How to Send Group IMs

Group IM lets your bot post a message into your Second Life group chat, either once or on a repeating schedule. It is the conversational counterpart to a group notice: the message lands in the group chat window rather than as a formal notice.

Group IM vs Group Notice

	Group IM	Group Notice
Where it appears	In the group chat window	As a notice, saved in group notices
Who sees it	People with that group chat open	Every member who accepts notices
Can attach an item	No	Yes
Best for	Reminders, chatty announcements, event nudges	Formal or important announcements

[NOTE:] A group IM is easy to miss, because it only reaches people who have the group chat open at that moment. For anything people genuinely need to see, use a notice.

Before You Begin

Your bot must be a member of the group in a role that allows it to join group chat. The Group IM entry only appears in your sidebar when you have a group set up for chat.

The page shows a Group IM Access section explaining your current access, and a Service Setup note if something still needs configuring.

Opening the Page

• Visit your LifeBots Dashboard at https://lifebots.cloud/dashboard
• Click Group IM under GROUPS in the left panel

The Group IMs page lists what you have scheduled, split into One-Time IMs and Periodic IMs, with a Search IMs box. Empty sections show No One-Time IMs Found or No Periodic IMs Found.

Creating a Group IM

Step 1: IM Content

Under IM Content, write your Message. Keep it clear and concise for best delivery results.

[NOTE:] Group chat is a conversation, not a noticeboard. A long block of text reads badly and is likely to be scrolled past. If your message needs paragraphs, send a notice instead.

Step 2: Pick the IM Type

Under Select IM Type:

• One-Time IM: sent once, at the Date and Time you set
• Periodic IM: repeats on a schedule

Step 3: Set the Schedule

Under Delivery Schedule, all times are SLT/Pacific Time, and the form shows the Current SLT/Pacific Time for comparison.

[IMPORTANT:] This is not your local timezone. Convert before entering a time.

Periodic IMs use the same rich set of frequencies as group notices:

• Every day, or every 2nd, 3rd or 4th day
• Weekly or biweekly
• On specific days of the week, with tick boxes to Select days of week to send IM
• On a specific Day of Month, the 1st, the 15th, the last day, or both the 1st and 15th
• On a specific weekday of the month, combining Which occurrence (First, Second, Third, Fourth or Last) with a Day of week

That last option covers schedules like “the first Saturday of every month”, which is how most recurring events are described.

Ideas for Use

• An event reminder half an hour before it starts, when people are online and looking
• A daily opening announcement for a venue
• A weekly nudge about a sale or a rule

For anything that should reach members who are offline, use Group Notice instead.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to Check
Group IM missing from the sidebar	It only appears when you have a group set up for chat.
IM did not send	The bot was offline at the scheduled time, or is not in the group chat.
IM arrived at the wrong hour	Times are SLT/Pacific. Check against the current SLT shown on the form.
Members say they never saw it	Group IMs only reach people with that group chat open. Use a notice for anything important.
Cannot attach an item	Group IMs do not carry attachments. Send a group notice instead.
Monthly IM skipped a month	The chosen day does not exist in that month. Use the last day option.