	
	
        ]	
    },	
    "file_ids":null,	
    "has_reactions":false,	
    "edit_at":0,	
    "is_pinned":false,	
    "remote_id":null,	
    "reply_count":0,	
    "pending_post_id":null,	
    "is_following":false	
}

If you want to receive the same response format as Slack:

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: text/plain
X-Request-Id: hoan69ws7rp5xj7wu9rmystry
X-Version-Id: 4.7.1.dev.12799dvd77e172e8a2eba0f4041ec1471.false
Date: Sun, 01 Jun 2023 17:00:00 GMT
Content-Length: 2

ok

You need to add ?slack_return_format=true to the webhook URL.

Parameters

In addition to the text field, here is the complete list of supported parameters:

Code Example with Parameters

Here is how to generate a more complete message with parameters, some of which can override parameters already set during webhook creation (username, preferred channel, avatar...) as indicated in the table above:

POST /hooks/xxx-generated-key-xxx HTTP/1.1
Host: your-kchat-server.xyz
Content-Type: application/json
Content-Length: 630

{
  "channel": "kchatemp",
  "username": "test-automation",
  "icon_url": "https://domain.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/icon.png",
  "text": "#### Test Results for July 27, 2023\n@channel please check the failed tests.\n\n| Component  | Tests Completed   | Tests Failed                                   |\n|:-----------|:-----------:|:-----------------------------------------------|\n| Server     | 948         |  0                           |\n| Web Client | 123         |  2 [(view details)](https://linktologs) |\n| iOS Client | 78          |  3 [(view details)](https://linktologs) |"
}

This will result in the display of this message in the kchatemp channel of the organization:

This guide explains how to get event reminders from Infomaniak Calendar on a chat system like kChat or Slack.

This feature will allow you to be notified in the chat thread of your choice when an event is approaching.

What is a webhook?

The webhook system is a method for one application or service to send information to another application or service in real-time in a secure and authenticated manner.

Setting up the webhook in Calendar

To add the webhook from your chat system to Calendar:

1. Log in to Calendar (calendar.infomaniak.com), the calendar/agenda part of Infomaniak Mail, using a web browser like Brave or Firefox
2. Click on the icon at the top right of the interface
3. Click on the Add a webhook button (under Custom notifications)
   
4. Configure:
   
   • (A) A name for easy identification of the webhook when you add reminders
   • (B) The URL of the webhook (obtained from your chat system - examples are provided below in the FAQ)
   • (C) The elements (automatically taken from your event and/or added manually here) and their arrangement in the message that will be sent:
     • Insert %subject% to include the event's subject
     • Insert %date% to include the event's date
     • Insert %description% to include the event's description
     • Insert %location% to include the event's location
5. Click Save

Create an event with chat reminders

Now that Calendar is linked to your chat system account, you can choose to be notified in a chat when you add a reminder to an event:

1. Log in to Calendar (calendar.infomaniak.com) using a web browser like Brave or Firefox
2. Create a new event
3. Click at the bottom right to show the additional fields
   
4. Add a reminder
   
5. In the dropdown menu, select the configured webhook
6. Save the changes

You will now receive a reminder in the chat associated with the webhook.

Examples of obtaining a webhook

kChat

1. Open the kChat application
2. Go to the Integrations section
3. Click on Incoming Webhooks:
   
4. Click on Add at the top right
5. Complete the required information to create the "bot" that will post reminder messages in kChat in the channel of your choice:
   
6. Save to obtain the webhook URL:
   
7. Create the custom notification in Calendar (read above if necessary):
   
8. Select your custom notification when adding a reminder to your event:
   

Slack

1. Open this Slack page and authenticate with your Slack credentials
2. Choose the channel where your reminders will appear (e.g., @slackbot or #general)
   
3. Save to obtain the webhook URL

Create other webhooks to set reminders in other chat threads.

Customize Slack reminder messages

You can freely use Slack's formatting options in your notifications. For example:

Don't forget to %subject% for %date%.
Mark the date: %description%.
Event location: %location%

This guide details the management of members in your discussion service kChat.

Prerequisites

• have sufficient permissions to administer the product in question
• invite a user to join kChat

View members of a channel

To see the users with access to the selected channel:

1. click on the person icon below the channel title
2. participants will appear in a column on the right side of kChat
   

Invite or remove a member from a private channel

To manage users who have access to a private channel:

1. click on the person icon below the channel title
2. current participants will appear in a column on the right side of kChat
3. the blue Add button allows you to invite a kChat user or a complete work team that does not yet have access to this channel:
   
4. the Manage button allows you to remove a member from this channel or appoint them as Administrator of the channel so they can manage members as well:
   

This guide details the use of smileys and other emojis to react and interact in the discussions of the kChat service.
 

