Getting started #

ReactiveZero Collab is invite-only — there is no public sign-up. An administrator sends you a one-time invite link. Opening it starts a short, three-part setup.

1. Accept your invite

Open the invite link you were sent. It shows the role you have been granted (member or admin) and, when the invite is locked to an email address, that address becomes your sign-in. Then choose:

Display name — how your name appears to teammates. You can change this later in your profile.
Handle — your @handle for mentions. Lowercase letters and digits, then . _ - are allowed (2–32 characters). Handles are permanent and cannot be changed later.
Password — at least 10 characters. Invite links expire after 7 days.

2. Set up two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is required for every account, so setup happens immediately after you create your account. Use any standard authenticator app — Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, 1Password, Authy, and others all work.

Open your authenticator app and add a new account.
Scan the on-screen QR code, or type the setup key by hand if you can’t scan.
Enter the current 6-digit code to confirm and finish.

3. You’re in

Once your code verifies, you land in Chat. Your account is only fully active after 2FA setup completes — until then it can’t be used to sign in.

Signing in #

Every sign-in takes two steps:

Enter your email and password.
Enter the current 6-digit code from your authenticator app.

For your security, sign-in is rate-limited: after several failed attempts (a wrong password, or repeated wrong codes) access is temporarily blocked for about 15 minutes. Wait it out and try again.

Lost your authenticator device?

If you lose the phone or app that holds your 2FA codes, you cannot sign in on your own — the codes are the second factor. Ask an administrator to generate a recovery link for you. It resets your password and clears the old two-factor, then walks you through enrolling a new authenticator. Recovery links can be used once and expire after 60 minutes.

You can change your display name or password any time from your Profile page. Changing your password requires your current one.

Chat #

Chat is the home screen. The sidebar groups your conversations into Announcements, Channels, Groups, Direct messages, and People. A dot next to a person shows when they’re currently online.

Channels

Channels are open to every member — anyone can read and post. Create a new channel with the + button next to “Channels” and give it a name.

Announcements

The Announcements channel is read-only for members; only admins can post there. Everyone sees announcements, which stand out visually from ordinary messages.

Direct messages

Open a one-to-one conversation with any active teammate from the People list. Direct messages are private to the two of you — admins cannot read, edit, or delete other people’s DMs.

Mentions

Type @handle to mention someone. Messages that mention you are highlighted so they’re easy to spot, and they can trigger a notification (see Notifications).

Rich text formatting

Messages support lightweight Markdown-style formatting, either by typing it or using the formatting toolbar above the message box:

Bold — **text**
Italic — *text*
Strikethrough — ~~text~~
Inline code — `code`
Fenced code block — wrap lines in triple backticks (```)
Link — [text](https://example.com)

Press Enter to send and Shift+Enter for a new line. Messages can be up to 4,000 characters. You can attach a file with the + button in the message box — images preview inline in the conversation.

Editing & deleting

You can edit or delete your own messages. Admins can moderate messages in shared channels, but never in anyone’s direct messages.

Unread badges & mark all read

Each conversation shows an unread badge counting messages you haven’t seen. Use Mark all read at the top of the sidebar to clear every unread indicator at once.

Groups #

Groups are private, multi-person conversations — only the people you add can see a group or its messages. They’re ideal for a project team or a smaller sub-group.

Create a group with the + button next to “Groups”, name it, and pick the people to add.
The group creator can add or remove members and rename the group using the Manage button.
Anyone can leave a group at any time.
If the creator leaves, ownership passes to the longest-standing remaining member; if no one is left, the group is removed.

Files #

The File Library is a shared, folder-based store for your team’s documents. Use the breadcrumbs to navigate, the search box to filter the current folder, and the buttons to add content.

Uploading & folders

Upload — add one or more files at once. There is a per-file size limit set by your administrator.
New Folder — organise files into folders and subfolders.
Move a file to another folder, or Delete files and folders you own (admins can manage any).

Private folders & sharing

Every folder has a visibility setting:

Team — every member can see the folder and its files.
Private — hidden from everyone except you and the specific people you share it with. (Administrators can always see private folders.)

Use the Share button on a folder to switch its visibility and to grant or revoke access for individual teammates.

Preview & downloads

Preview PDFs, images, and text files right in the app with the Preview button — no download needed. Every download is access-controlled: files are stored under randomised names and served only through a permission check, so a link never grants access to someone who shouldn’t have it. Files shared as chat attachments follow the conversation’s rules — a file sent in a direct message can only be opened by the two people in that conversation.

Notifications #

Stay up to date without keeping the app in focus.

Browser push — click the bell (🔕) in the top bar to enable notifications. Your browser asks for permission once; after that you’re alerted to new messages even when the tab is closed or in the background. Click the bell again (🔔) to mute.
In-tab notifications — while you’re using the app, new messages in conversations you’re not currently viewing surface without interrupting what you’re doing.

Notifications are per-device and per-browser, so enable the bell on each device where you want alerts. You won’t be double-notified for a conversation you’re actively watching.

For admins #

Administrators get an Admin console with four tabs: Users, Invites, Storage, and Audit.

Invites

Create an invite with an optional email lock and a role (member or admin); invites expire after 7 days. The invite link is shown once — copy it, or send it by email when a mail driver is configured. You can revoke any pending invite.

Users: disable vs delete

Toggle role between member and admin.
Deactivate (disable) an account to block sign-in while keeping the person’s messages and files intact — reactivate at any time. This is the reversible option.
Delete permanently removes a user along with their messages and uploaded files; it requires typing the handle to confirm and cannot be undone.
Recovery link — generate a one-time link that resets a user’s password and two-factor (see Signing in). It expires in 60 minutes.
You cannot deactivate, demote, or delete your own account.

Storage

See how much space uploaded files are using. The tab also holds a danger zone for bulk operations — clearing all chat messages, deleting all files, or resetting the whole workspace. Each action runs immediately, cannot be undone, and requires typing an exact confirmation word.

Audit log

The Audit tab lists recent activity — when it happened, who did it, the action, and details — so sensitive changes are always accountable.

Security & privacy #

Security is built into every layer of ReactiveZero Collab:

Invite-only — there is no open registration. Access exists only through a one-time invite from an administrator.
Mandatory two-factor authentication — every account uses TOTP-based 2FA on every sign-in. A password alone is never enough to get in, or to enrol a new authenticator.
Encrypted secrets — two-factor secrets are stored encrypted, never in plain text.
Access-controlled files — files are stored with randomised names outside the web root and served only after a per-file permission check. Direct-message attachments stay private to that conversation.
Private by design — the app itself sits entirely behind sign-in; only these public help and access pages are visible to the outside world.

Connections are served over HTTPS, and sessions are hardened against common web attacks.

Need an account? #

ReactiveZero Collab is invite-only. If you don’t have an account yet, tell us a little about yourself and we’ll be in touch. Already have an account? Just log in.

Request access