{"id":115,"date":"2026-05-27T10:38:34","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T10:38:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tutorac.com\/help-center\/2026\/05\/27\/a-tour-of-tutorac-messages-your-chat-hub-explained\/"},"modified":"2026-05-27T10:38:34","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T10:38:34","slug":"a-tour-of-tutorac-messages-your-chat-hub-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tutorac.com\/help-center\/2026\/05\/27\/a-tour-of-tutorac-messages-your-chat-hub-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"A tour of Tutorac Messages: your chat hub explained"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#374151;font-style:italic;font-weight:400\">Messages is where every conversation with every tutor lives &mdash; from your first &ldquo;hello&rdquo; before a free demo, through hiring, to ongoing chat with the tutor running your training. This tour walks you through the chat hub at <code>tutorac.com\/messages\/profile<\/code> and explains every section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"in-this-article\">In this article<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"#open\">How to open Messages<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#layout\">The 3-pane layout<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#left-pane\">Left pane: your conversations<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#middle-pane\">Middle pane: the chat thread<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#right-pane\">Right pane: tutor context<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#system-messages\">System messages<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#unread\">Unread message counts<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#faqs\">FAQs<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"open\">How to open Messages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Click <strong>Messages<\/strong> in the top navigation bar of any signed-in page, or go directly to <a href=\"https:\/\/tutorac.com\/messages\/profile\"><code>tutorac.com\/messages\/profile<\/code><\/a>. The Messages button shows an unread counter when you have new messages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"layout\">The 3-pane layout<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/tutorac.com\/help-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/mr-messages-hub.png\" alt=\"Tutorac Messages hub showing the 3-pane layout: conversations list on the left, chat thread in the middle, tutor context panel on the right.\" class=\"wp-image-109\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Messages is split into three columns:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Left<\/strong> &mdash; your conversations list, grouped by tutor and Training Requirement.<\/li><li><strong>Middle<\/strong> &mdash; the chat thread for the conversation you&rsquo;ve selected.<\/li><li><strong>Right<\/strong> &mdash; a context panel about the selected tutor with quick actions (different actions depending on where you are in the hiring journey).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"left-pane\">Left pane: your conversations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each row is one tutor + Training Requirement combination. So if the same tutor messaged you about two different requirements, you&rsquo;ll see two rows. Each row shows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Tutor name and profile photo.<\/li><li>The Training Requirement or topic this conversation is about (e.g., &ldquo;I need to learn Software Testing&rdquo;).<\/li><li>An <strong>unread count badge<\/strong> if there are messages you haven&rsquo;t read yet.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use the <strong>Search tutors<\/strong> box at the top of the left pane to quickly find a conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"middle-pane\">Middle pane: the chat thread<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The chat thread shows your full message history with this tutor for this Training Requirement. Features:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Your messages<\/strong> appear on the right; tutor messages on the left.<\/li><li><strong>Timestamps<\/strong> on every message.<\/li><li><strong>Type your message here&hellip;<\/strong> &mdash; the input box at the bottom. Press Enter to send.<\/li><li><strong>Attachment icon<\/strong> (paperclip) lets you attach files to your message.<\/li><li><strong>Meet Now<\/strong> button starts an instant video meeting with the tutor.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Files attached to messages also appear in the conversation history and are downloadable later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"right-pane\">Right pane: tutor context<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The right pane shows the tutor&rsquo;s profile summary at the top (name, photo, local time) and a set of action buttons that <strong>change based on where you are in the hiring journey<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Before hiring<\/strong> &mdash; you&rsquo;ll see <strong>Hire Now<\/strong>, <strong>View Proposal<\/strong> (if they sent one), <strong>Schedule Free Session<\/strong>, and the <strong>Learn Safely with Tutorac<\/strong> safety panel.<\/li><li><strong>After hiring<\/strong> &mdash; you&rsquo;ll see a <strong>Progress Tracker<\/strong> showing milestone progress, plus links back to the active Training Contract and batch.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This panel saves you from leaving Messages to take the next step &mdash; you can hire, schedule a demo, or jump to your batch directly from chat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"system-messages\">System messages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some messages in the thread come from Tutorac itself rather than you or the tutor. They appear in the centre of the thread and announce events like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>&ldquo;Tutor sent you a proposal&rdquo;<\/li><li>&ldquo;You hired this tutor&rdquo;<\/li><li>&ldquo;Free demo session scheduled for [date\/time]&rdquo;<\/li><li>&ldquo;Session ended&rdquo; \/ &ldquo;Session missed&rdquo;<\/li><li>Safety advisories (e.g., reminders to keep payments on Tutorac)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These are a record of what happened &mdash; they don&rsquo;t need a reply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"unread\">Unread message counts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tutorac surfaces unread messages in three places:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The <strong>Messages<\/strong> item in the top navigation shows a total unread badge.<\/li><li>The Messages icon in the second top bar shows the same total.<\/li><li>Each <strong>conversation row<\/strong> in the left pane has its own unread badge.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Opening a conversation marks all its messages as read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"faqs\">FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I have multiple chats with the same tutor?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes &mdash; one per Training Requirement (or one general chat if you&rsquo;re not yet tied to a requirement). Each appears as a separate row in the left pane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where do I find old messages with a tutor I worked with last year?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scroll through the conversations list or use the <strong>Search tutors<\/strong> box. Past conversations stay even after a contract completes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Will the tutor see when I&rsquo;ve read their message?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Read receipts are not currently displayed to tutors. Online status indicators and timestamps are visible to both sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I message a tutor before booking a demo or sending an invite?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. Use the <strong>Send Direct Message<\/strong> button on any tutor card from Find Tutors. See <a href=\"\/help-center\/2026\/05\/20\/how-to-message-a-tutor-before-hiring-on-tutorac\/\">How to message a tutor before hiring<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Are tutor chats different from Training Batch chats?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes &mdash; Messages is the platform-wide chat with the tutor. After hiring, each Training Batch also has its own <strong>Messages<\/strong> tab inside the batch workspace, scoped to that specific batch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related articles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"\/help-center\/2026\/05\/20\/how-to-message-a-tutor-before-hiring-on-tutorac\/\">How to message a tutor before hiring on Tutorac<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/help-center\/2026\/05\/20\/how-to-book-a-free-demo-session-with-a-tutor-on-tutorac\/\">How to book a Free Demo Session with a tutor<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/help-center\/2026\/05\/20\/how-to-hire-a-tutor-on-tutorac\/\">How to hire a tutor and start a Training Contract<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#9ca3af;font-size:13px\">Last updated: 27 May 2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Complete tour of the Tutorac Messages hub (\/messages\/profile) \u2014 the 3-pane chat interface, how conversations are grouped, system messages, and the right-side context panel that changes based on tutor status (Hire Now, View Proposal, Progress Tracker, Schedule Free Session). Includes 5 FAQs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-for-learners","category-learners-messages-drive"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tutorac.com\/help-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tutorac.com\/help-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tutorac.com\/help-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tutorac.com\/help-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tutorac.com\/help-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tutorac.com\/help-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tutorac.com\/help-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tutorac.com\/help-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tutorac.com\/help-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}