Starting A BrightChat

Starting a BrightChat makes communicating with parents and staff easy and efficient. With a few simple steps, you'll be able to start a 2-way chat to confirm details on assignments, set up meeting times, check on the status of report cards, and so much more. It's as easy as navigating to the list of people you want to chat with and clicking "Start BrightChat."

This article details how to start a BrightChat from within BrightView (website version). For help with starting BrightChats in the ParentHub app, see here. 

(Website) How to start a BrightChat

• For most student information systems, your lists will be automatically populated and synced with your class roster information. If your organization is not a school, you can populate your lists by uploading a spreadsheet or manually entering the data (note that you may only configure and manage lists in the web version). 

1. From the My Lists page, select a list that you want to start a BrightChat by clicking on the list's name. 
2. In the List Details page, you will see an option to “Start a BrightChat”. Note that the BrightChat initial message will only be sent to the enabled contacts for the list.
   1. Enable contacts by selecting the checkbox next to the contact's name. 
   2. Disable contacts by deselecting the checkbox next to the contact's name. 
   3. Select / Deselect the checkbox next to the "Edit" header to enable or disable all contacts in the list. 
   
3. In the “Start BrightChat” page, enter a topic for the conversation, as well as an initial message. (Note that the initial message will be sent by both email and text, and will appear as the first message in the chat window. We will append instructions to your initial message describing how to join the conversation.)
4. You'll then decide if you'd like to start a Private or Group chat. This will determine if you'd prefer to have the message one-on-one with each contact, or if you'd like to create a group message where they all can interact in one chat setting. If you select both options, the recipient will have the choice on how their replies should be shared (see more details in the Group and Private conversations article).

5. Once you have all the fields filled out, you can go ahead and click "Send" to send the message.

BrightChat initial message in the ParentHub app

1. Navigate to the "Create & Send" tab in ParentHub.
2. Tap on the list you would like to chat with. Note that only the enabled contacts in the list will receive the chat. 
3. Tap on the "Chat" icon. 
4. Note that if you choose 'Create’ you are not initiating a 2-way communication but instead making use of our general notification system. The message will not invite the recipient for BrightChat.
5. 
6. In the Start Chat page, you will enter a topic for the conversation as well as an initial message.
   1. You'll then decide if you'd like to start a Private or Group chat. This will determine if you'd prefer to have the message one-on-one with each contact, or if you'd like to create a group message where they all can interact in one chat setting. If you select both options, the recipient will have the choice on how their replies should be shared (see more details in the Group and Private conversations article).
   2. Add any attachments as needed. 
7. Tap "Start Chat."
8. 
9. Just like in the web version, the initial message will be sent by both email and text and will appear as the first message in the chat window. Recipients can login to the app to view and respond to the Chat. 

BrightChat initial message in the BrightArrow Mobile 2.1 app*

*BrightArrow Mobile 2.1 is retiring in the summer of 2025

1. As a sender, your homepage in the app will be the My Lists page. 
2. Once you’ve selected a list or individual contacts in a list, you can move forward to the Message Type page, where you will select “Start a BrightChat”.

• Note that if you choose “Create a New Message’, you are not initiating a 2-way communication, but instead making use of our general notification system, and the message will not invite the recipient for BrightChat.

3. In the BrightChat Initial Message page, you will enter a topic for the conversation, as well as an initial message. Just like in the web version, the initial message will be sent by both email and text and will appear as the first message in the chat window.