Who can post in a channel
Every channel has a Message writing access setting that decides who can write new messages. You can open the channel to everyone, keep it to your team, or let only customers in certain segments post. Replies have their own separate rule, so you can run an announcement channel where your team posts and customers reply, or keep threads to your team as well.
Change who can post
- In the Toki app, click Communities in the left navigation.
- Click New to create a channel, or click the edit (pencil) icon next to a channel in the Channels list.
- Under Channel settings, choose an option in Message writing access.
- If you choose Segments, pick your Include segments and Exclude segments (see below).
- Click Save in the bar at the top of the page.
The rest of the form — name, type, logo, banner, reactions, and files — is covered in Channels.
The three options
| Option | Who can write messages |
|---|---|
| All | Everyone who can open the channel. New channels use this option. |
| Admins | Only your team — the people who use the Toki app for your store. Customers can read the channel but not post. |
| Segments | Customers who match the segment rules you set in Include segments and Exclude segments. |
Writing access controls posting only. Customers who can't post can still open the channel and read messages. For them, the channel opens without a message box.
How include and exclude segments work
When you choose Segments, two fields appear. Each one accepts as many segments as you like.
- Include segments — users from these segments can write messages.
- Exclude segments — users from these segments can't write messages.
A customer can post when they belong to at least one included segment and to none of the excluded segments. Exclude always wins: a customer who is in an included segment and an excluded segment can't post.
Leave Include segments empty to open the channel to everyone except the excluded segments.
| Include segments | Exclude segments | Who can post |
|---|---|---|
| VIP | (empty) | Customers in VIP. |
| VIP, Gold | (empty) | Customers in VIP or Gold. |
| VIP | Flagged | Customers in VIP who are not in Flagged. |
| (empty) | Flagged | Everyone except customers in Flagged. |
| (empty) | (empty) | Everyone, the same as All. |
Toki checks the rules against each customer's current segments every time they open the channel or send a message. If a customer joins or leaves a segment later, their access updates on its own — you don't need to edit the channel again.
The segment rules apply to your team too. In Segments mode, a team member can post only if their own account is in an included segment and in none of the excluded segments.
To create or change a segment, see Segments.
Set a different rule for replies
If Enable replies is checked under Replies settings, a second Message writing access setting appears in that section. It offers the same options — All, Admins, or Segments with include and exclude lists — but applies only to replies. The two rules are independent, so a customer who can't start a new thread can still reply if the replies rule allows it. New channels use All for both.
Some combinations you can set up:
| Messages | Replies | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Admins | All | An announcement channel. Your team posts; any customer can reply. |
| Admins | Admins | A read-only feed. Only your team posts and replies. |
| Admins | Segments | Your team posts; only customers in the segments you pick can reply. |
| Segments | Segments | A members-only discussion. Only customers in the segments you pick can post and reply. |
The replies section also has its own reactions, files, and last-reply options — see Channels.
Block one customer instead
Writing access works with roles and segments, not individual customers. To stop one customer from posting, mute or ban them from the channel — see Moderation.