If you're coming from a chat tool like Slack or Discord, you're used to organizing everything into channels — flat streams of messages. Mateflow works differently: it has no "channels." Everything is organized into Spaces, which are richer and built to scale. Here's the difference, and how to map a channel-based setup onto spaces.
Spaces, not channels
In a channel-based tool, a channel is a single stream of messages — no layout of its own, no access rules, and no structure beyond the order things were posted. Mateflow's spaces do more. Every space has:
- a type and layout suited to its purpose (see the table),
- its own privacy and access rules (public, private, or secret; open, request-to-join, or gated behind a membership tier),
- its own members, roles, and posting permissions,
- and a place in a category grouping in the sidebar.
The space types
| Space type | Best for |
|---|---|
| Post | Threaded discussions and updates — the default |
| Chat | A single real-time room — the closest thing to a classic chat channel |
| Media | Image and video galleries |
| Podcast | Audio episodes |
| Blog | Long-form articles |
| Course | Structured lessons |
| Q&A | Questions with accepted answers |
If you specifically want the channel-style experience — one live, ongoing room — create a Chat space. See messaging and real-time chat.
Coming from channels? Map them to spaces
- A general chat channel → a Chat space.
- Topic channels (like #marketing, #support) → a space per topic (Post or Chat), grouped under a sidebar category.
- An announcements channel → a Post space with member posting turned off (broadcast-only).
- A resources channel → a Media, Blog, or Post space used as a library.
You don't need a space for every old channel. Because a space carries more weight than a channel, a handful of well-named spaces usually replaces a long, noisy channel list.
Why spaces scale better
Flat channels put everything in one undifferentiated list where every channel competes for attention. Spaces let you set access per space (so a paid tier or a private group gets its own area), pick the right layout for each purpose, and even monetize individual spaces — things channels can't do. As your community grows, that structure is what keeps it navigable.
Next steps
- Learn the space model: Spaces.
- Write clear descriptions: Writing space descriptions.
- Set who can post where: Member roles and permissions.