Find any message, fast — without endless scrolling
Client chats move quickly. A resource you shared three weeks ago, a breakthrough insight from a coaching session, a client's goal they typed out on day one — finding that specific message by scrolling through hundreds of exchanges is a time sink you don't need. Coachful's search and pin messages features let you surface any message in seconds and keep the most important ones permanently visible at the top of any chat, so nothing critical ever gets buried.
Whether you're a coach managing 20+ active clients or a client trying to re-read your coach's instructions before a session, this guide walks you through every step — searching by keyword, filtering by chat, pinning and unpinning messages, and a few pro tips to get the most out of both features.
TL;DR — Quick answer
- Search messages: Open any chat in Coachful, click the Search (🔍) icon in the top-right of the chat panel, and type a keyword. Results appear instantly across that conversation.
- Pin a message: Hover over any message, click the ⋮ (More options) menu, and select Pin message. It appears in the pinned banner at the top of the chat for everyone in the conversation.
- Unpin: Click the pinned banner and select Unpin, or use the same ⋮ menu on the message itself.
- Both features work in 1:1 client chats, cohort squad channels, and community squads.
How message search works in Coachful
Coachful's real-time messaging is powered by Stream Chat, which means search is fast, indexed, and accurate — not a basic text scan. When you search inside a conversation, the engine looks across the full history of that channel, including messages sent before you joined if you were added to an existing squad.
Searching within a single conversation
- Open the chat you want to search. This can be a 1:1 client channel, a Cohort Squad channel created when your client enrolled in a program, or a Community Squad channel.
- Click the Search (🔍) icon in the top-right corner of the chat panel. A search bar will slide open.
- Type your keyword or phrase — for example, "homework", "week 3 goal", or the client's name if you're in a squad with multiple members.
- Matching messages appear in a results list, each with a short excerpt and a timestamp. Click any result to jump directly to that message in context — the chat will scroll to that point and highlight the matched text.
- Press Escape or click the ✕ to close search and return to the live conversation.
What gets searched
The search covers message text, including edited messages (the latest version is indexed). Attachments, images, and file names attached to messages are also searchable by file name. Reactions and system messages (like "User joined the channel") are excluded from results to keep things clean.
Keep in mind that search is scoped to the current channel by default. If you need to find a message across all your client chats at once, use the global search bar at the top of the Coachful dashboard — this searches across channels you have access to and filters by people, programs, and messages simultaneously.
Coachful tip: Coaches managing 10 or more active clients tell us they use message search most during session prep — quickly pulling up what a client said about their blockers or goals before jumping on a call. It takes seconds and makes sessions feel deeply personalized. Sign in to your workspace and try it before your next call.
How to pin messages in client chats
Pinning is one of the highest-leverage habits you can build as a coach. A pinned message sits in a persistent banner at the very top of the chat, visible to everyone in the channel every time they open it. Use it for session prep instructions, a client's core commitment, or the link to this week's program task.
Pinning a message step by step
- Find the message you want to pin. You can scroll to it manually or use search (see above) to jump straight there.
- Hover over the message. A small toolbar appears to the right of the message bubble.
- Click the ⋮ (More options) button — the three-dot menu.
- Select Pin message from the dropdown.
- The message immediately appears in the Pinned Messages banner at the top of the chat. All participants in the channel see it.
Viewing all pinned messages
A chat can have multiple pinned messages. The banner shows the most recently pinned one by default. To see the full list, click the pinned banner and a drawer opens showing every pinned message in the channel, ordered from newest to oldest. You can click any item in the drawer to jump to its original position in the chat history.
Unpinning a message
- Option A — Via the banner: Click the pinned banner, find the message in the drawer, hover over it, and click Unpin.
- Option B — Via the message itself: Scroll to the original message, open the ⋮ menu, and select Unpin message.
Unpinning removes the message from the banner immediately, but the message itself remains in the chat history — nothing is deleted.
Who can search and pin messages?
Search is available to everyone with access to the channel — coaches, clients (members), and virtual assistants on your team. No special role is required to search.
Pinning, however, respects channel permissions. In a 1:1 client chat, both the coach and the client can pin and unpin messages. In a Cohort Squad (created automatically when clients enroll in one of your programs), only users with the coach, editor, admin, or super_admin role can pin messages — this prevents clients from inadvertently pinning over your carefully placed instructions. In a Community Squad, admins and coaches control pinning by default, though this can be adjusted in your squad settings.
