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Concepts

Learn the terms used throughout the platform.

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Concept	Description
Conversation	A place where one or more users can write messages. A conversation has one or more participants, and zero or more ordered messages.
Guest user	A user with lightweight access to a conversation. Guest access is useful for conversations in which you don't require users to be `@mentioned` or to receive email or SMS notifications, for example large public group chats. Check the full overview of the differences between participants and guest users.
Message	An object containing text, a file (such as an image, video, PDF, or other document), or a location share sent to a conversation. A message can be either a user message or a system message.
Message content	The content of a message sent to a conversation, including formatting specifications. Message content can be text, files, or location shares.
Participant	A user who is part of a conversation. Participants can get `@mentioned`, receive notifications, and are listed in a conversation's participant list.
Role	A collection of settings with which you can customize both the appearance and features of the chat for a user or user group.
System message	A message sent to a conversation by the chat system or operator, instead of by a user of that conversation.
Session	An active connection between a user's device and your chat, as identified by your TalkJS account. A session exists from the moment a user connects to your chat, until the moment the user navigates away from the page or closes their tab.
User	A person or a group of people who uses your app. Each user must have a unique user ID.
User ID	A unique, permanent identifier of a user of your chat.
User message	A message sent to a conversation by a user of that conversation.