Course chat with students

chat_enabled, who can message first, notifications, and boundaries

Why course chat exists

Chat connects you to buyers of this course: technique, schedule, exercise swaps. It is not one group thread for everyone — each buyer has a private conversation with you.

For 1:1 assignments see Coaching overview.

How it works (`chat_enabled`)

In course settings — Chat with author / Allow students to message you in chat.

Setting	Buyer (purchased)	You (author)
Enabled	Can open chat and write	Always can write and reply
Disabled	No chat button for them	You can message first — support when needed

Server rule: when chat is disabled, buyers cannot start a thread; the author always has access to course chat.

If chat_enabled is unset on older courses, chat defaults to enabled for buyers.

Changing chat on an approved course goes into a revision — Revisions.

Who messages first

Enabled — student opens chat from the course page or My chats.
Disabled — student waits for you; use when you want fewer inbound threads but will reach out yourself.

Only users with active access to the course (after purchase, within access duration) can use buyer-side chat.

Where to open threads

Author:

Course page — chat in author area / per student (per UI);
My chats — all course and coaching threads.

Buyer:

Purchased course in app or web;
My chats.

Notifications

New messages trigger push in the app and/or site notifications (per user settings). Aim to reply within 24–48 hours — it affects retention and reviews.

Boundaries

FitSpace is for training communication, not medical advice. Refer pain, injury, or chronic conditions to a doctor.
No payments off-platform — violates the Author agreement.
Don’t promise outcomes you can’t support in the course description.

Tips for authors

State in the description whether you use chat and typical reply time.
FAQ-style answers save time (technique, rest, substitutions).
If chat is disabled, check My chats and message active students when needed.

Common mistakes

Disabling chat and expecting students to find another channel — they need you to write first or chat enabled.
Expecting one group chat for the whole course — threads are 1:1.
Changing chat setting on a live course without submitting a revision.