File-Level Chat

The Chat tab provides a general message thread between you and all borrowers on a loan file. Use it for broad questions, status updates, or anything that isn't specific to a single document request.

File chat vs. Q&A threads

BorrowerDocs has two places to communicate:

	File Chat	Per-item Q&A
Where	Chat tab on the file	Q&A button on a checklist item
Topic	General — anything about the file	Specific to one document request
Visible to	You and all borrowers on the file	You and all borrowers on the file
Best for	Introductions, status updates, general questions	"Why do you need this?" or "Here's what was wrong"

Use file chat for general conversation. Use Q&A threads when your message is about a specific document — that way, context stays attached to the item.

Sending a message

Go to the Chat tab on any loan file
Type your message in the text field at the bottom
Press Enter or click Send

Messages appear immediately in your thread and in the borrower's portal.

Unread indicators

When a borrower sends a message in file chat, a badge appears on the Chat tab in your file navigation. The badge clears automatically when you open the Chat tab.

Borrowers see a similar unread indicator in their portal navigation.

Message visibility

All messages in file chat are visible to:

You (the broker)
The primary borrower
The co-borrower (if one exists on the file)

There is no way to send a private message to only one borrower. If you need to communicate with one borrower privately, do so outside BorrowerDocs.

Closed files

Chat is read-only on closed files. You can still view the full message history after closing, but no new messages can be sent.

Next steps

Asking Questions (Q&A) — per-item messaging for specific documents
Working the Checklist — managing document requests