Add a Reaction to a Message
 

To react at any time to any message you have access to in kChat, simply hover over the message and select either the emoji from the selection or the smiley with the small +:

 

If there are already reactions, you can add one in the same place:

This will open the panel with hundreds of emojis available (and even custom emojis - read more below).
 

Expressing with an Emoji or GIF

Adding an emoji within the message you are composing is very simple. Just click on the smiling face icon in the formatting toolbar of your message:

 

You can then choose an emoji:

 

Or insert short animated GIFs instead of an emoji using the tab located at the top of the panel that appears when you click on the smiling face icon:

 

If you know the name of the symbol to insert, you can also type: (2 colons) followed by at least the first 2 characters:

Tip: If you add #, ##, or ### as the first character on a new line containing an emoji, you can use a larger emoji. To try it out, send a message like '# :smile:' (Note: your custom settings may "disable" this display feature on your interface).
 

To set the default color, click on this symbol in the emoji panel:
 

Custom Emojis
 

To manage additional emojis, click on this button in the emoji panel:

Specify a name up to 64 characters. It can contain lowercase letters, numbers, and the characters "-", "+", and "_".

Specify a .gif, .png, or .jpg file for your emoji. The file can weigh up to 1 MB. The size is automatically resized to 128 x 128 pixels while maintaining the aspect ratio.

The emoji can then be used by all kChat users in your organization based on the name you assigned.

This guide pertains to Infomaniak products that integrate artificial intelligence, including kChat, kDrive, Mail, Site Creator, and more.

Responsibilities of the Parties

Data Provided to AI

• Infomaniak's AI is currently based by default on mixtral8x22b
  • GPT4 turbo is an optional choice for kChat / Mail users
  • Audio messages are transcribed with Whisper
  • Llama 3 is available for the AI Tools API
• When using a writing assistant, messages and requests addressed to the AI are exclusively processed in Switzerland by Infomaniak's infrastructure
• No data is processed or shared with third parties

Data Provided by AI

• The language model generates text based on the data it has assimilated during its training, lacking consciousness, intentions, or moral responsibilities
• It is crucial for the user to be aware that the information generated by the model is not always accurate and should not be considered an infallible source of information
• The user should exercise critical judgment and verify the information provided by the assistant with reliable sources when necessary
  • e.g., if a person uses the model for crucial tasks such as medical, legal, or financial advice, they should take additional precautions to confirm the information from the model
• In case of inappropriate or dangerous use of this assistant, the responsibility falls on the user who undertakes these actions

This guide details the principle of kChat conversations, organized within private and public discussion channels, and direct discussions between users.

Starting a Conversation

To message a user within your organization, click on the + to the right of Direct Messages to select them:

Send your message; if needed, attach files up to 100 MB. You can also use “reactions”.

Mentoring Another User

To tag one of the members of the organization (or an entire work team) via a message, type the at symbol @ to display people or channels to mention. Be aware that depending on the type of channel, mentioning a user will prompt a message allowing you to add them to the discussion; otherwise, they won’t see the mention.

Request a Read Receipt

To allow users to acknowledge receipt of your message and indicate they have read it, enable a read receipt before sending the message on the channel by clicking on the ⦅!⦆ icon and then toggling the button:

Once the message is sent, the result will be as follows:

 

Edit or Delete a Message

To edit a message (which will then include an edited message note), click on the action menu to the right of the message you want to edit. In the same place, you can also delete your message, which will then disappear from the discussion for all users:

Organize Conversations in kChat

The type of sorting for the items you manage on the left side of the screen is very important.

Imagine opening kChat after several days away; unread conversations will appear one after another. After reading them, you may want to find information read among them, so sorting by recent activity (see below for other options) helps locate the latest conversations that concerned you. 

This choice of sorting type is available for all items: discussion channels, categories, direct messages, etc.

Search for a Conversation

Searching for items (word, participant, file) is located at the top of the window:

Once results are found, they appear on the right side of the window.

Discussion Thread

In any channel or private chat with another user, you can start a discussion thread from another message by choosing Reply on the desired message.

A discussion thread will open on your right, allowing each user in the channel to contribute to this specific thread without disrupting other topics in the ongoing channel:

These discussion threads are then centralized to be read and reviewed in the Discussion Threads section of the left sidebar.

