Send your first shout
- Install Shout! from the Google Workspace Marketplace. Choose an admin or individual install.
- In Google Chat, open Apps & integrations and add Shout! to both the space you’ll send from and the team space you want to reach.
- Read the welcome message for the team’s shout name. A space called Design Team gets
!design-team. - Send the message below. An individual install needs
@Shout!at the beginning; an admin install doesn’t.
The team receives the quote in its own space. The View link opens the original conversation for people with access to it.
Choose an install option
An admin install lets Shout! receive messages in the spaces it belongs to, so it can recognize !name from a person or an automation. With an individual install, Chat sends the app only the messages that address @Shout!.
| Feature | Admin install | Individual install |
|---|---|---|
| Installed by | A Workspace administrator | You, if your organization allows it |
| Message format | !design-team your message | @Shout! !design-team your message |
| Bots and webhooks | Supported on every plan | Not supported |
| Space allowance | Shared across the organization, regardless of how many people install the app | |
Open Shout! in Google Workspace Marketplace. Administrators choose Admin install; other users choose an individual install where permitted. Add the app to the spaces you need after installation.
If an administrator installs Shout! later, your existing spaces keep working. You no longer need to include @Shout! in each message.
Send a team shout
Google Chat’s native mentions use @. Team shouts use !: !design-team tells Shout! which space to notify. With an individual install, @Shout! addresses the app first, then !design-team selects the destination.
Write a space’s shout name anywhere in your message. You can reach multiple spaces with !design-team !product-team. Shout! must be a member of the source and destination spaces.
The destination receives an @all notification and your quoted message. A shout to the space you’re already in adds a reply to your message instead of copying it.
Shouts also work in group chats. A shout from a group chat has no link back, because recipients might not be able to open that conversation. Direct messages cannot send or receive shouts.
Urgent shouts
On paid plans, !!name sends an urgent notification that bypasses Google Chat’s Do Not Disturb setting. Reserve it for messages that need immediate attention.
Example
!!platform-team checkout is down. Can someone investigate now?
With an individual install, include the app mention: @Shout! !!platform-team your message. Bots and webhooks can send urgent shouts too, with an admin install and a paid plan.
On Free, !!name is delivered as a normal shout. Shout! tells the sender that urgent notifications need a paid plan.
Find a space’s shout name
Shout! derives names from space titles: lowercase letters, hyphens in place of spaces, and punctuation removed. “Design Team” becomes !design-team; “On-call (EMEA)” becomes !on-call-emea.
Type /shout spaces to see the directory. Add a search term, such as /shout spaces design, to filter it. A title without letters or digits needs to be renamed or given an alias.
If two spaces share a name, Shout! asks you to clarify. Rename one of the spaces or give it a distinct alias.
Set a custom alias
On a paid plan, a space manager can set the shout name by adding !something to the space’s description. Open the space name, choose Space details, and edit the description.
Description for the Design Team space
!design · Product design and research
This changes the space’s shout name to !design. The alias replaces the title-based name. It must be unique among the spaces you want to reach.
Send a shout from an automation
After an admin install, a webhook or another app can include !name in a message it posts to Chat. Add Shout! to the space receiving the automation’s messages and to the destination team space.
Automations are included on every plan. Shout! ignores its own messages. More than five automation shouts from a space in one minute pause that space’s automation shouts for five minutes.
Commands
| Command | What it opens |
|---|---|
/shout | Help inside Chat. |
/shout spaces | The directory of spaces and their shout names. |
/shout spaces design | The directory filtered to names containing “design”. |
/shout plan | Your organization’s plan, usage, and account link. |
You can also open help with /help, /shout help, or @Shout! help. In a direct message with Shout!, send help.
Plans and space limits
Each space or group chat Shout! is added to counts toward your organization’s plan. Source and destination spaces both count; direct messages don’t. Free includes 10 spaces shared across the organization.
When you exceed the allowance, the newest spaces are parked. They remain listed but cannot receive shouts. Upgrade the plan or remove Shout! from an unused space to make room.
Paid plans add more spaces, urgent shouts, custom aliases, and access to the support desk. View pricing for the current limits and response times.
Spaces with external members
Shout! won’t notify a space that allows people from outside your organization. Members of your organization can send shouts from such a space, but guests cannot. Space names are resolved only within your organization.
Account and billing
A Workspace administrator can sign in to Account to see spaces and usage, choose a plan, or manage billing. Paid plans require an admin install. Stripe handles checkout and billing changes.
The first paid purchase includes a 14-day trial with a card on file. It converts to a paid subscription unless cancelled. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current period.
Your data
Shout! stores the space and organization records it needs to deliver notifications and apply your plan. Chat message contents are processed for delivery and discarded. Read the privacy policy for details.
Glossary
- Shout
- A message containing a space’s shout name and the notification sent to that space.
- Alias
- A custom shout name set in the space description. Available on paid plans.
- Individual install
- Use
@Shout! !name: the@mention addresses the app; the!shout name selects the destination space. - Parked space
- A space beyond the organization’s allowance. It can receive shouts again when there’s room on the plan.
- Organization
- Your Google Workspace organization. Its members share one Shout! plan.
Troubleshooting
Nothing happened when I wrote !name
- Check that Shout! is in both the source and destination spaces.
- For an individual install, include
@Shout!before the space name. - Use
/shout spacesto check the exact name. - Ask an administrator to check whether the destination is parked.
If Shout! receives your message but can’t find the name, it sends you a private response with suggested matches.
My webhook’s shouts don’t arrive
Confirm that an administrator installed Shout! for your organization. Check both spaces for the app. If more than five automation shouts were sent in a minute, wait five minutes for the pause to end.
An urgent shout didn’t bypass Do Not Disturb
Check your plan with /shout plan. Free delivers !!name as a normal shout.
I can’t open the Account page
Sign in with a Workspace administrator account. If you’re already an administrator, check that you granted access to your organization’s record on the Google consent screen. You may also need the Domain Settings privilege.
Common questions
Does Shout! read our messages?
An admin install lets Shout! read messages in spaces where it’s a member to look for shout names. An individual install receives only messages addressed to the app. Message contents are not stored.
What happens when we cancel?
Your plan continues until the current period ends, then returns to Free. Spaces beyond the 10-space allowance are parked. Their records are not deleted.
What happens when we remove the app from a space?
That space’s record is deleted, and it stops counting toward the plan. You can add Shout! back later.
How do I contact support?
On a paid plan, an administrator can open Support to file a request. Free includes this guide and in-app help.