--- title: "Communications: Getting Started" description: How to create Conversations to communicate with parents on TUIO. --- [Skip to content](https://support.tuiopay.com/i.-conversations-getting-started#main-content) English Show submenu for translations [![TUIO-logo-cmyk.png](https://support.tuiopay.com/hs-fs/hubfs/TUIO-logo-social-type-400x400-rgb.png?width=125&height=125&name=TUIO-logo-social-type-400x400-rgb.png)](https://support.tuiopay.com?hsLang=en) Open main navigation Close main navigation - English Show submenu for translations - [Contact support](mailto:support@tuiopay.com) [Contact support](mailto:support@tuiopay.com) How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Support for TUIO Admins](https://support.tuiopay.com/?hsLang=en) 2. [Parent Management & Communications](https://support.tuiopay.com/parent-management-communications?hsLang=en) 3. [Communications & Notifications](https://support.tuiopay.com/parent-management-communications?hsLang=en#communications-notifications) November 9, 2026 # Communications: Getting Started [![](https://cdn.loom.com/sessions/thumbnails/32d7d2f63195456fab2cdd45db3b3fb2-1768fcc8751e2141-full-play.gif)](https://www.loom.com/share/32d7d2f63195456fab2cdd45db3b3fb2) The video may show an earlier navigation layout. Use the current instructions below. ### Open Communications Select **Communications** in the side menu. On a narrow screen, open the main menu first. The unread count appears with Communications. Use **Start** to begin a conversation. Review the subject and organization, then add the intended participants. ### Add participants In **Add participants**, choose **Individual accounts**, **By program**, or **All organization parents**. Review the audience before adding it. When working across schools, check the organization filter and the conversation’s organization. Use the participant controls to review or manage the audience where your permissions allow it. ### Conversation settings and privacy Administrators with the required organization write permission can edit the subject, status and conversation options. - **Open:** messages can be sent, subject to the conversation’s staff controls. - **Closed:** new messages cannot be sent until the conversation is reopened. - **Only staff can send messages:** parents can read the conversation but cannot reply. - **Only staff messages are visible to parents:** parents see staff messages and their own messages, but not messages from other parents. Turning off the parent-message visibility restriction makes previous messages from other parents visible to every parent in the conversation. Read the confirmation carefully before changing that setting. In a restricted conversation, parents do not see the participant list, participant count or avatars, seen-by information, or participant-added and participant-removed events. Staff without Conversation write access are treated like parents for restricted content. Do not assume every staff account has the same view. ### Send a message Type your message and use the send arrow. Use the paperclip to attach a file where available. Review the conversation audience and visibility notice before sending. If SMS is enabled, **Also send via text message** sends a text notification to eligible participants with a phone number. File attachments are not sent through SMS. See [How to Enable and Send SMS Text Messages in Conversations](https://support.tuiopay.com/enable-sms-for-conversations?hsLang=en). Messages show their sender and time. Participant details and read information depend on the conversation’s visibility settings and your permissions. ### Choose which school staff join new conversations automatically Open your organization's **Profile \> Notification settings** and find **Added to new conversations**. This list selects **school staff members** who will be included automatically when a new conversation is created. Update the staff list and save your changes. This setting replaces the former **Add to conversations by default** switch on each administrator. Select the parent audience separately in the conversation's **Add participants** controls. TUIO adds the listed people who are still staff. If none of those people qualify, it adds the person responsible for the organization's fee billing. Review the participants before sending a message. ![Added to new conversations selects school staff and explains the billing-contact fallback.](https://support.tuiopay.com/hs-fs/hubfs/staff-new-conversation-default-v2-2026-11-09.jpg?width=670&name=staff-new-conversation-default-v2-2026-11-09.jpg) - [Billing & Payments](https://support.tuiopay.com/billing-payments?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Overview & Structure](https://support.tuiopay.com/billing-payments?hsLang=en#overview-structure) - [Programs & Payment Plans](https://support.tuiopay.com/billing-payments?hsLang=en#programs-payment-plans) - [Students & Enrollments](https://support.tuiopay.com/billing-payments?hsLang=en#students-enrollments) - [Invoices](https://support.tuiopay.com/billing-payments?hsLang=en#invoices) - [Donations & Fundraising](https://support.tuiopay.com/billing-payments?hsLang=en#donations-fundraising) - [Forms, Attendance, Class & Student Management](https://support.tuiopay.com/forms-attendance-class-student-management?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Student Management](https://support.tuiopay.com/forms-attendance-class-student-management?hsLang=en#student-management) - [Registration & Non-Registration Forms](https://support.tuiopay.com/forms-attendance-class-student-management?hsLang=en#registration-non-registration-forms) - [Attendance & Class Management](https://support.tuiopay.com/forms-attendance-class-student-management?hsLang=en#attendance-class-management) - [Parent Management & Communications](https://support.tuiopay.com/parent-management-communications?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Parent Management](https://support.tuiopay.com/parent-management-communications?hsLang=en#parent-management) - [Communications & Notifications](https://support.tuiopay.com/parent-management-communications?hsLang=en#communications-notifications) - [Reports, Exports & Reconciliation](https://support.tuiopay.com/reports-exports-reconciliation?hsLang=en) - [Platform Management & Settings](https://support.tuiopay.com/platform-management-settings?hsLang=en) - [Software Releases & Future Roadmap](https://support.tuiopay.com/software-releases-future-roadmap?hsLang=en#main-content) - [🚀 Future Roadmap](https://support.tuiopay.com/software-releases-future-roadmap?hsLang=en#future-roadmap) - [🆕 Software Releases](https://support.tuiopay.com/software-releases-future-roadmap?hsLang=en#software-releases) - [Integrations](https://support.tuiopay.com/integrations?hsLang=en) Copyright © 2026, TUIO