Smart ways coaches use search and pinning
These two features are simple on the surface but unlock powerful workflows when used intentionally. Here are the patterns that experienced coaches on Coachful use most:
Pin the week's focus at the start of every week
At the beginning of each program week, post a short message summarizing the week's theme, the top task from the program, and any resources. Then pin it. Your client sees it every time they open the chat — no excuses for forgetting what they're working on. When the new week starts, unpin it and pin the next one. Over a 12-week program, this creates a lightweight weekly ritual that keeps momentum high.
Pin intake notes or agreements
After a client completes their intake call, paste a summary of their stated goals and commitments into the chat and pin it. This becomes a shared reference point for both of you throughout the engagement. When a client says "I never agreed to that," you both have the pinned record right there.
Search to prepare for sessions
Before a 1:1 session, search for terms like "struggle", "stuck", or "win" to quickly collect the emotional high and low points your client has mentioned since your last call. This takes about 90 seconds and gives you a genuinely data-driven session agenda.
Use pinning in Community Squads for announcements
If you run a group program or a membership community, your Community Squad is where members hang out between sessions. Pin your upcoming group call link, community rules, or a welcome message so new members always have context without you having to re-post.
Best practice: Treat pinned messages like sticky notes on a whiteboard — limit them to 2-3 per channel at a time. Too many pinned messages dilute the signal. Rotate them intentionally, and your clients will actually read them.
Troubleshooting common issues
I can't find the search icon in my chat
Make sure you're inside an individual channel, not on the chat list overview. The search icon only appears when a specific conversation is open and active. If you're using the Coachful mobile app (iOS or Android), tap the channel name at the top to open channel details, where the search option is listed.
My search returns no results even though I know the message exists
Double-check that you're searching in the right channel. Coachful's chat is organized by channel (one per client relationship, one per squad), and search is scoped per channel. If a client said something in their 1:1 chat but you're searching a squad, you won't find it. Also confirm the spelling — the search is exact-match for phrases and keyword-match for single words.
The Pin option doesn't appear in my ⋮ menu
This usually means you don't have the required permissions in that channel. In cohort squads, only coaches and admins can pin. Ask your workspace admin (the super_coach / owner of the Coachful workspace) to check your org role under Settings → Team. If you're a coach on the account and still can't pin, try refreshing the page — permission changes sometimes require a reload to take effect.
A client accidentally pinned the wrong message
Any coach or admin in the channel can unpin a message regardless of who pinned it. Hover over the unwanted pinned message in the banner drawer, click Unpin, and it's removed immediately.
Pinned messages disappeared after a squad was archived
Archiving a squad hides the channel from the active list but does not delete messages or pins. To recover them, ask your admin to unarchive the squad under Coach → Squads → Archived. All history, including pins, will be restored.
Search is slow or not returning recent messages
Stream Chat indexes messages in near-real time, but in rare cases there can be a short delay (typically under 60 seconds) before a very new message appears in search results. If you need to find something sent in the last few minutes, scroll manually — search will catch up shortly. For persistent issues, contact Coachful support.
Search and pinning on mobile
Both features are fully available on Coachful's mobile apps for iOS and Android (built on the progressive web app with a native Capacitor shell). To search on mobile, open a channel and tap the 🔍 Search icon in the top-right of the screen. Results load and behave identically to the desktop experience.
To pin on mobile, press and hold a message bubble until the action menu appears, then tap Pin message. The pinned banner appears at the top of the chat just like on desktop. For tips on getting started with the mobile app, see Getting started on mobile.
How this fits into your broader coaching workflow
Search and pinning aren't standalone features — they're most powerful when combined with the rest of your Coachful workspace. When a client completes a task in their Program, they often drop a message in the chat. Pin that completion message as a milestone marker. When you schedule a 1:1 session, pin the session prep instructions so your client shows up ready. When you run a group call through a Cohort Squad, pin the video link an hour before so everyone can find it without hunting through the chat.
The goal is a coaching experience that feels organized and intentional, not scattered. Clients who feel organized stay longer, refer more, and get better results — which is good for everyone.
Ready to keep every important message front and center?
Search and pin messages are available on all Coachful plans — growth, scale, and legacy tiers. If you're already coaching on Coachful, open a client chat right now and try pinning your most important standing instruction. It takes 10 seconds and your clients will notice immediately.
Not on Coachful yet? Thousands of coaches use Coachful to run structured programs, manage client communication, and grow their practice — all from one workspace. Start your free trial and see how much smoother client communication can be. Already have an account? Sign in to your Coachful workspace and put these features to work today.