Tips & Features
Slash commands
Slash commands are one of Projectyl's most powerful features. Type / in any text input — chat messages, task descriptions, document editors, or comments — to open the command menu.
Quick mentions
Reference other entities directly in your text. When inserted, these become clickable links that navigate to the referenced item.
| Command | Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| People | @ | Mention a team member. They'll receive a notification. |
| Tasks | /task | Search and insert a link to any task in the current project. |
| Targets | /tar | Search and insert a link to any target. |
| Documents | /doc | Search and insert a link to any document. |
Action commands
| Command | Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Format | /fmt | Access text formatting options. |
| New | /new | Create a new task, document, or target without leaving the current view. |
| Start Meeting | /meet | Start a meeting session. |
Composer toolbar
In chat, the message composer includes a toolbar with quick-access buttons:
| Icon | What it does |
|---|---|
| 📎 Paperclip | Attach a file |
| 🖼 Image | Upload an image |
| @ | Open the people mention picker |
| # | Open the channel reference picker — search and link to other channels in the project |
| 😊 Emoji | Open the emoji picker |
| / | Open the slash command menu |
Pro tip: You don't need to click the toolbar buttons — just type
@,#, or/directly in your message to trigger the same menus.
Where slash commands work
Slash commands and @mentions are available in:
- Chat messages (project channels and direct messages)
- Task descriptions and comments
- Document editor
- Target descriptions and comments
This means you can reference a task from a chat message, link a document from a task description, or mention a teammate in a comment — all without leaving what you're working on.
@Mentions
Type @ followed by a name to mention:
- Users — Notifies the mentioned person and highlights their name in the text.
- Tasks — Creates a clickable link (e.g.
@PROJ-123). - Documents — Creates a clickable link to the document.
- Targets — Creates a clickable link to the target.
Clicking any mention navigates you directly to the referenced entity.
Connections
Tasks, documents, and targets automatically track cross-references. Any time you mention one entity from another (via @mention or slash command), Projectyl records the connection.
The Connections tab on any entity shows:
- References — Entities that this item mentions.
- Referenced by — Other entities that mention this item.
This builds an organic web of relationships across your project without any manual linking.
Emoji reactions
Add emoji reactions to chat messages and task/target/document comments. Click an existing reaction to toggle your own. Reactions show a count of how many people have reacted.
File attachments
Upload files to tasks and chat messages. Supported actions:
- Upload via drag-and-drop or the file picker (use the 📎 icon in chat, or the attachments section in task details).
- Download attached files.
- Remove attachments.
Attachments are available on tasks, targets, documents, and in chat messages.
Real-time updates
Projectyl uses a polling architecture to keep your data fresh:
- Global polling (60s) — Activity summaries and unread counts.
- Active view polling (20s) — Data for the page you're currently viewing.
- Chat polling (3–5s) — Messages in the active chat channel.
- Polling pauses when the browser tab is hidden and resumes when you return.
- Only one browser tab actively polls — other tabs receive broadcasts to avoid duplicate requests.
Task update dot
A green dot on task cards (visible in List view) indicates unseen changes or new comments since you last viewed the task. Open the task to clear the indicator.
Deadline colour coding
Task due dates are colour-coded throughout the app:
- Red — Overdue (past the due date).
- Orange/Yellow — Due soon (approaching deadline).
- Default — No urgency or no date set.
Task keys in Git
When using the GitHub integration, include task keys like PROJ-42 in your branch names or PR titles. Projectyl automatically detects them and links the PR to the corresponding task. See GitHub — Automatic PR Tracking for details.