Overview
One page for your project with Simply Asking
Each project you sign with Simply Asking has its own page. It shows where the work stands, what we need from you, the updates and files we share, and a message thread with your project team. The page has its own link, so links in emails and notifications take you straight to it.
- Where it stands
- Progress across your work items and the next item still open.
- What we need from you
- Requests to answer, items waiting on you and delivered work ready for your review.
- Messages
- One conversation per project between your team and Simply Asking.
- Updates and files
- Project news, submitted attachments and saved copies of your answers.
Tip
Quick Start
Open your project in two clicks
Open Projects
In the top bar, open Projects and choose Simply Asking project.
Pick your project
With one project, it opens right away. With more than one, choose the project from the list.
Choose a tab
Use the tabs under the project name to move between Overview, Timeline, Updates, Messages, Work, Requests and Files.
Older links to your project, such as a link in an earlier email or notification, or one from Your plan, still work. They open the same tab on the project page.
What each tab shows
Seven tabs, one project
The top of the page shows the project name. A Needs you tag appears next to it only when something is waiting on you. Choose Project details to see your signed agreement record.
- Overview
- Progress, the next item up, what we need from you, your payments (owner and billing contact only), the latest updates and recent activity.
- Timeline
- Your work items in order with their status, plus the date each was delivered and accepted once that happens. The footer shows the completion date in your agreement.
- Updates
- Project news your team publishes.
- Messages
- The conversation with your project team. See Messages below.
- Work
- Each item in your scope with its status and history. Delivered items offer Accept delivered work, Request corrections and Request information.
- Requests
- What your team needs from you, such as the Getting started questions. Open one to answer it.
- Files
- Submitted attachments, saved copies of your answers and supporting documents.
Tip
Messages
One thread per project
Each project has one message thread shared by everyone working on it. Type in the box under the thread and send. Your message appears in the thread. If it could not be sent, an error appears and your text goes back in the box so you can try again.
- In this thread
- The names above the thread show everyone on your side who reads it. Your Simply Asking team reads it too.
- Author names
- Your teammates appear by name. Simply Asking replies show as Simply Asking team with the sender's first name.
- New marker
- The Messages tab shows a marker when the newest message is someone else's and arrived after your own last message.
- Older messages
- The newest message is at the bottom. Choose Load earlier messages at the top to see older ones.
Tip
Who is in the thread
The people working on the project
The thread includes your account owner, teammates the owner gave agreement access, teammates allowed to answer this project's requests, and your Simply Asking project team. Nobody else on your account sees it. Access is checked every time someone opens the thread, so a change takes effect right away.
Give or remove agreement access (owner)
Open Account, then Documents. Under Who can see agreements, give or remove access. Agreement access shows the whole project, including Messages. Billing access does not include it.
Allow or remove a request-only teammate (owner)
Open the project, choose Requests, open a request and find Who can answer. Choose Allow or Remove. Your Simply Asking team can also do this for you.
Important
Bell and email
How you hear about new messages
When someone posts in the thread, everyone else in it gets a bell notification titled with the project name. Choosing it opens the Messages tab. You also get an email, unless you turned these emails off.
- One bell per message
- Every new message from someone else adds a bell notification. You never get one for your own message.
- At most one email per 15 minutes
- If several messages arrive close together on the same project, you get one email for that window, not one per message.
- Reply in the app
- Use Open the conversation in the email. Replying to the email does not post to the thread.
- Turn emails off
- Use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of a project message email. This also stops other account reminder emails. Bell notifications keep arriving.
Tip
Payments
Owner and billing contact only
If you are the owner or the billing contact, the Overview shows this project's balance and an option to pay off the project early. A note under the project name links to your Simply Asking subscription, which is billed separately. Paying off a project does not change your subscription. Other people on the project never see payment details, and payments never appear in Messages.
Tips & Troubleshooting
Common questions
- No Simply Asking project in the menu?
- It appears once your organization has a signed project you can see, or once you are asked to answer a project request. Only the owner and members given agreement access see the project. Teammates allowed to answer requests see their requests instead. Ask your owner for access.
- Project unavailable
- The message This project is unavailable or your access has changed means your access was removed, or the link points to a project you cannot see. Ask your account owner.
- Messages could not be loaded
- Choose Retry. If it keeps failing, your access may have changed. Ask the project owner.
- Too many emails?
- Bursts of messages send at most one email per project every 15 minutes. To stop them entirely, use the unsubscribe link in the email.