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Everyone·Mentoring

Sharing Files & Searching Messages

How to attach a file to a conversation with your match and how to search the messages in that conversation. A MentorStack help center guide.

Each match has one message thread. From that thread you can attach a file and search the earlier messages. For the basics of sending a message, see Messaging.

Share a file

  1. Open the conversation with your match: go to Messages and select it, or open the match and use its message thread.
  2. Click the paperclip button (Attach file) next to the message box.
  3. Choose a file from your device.
  4. Wait while Uploading and the file name show under the thread.

When the upload finishes, MentorStack posts a message that reads Shared a file: followed by the file name. The message includes a link with the file name and its size. Click the link to open the file in a new browser tab.

Which files work

You can attach these file types:

  • Images: JPEG, PNG, GIF, and WebP
  • Documents: PDF, Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), and PowerPoint (.pptx)
  • Text: plain text (.txt) and CSV

If you choose another type, you see That file type is not supported. If the upload fails, you see Failed to upload file. Please try again.

File size limit

Your organization sets the largest file you can upload. An admin changes it under Max File Upload Size in the organization settings (see Organization Settings). The choices are 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 MB, and the default is 10 MB. No file can be larger than 25 MB, even if the organization limit is higher. If your file is too large, you see File exceeds maximum size of followed by the limit.

Note

Only the people in the match can open an attached file. MentorStack also checks the file contents against the type it claims to be. If they do not match, the file is rejected and not sent.

Search messages

Search covers one conversation at a time.

  1. Open a conversation.
  2. Click Search messages in the header, next to the Messages title, and start typing.
  3. Results appear under the box. Each result shows the sender's name, the first lines of the message, and the date.
  4. Click a result to close the list. Use the arrow keys and Enter to pick a result with the keyboard.
  5. Click Clear search (the X) to empty the box. Press Escape once to close the list, and again to clear the text.

Search finds messages whose text contains your words, and it ignores capital letters. It shows up to 25 results, newest first. A search can be up to 200 characters. If nothing matches, you see No results found. If the search fails, an error shows in the list instead.

Because a shared file posts a message that starts with Shared a file: and the file name, you can search for a file by its name.

Note

Selecting a result closes the list and clears the box. It does not scroll the thread to that message. To read an older message, click Load earlier messages at the top of the thread.

Admins

An admin who is not part of a match can read and search its thread but cannot send messages or attach files there. The message box is replaced by the text Viewing as an admin. You can't send messages in a match you're not part of.

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