> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://vlyai-1c28d863.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Real-time chat app

> Build a Slack-style chat app — channels, messages, presence, attachments. ~60 minutes.

Real-time chat is one of the most natural fits for vly's reactive backend. By the end of this recipe you'll have channels, messages, presence indicators, file attachments, and unread tracking — all live across users.

**Time:** \~60 min. **Difficulty:** Intermediate. **Stack:** Standard vly + Convex.

<Note>
  Full step-by-step build is being written. In the meantime, see the [chat app prompting guide](/prompting/by-app-type/chat) for the foundation prompt, and [Real-time sync patterns](/architecture/realtime-sync-patterns) for the architectural patterns this recipe uses.
</Note>

## What you'll build

* Sidebar with channel list and unread counts.
* Main pane with message stream, newest at the bottom.
* Message input with markdown support.
* Presence (avatars of users currently in channel).
* File attachments via Convex file storage.

## Foundation prompt

See [Chat apps prompting guide](/prompting/by-app-type/chat) for the foundation prompt.

## Related

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Chat prompting guide" icon="message-circle" href="/prompting/by-app-type/chat">
    Foundation prompts.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Real-time sync patterns" icon="zap" href="/architecture/realtime-sync-patterns">
    Architectural patterns.
  </Card>

  <Card title="AI chatbot recipe" icon="bot" href="/recipes/ai-chatbot">
    The AI variant.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>


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