This guide is about kChat, Infomaniak's instant messaging platform that allows you to exchange, share, and coordinate your teams securely from your web browser, mobile, tablet, or computer.

Getting kChat

kChat is available with kSuite.

Once you have set up kSuite within your Organization:

• Download the kChat application for macOS / Windows / Linux or the mobile app for iOS / Android

and/or

• Use kChat online in a recent browser by logging into your user account on kchat.infomaniak.com or https://your-organization.kchat.infomaniak.com/

Read the Getting Started Guide (click here).

Infomaniak is a Swiss company certified ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 which complies with the GDPR. Our main objective is to guarantee the security and confidentiality of the data entrusted to us. Many measures are in place to ensure the protection of your communications with kChat:

• the Infomaniak Manager allows you to check whether your organization's users have activated two-factor authentication
• data on hold and in transit are encrypted, as are the backups automatically performed by Infomaniak
• the data is hosted in Switzerland in data centers developed and managed exclusively by Infomaniak

• you only receive messages from your collaborators or external users that you have approved
• you can create private channels to restrict sensitive information to specific people
• you permanently control the access rights of users who can access kChat

This guide details the use and management of channels in kChat.

A kChat channel is a communication space dedicated to a project, theme, or team where members can exchange documents, chat in real-time, and organize video conferences.

General Channel

Each organization in kChat automatically has a General channel where all users are automatically invited.

You can use this channel to share information relevant to your entire organization, such as company outings or motivational good news.

You can, of course, start a new thread within the General channel.

Additional Channel

To add a new discussion channel:

1. Click the ‍ button in the left sidebar of kChat
2. Click Create a new channel
   

Channel Information

When you create a new channel, you can choose:

 

1. Its name

It will be modifiable later.

2. Its URL

By default, it takes the channel name, but you can change it using lowercase letters, numbers, dots, dashes, and underscores - also modifiable later.

3. Its status Private or Public

It will be modifiable later (read below).

4. Its description

The description explains how this channel should be used. This text appears in the channel list in the "More..." menu and provides guidance to users on whether they should join the channel.

Once the channel is created, you can also set:

5. A header

Differences between Private and Public channels

Public channels increase transparency. All users can see and join a public channel, ensuring that all people concerned with a project, theme, or team have access to the same information.

Private channels allow you to restrict sensitive content to selected users. Only an existing member can invite another user to a private channel. There are also differences in archive/deletion management (read below).

Convert a public channel to a private channel

To transform a Public channel into a Private channel:

1. Click on the Public channel in the left sidebar
2. Then click on the channel title at the top of the chat
3. Select Convert
   

The history and membership are retained; publicly shared files remain accessible to anyone with the link; the change is permanent and cannot be undone.

What about the reverse?

The reverse (changing a private channel to a public channel) is also possible, but only a kChat administrator can do it; the message history is retained.

Leaving a channel

Except for the main channel titled General, you can leave a channel at any time:

1. Click on the action menu ⋮ to the right of the relevant channel (in the left sidebar)
2. Click Leave the channel
   
    

If you leave a private channel, you will no longer find it in the search but only via its URL if you have it or by being re-invited by a channel member.

If you leave a public channel, you leave it immediately but can rejoin it whenever you want by finding it by name in the search, even if it has been archived.

 

Archiving/deleting a channel

Except for the main channel titled General, you can archive a channel at any time, which prevents new messages and no longer counts it towards your available channel quota:

1. Click on the channel in the left sidebar
2. Then click on the channel title at the top of the chat
3. Click on Archive the channel
   

If you create a channel and then archive it, you can rejoin it whenever you want by finding it by name in the search: 

You can then unarchive it:

or close it to no longer see it in your interface:

Favorites

To favorite any channel, simply:

1. Click on the star at the top of a channel
2. A new Favorites menu will appear in the left sidebar, grouping all the items you have favorited (valid for your user only)
   

Mute a channel

You can hide the notifications of a channel:

1. Click on the action menu ⋮ to the right of the relevant channel (in the left sidebar)
2. Select Mute
   
   
   
    

Organize by categories

By clicking on the + button in the left sidebar of kChat, you can add one or more categories allowing you to place elements (channel, contact, etc.) within them. Then drag the desired channel onto the created category (valid for your user only):

User-to-user chat channel

Personal messages are direct conversations between two or more people that take place outside of channels.

Each user in an organization can freely create personal messages whose content will only be visible to the people involved.