Send Messages

Watch a video about messages

Messages page

In a course, access the Messages page on the navigation bar. All your course messages and responses appear. You can easily scan the entire list and open a message to read all the responses.

Your unread messages appear first in the list. Each message displays the profile picture of the creator. Under the creator's name, you can view how many participants are included or if the message is for the whole class.

1. Easily view what's new. A count of messages appears above the list. New responses appear with a bold font.
2. Send a message. Select the New Message icon to send a message. Send to one person, multiple people, or the entire class.

   If you have many messages, select the number of messages you want to see per page to narrow your focus.

3. Delete a message. Use the Delete icon to delete a message. If more responses come in, you'll get them. You can't edit or delete individual responses in a message.
4. Navigate to another message. Messages open in a panel with all the responses. Use the View Previous Messages and Next Message icons at the top to view the previous or next message in the list.

When you create or respond to a message, select the Add Participants icon to add additional people unless the message was sent to the entire class. The original recipients see a note in the next message that you added new people or the whole class. The new recipients see the message from the point they were added.

Send a message

If you send messages to students before the course is available to them, the message will go to their associated email address.

When you select the New Message icon on the Messages page, the New Message panel opens.

Start typing to add recipients. As you type, matching recipient names appear in a menu for easy selection. You can continue to add as many names as you want or send to the whole class.

Lead with the most important info. Messages don't have titles. Recipients need to rely on the first part of your message as they choose what to read. Use the options in the editor to format your text.

To use your keyboard to jump to the editor toolbar, press ALT + F10. On a Mac, press Fn + ALT + F10. Use the arrow keys to select an option, such as a numbered list.

Send an email copy. You can send an email copy of a course message. Students might see, read, and act on important announcements and course messages when they receive a copy in their inboxes. Email copies are only delivered if recipients have valid email addresses in their Blackboard Learn profiles. When you select this option, all recipients of the message receive an email copy.

Recipients can view your message in their email inboxes, but won't be able to send an email to reply.

Allow or disallow replies. You may choose not to allow replies for messages you create. If you choose to send a message to the whole class, no one is allowed to reply by default.

Your institution can choose not to allow students to reply to or create messages in their courses. You can't turn this setting on and off in your individual courses. When this setting is turned on, students can only read the messages other roles send, such as instructors and teaching assistants. Students also won't be able to forward messages they receive.

When course messages are read-only for students, you're alerted when you create a message. The Allow replies to this message check box applies to the roles in the course allowed to reply to and create messages, such as other instructors and teaching assistants.