How chat works on IVOTIA
Use IVOTIA chat to ask questions, share files, discuss offers, and continue approved request conversations without moving off-platform.
Updated: 2026-06-05
Where chat starts on IVOTIA
IVOTIA conversations can start from a product or service page, from an order context, or from a buyer request flow after a proposal is shortlisted.
If a conversation already exists between the same buyer and seller, IVOTIA reuses the latest conversation instead of creating unnecessary duplicate rooms.
Chat is tied to the people in that conversation. Only the buyer and seller in that thread can open it and read its messages.
What you can send in chat
You can send normal text messages, reply to earlier messages, and attach files when you need to share supporting information.
Chat attachments are uploaded separately first and then sent with the message. A message can include text, attachments, or both.
IVOTIA currently limits chat attachments to 5 files per message. If you try to send more than that, the extra files are ignored.
Locked chat vs unlocked chat
Some conversations start in a locked state. In a locked conversation, IVOTIA hides direct contact details such as email, phone number, and location until the conversation is legitimately unlocked.
A standard conversation becomes fully unlocked when one of the approved unlock conditions is met, such as an escrow-paid flow, a direct unlock, or a manual conversation unlock recorded by the system.
Request conversations follow a slightly different path. Once a request proposal conversation is opened through the request workflow, that conversation is treated as part of the approved request path rather than a fully locked cold conversation.
Contact-sharing restrictions
In standard locked conversations, IVOTIA blocks attempts to share direct contact details too early. This includes common email patterns, phone numbers, long digit strings, contact-link patterns, and phrases such as asking someone to call, text, email, or message you elsewhere.
If a message triggers the contact-sharing filter, the message is stored as blocked and does not behave like a normal delivered message.
This restriction is there to keep negotiation and transaction activity on-platform until the conversation reaches an approved unlock state.
Buyer request conversations
Buyer requests support a limited pre-approval chat path. After a buyer shortlists a seller proposal, the seller and buyer can open a request conversation and start talking inside that thread.
That shortlist conversation is not unlimited by default. IVOTIA tracks message usage for each side, and the limited pre-approval chat uses a 5-message limit per side unless the request flow is upgraded to full chat.
If the limited chat allowance is exhausted, IVOTIA blocks more messages until the request is selected or full chat is unlocked through the request flow.
Offers, notifications, and personal notes
Sellers can also send custom offers inside chat when the flow allows it. Buyers can then review and respond to those offers from the same conversation timeline.
Unread counts and real-time socket updates are used so new messages, offers, and typing activity can appear without a full page refresh when the other participant is online.
Each conversation also supports personal notes that are only visible to you. Use them to keep private reminders or context without sending that note to the other participant.