Overview
Every Internal Chat channel has a lifecycle. When a project ends or a topic falls out of use, you don't have to delete the channel: you can archive it (close it while keeping the history) and later restore it if it becomes relevant again. Only when you're sure the content is no longer useful can an administrator delete it permanently.
Beyond the lifecycle, a channel can be linked to a Team. In that case, Conversa Labs keeps the channel's members in sync with the team: anyone who joins the team also joins the channel, and anyone who leaves the team is removed from it — with no manual member management.
Prerequisites
- The Internal Chat module enabled for the account.
- To archive, restore or manage a channel's team link: be a channel owner/admin or an account administrator.
- To delete permanently (purge): be a channel owner/admin or an account administrator — this is a restricted action.
- For the team link: at least one Team must exist in the account to choose from.
Step by step
1. Archive a channel
- Open the channel and go to its settings.
- Choose Archive.
- The channel leaves the active list and becomes read-only: no one can post anymore, but the entire history is preserved.
2. Restore (unarchive) a channel
- Filter the list to show archived channels.
- Open the archived channel and choose Restore.
- The channel returns to the active list and posting reopens, right where it left off.
3. Delete permanently (purge)
- As an administrator, open the channel's settings.
- Choose Delete.
- The channel and all of its content (messages, members and mentions) are removed. This action is irreversible.
4. Link the channel to a Team
- In the channel's settings, select a Team in the team-link field.
- Save. Conversa Labs syncs the team's members into the channel.
5. Understand member auto-sync
- With the channel linked to a team, joining the team adds the person to the channel and leaving the team removes them, automatically.
- You don't need to add or remove members by hand: manage them through the team itself.
Settings & options
- Archive vs delete: archiving is reversible and preserves the history; deleting is permanent and removes everything. Prefer archiving whenever in doubt.
- Archiving the CHANNEL vs archiving the CONVERSATION: two different things, easy to mix up. What this article describes is archiving the channel, done in the settings by an administrator: it closes the room for everyone and makes it read-only. Archive conversation, in the row's action menu, is an individual preference — it takes the conversation out of your list only, affects nobody else, and works on direct messages too. See the conversation actions article.
- Posting policy when archived: an archived channel is read-only — no member can post while it stays archived. When you restore it, posting goes back to normal.
- Team link (
team_id): a channel can point to a Team. While the link exists, the channel's member list mirrors the team's. - Automatic member sync: turned on by the team link; changes to the team are reflected in the channel.
Use cases
- Wrap up a project: when a campaign ends, archive the "june-campaign" channel. The history stays available for reference and the active list stays clean.
- Restore access: did the topic come back? Restore the archived channel instead of creating a new one — all the previous context is still there.
- Mirror a team: link a channel to the Sales Team. Anyone who joins sales becomes part of the channel without anyone having to invite them.
Tips, limits & best practices
- Prefer archiving over deleting. Deletion is irreversible and limited to whoever administers the channel or the account.
- In channels linked to a team, manage people through the team, not the channel's member list — otherwise the sync will undo any change you make by hand.
- Keep the active list lean by archiving what's no longer in use; archiving never loses the history.
- Reserve deletion for channels with clearly no value (tests, duplicates).
Troubleshooting
- I can't delete the channel: permanent deletion requires being a channel owner/admin or an account administrator. A plain member does not see the option — they can only leave the channel or archive the conversation for themselves.
- A member came back to the channel on their own: the channel is likely linked to a team and the person is still part of it. Remove them through the team (or unlink the team) instead of from the channel.
- The archived channel doesn't show up: the list shows only active channels by default. Use the archived filter to find it, then restore it.