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PORTAL | Replying to Posts

A guide to navigating conversations in PORTAL posts and FORUM threads.

Updated over a month ago

⚡️ Quick Answer

WatersAbove™ PORTAL is built for deep, organized conversation. Instead of every comment piling into a single endless thread, sub-threads lets replies branch off naturally — keeping related conversations grouped together and easy to follow.

When you reply to a specific comment rather than the original post, your reply nests underneath that comment as its own branch. Multiple conversations can run in parallel, all visible in one view, and each clearly connected to the comment it came from.

🔑 Setup for Success

• Each space within PORTAL has it's own rules of what's shown, but your MY-PORTAL privacy options override them. Learn more in PORTAL Privacy
• If you block a member or a member has blocked you, you will not see their posts


✅ Step-by-Step

Where You’ll Find This Feature

Threads and Sub-Threads appears in two places inside PORTAL:

  • Posts — any post made by a member in EXPLORE or MY-PORTAL.

  • FORUM Threads — threads created within a GROUP’s forum. For example, a thread called “Wealth Questions” inside the group “The Clarity Key”.

The behavior is identical in both places. The main difference is that FORUM threads have a title and belong to a specific group, while PORTAL posts appear directly in the feed or the Author's MY-PORTAL (profile). In a FORUM thread, you’ll see the thread name and group name displayed beneath the post header.

Understanding the Thread Layout

The Original Post

Every thread starts with an original post shown at the top, with the author’s avatar, display name, badge(s), and timestamp. If the post includes a quote — a snippet from another member’s post that the author is responding to — that quoted content appears in a highlighted block directly beneath the post text.

Note: The “Author” badge next to a name indicates they are the original poster of this thread or post.

Replies and Branches

Below the original post, replies appear from oldest at the top to newest at the bottom. Each reply can itself receive replies — these nest underneath their parent comment and are called branches. Branches are visually connected by a vertical line running from the parent comment down through its replies, making it easy to see which replies belong to which conversation.

Reply Counts

Each comment shows a Reply count. This number reflects only the replies made directly to that comment, not every reply nested within the full branch below it. For example, if two people replied directly to a comment, it shows “Reply 2” — even if those replies have their own sub-replies below.

Collapsed Branch View

When a branch has replies but is not expanded, you’ll see a collapsed summary showing the most recent replier’s avatar, name, and total number of direct replies in that branch (e.g., “Masie J. replied • 1 Reply”). Tap the + icon to expand and read the full conversation.

How to Reply

Replying to the Original Post

The reply bar at the very bottom of the thread is always for replying directly to the original poster. Your reply will appear as a new top-level comment in the thread.

  • Tap the reply bar at the bottom of the screen (labeled “Reply to [Author Name]…”).

  • Type your message.

  • Tap the send icon to post your reply.

Replying to a Specific Comment

To keep your reply connected to a specific person’s comment — and visible as part of their branch — reply directly to that comment rather than using the bottom bar.

  • Find the comment you want to reply to.

  • Tap Reply beneath that comment. A reply bar will appear directly below it.

  • Tap into the reply bar. It will automatically tag the commenter’s display name (e.g., “@Samir A”) so they know you’re speaking to them.

  • Type your message after the tag.

  • Tap the send icon. Your reply will appear as a new branch nested under that comment.

Auto-tagging: When you open a reply bar on a specific comment, the commenter’s display name is automatically inserted at the start of your message. You can add your text directly after it.

Expanding and Collapsing Branches

If a thread is getting long or you only want to focus on part of the conversation, you can collapse any branch to a summary and expand it again when you’re ready.

To Collapse a Branch

  • Tap the (minus) icon next to the branch you want to collapse.

  • The branch collapses into a single line showing the most recent replier and the number of direct replies.

To Expand a Branch

  • Tap the + (plus) icon on the collapsed branch indicator.

  • All replies within that branch expand — including any nested sub-branches within it.

Expanding a branch always expands all of its sub-branches at the same time.

The Branch Depth Limit

To keep conversations readable, a single thread supports a maximum of four levels of branching:

Level

Description

Branch 1

A direct reply to the original post.

Branch 2

A reply to Branch 1.

Branch 3

A reply to Branch 2.

Branch 4

A reply to Branch 3. This is the deepest level allowed within one thread.

If you try to reply to a comment that is already at Branch 4, your reply will not create a fifth level. Instead, it will be added as a new top-level reply to the original post, starting a fresh branch from the top.

Example: In a thread started by Katie, if a conversation has gone Original Post → Zach → Astor → Melanie → Jacob (four branches deep), replying to Jacob will post your reply directly under Katie’s original post as a new Branch 1 comment.

Quoting a Post or Comment

Any post or comment in PORTAL can be quoted. Quoting lets you pull in what someone said and respond to it directly. The quoted content appears in a highlighted block so other readers can clearly see what you’re responding to.

How to Quote

  • Find the post or comment you want to quote.

  • Tap “Quote” beneath it.

  • A preview of the quoted content will appear at the top of your reply composer. Add your own thoughts below it.

  • Tap send. Your reply will appear in the thread with the quoted content highlighted and your response below it.

Quoting creates a new reply in the thread with the quoted text embedded — it does not automatically nest your reply as a branch under the quoted comment. The reply will appear as a top-level comment on the original post unless you also tap Reply on a specific comment first.

Quick Reference

I want to…

What to do

Reply to the original post

Use the reply bar pinned to the bottom of the thread.

Reply to a specific comment

Tap Reply under that comment, then type in the reply bar that appears next to it.

Expand a collapsed branch

Tap the + icon on the collapsed branch indicator.

Collapse a branch

Tap the − icon next to the branch.

Quote someone’s post or comment

Tap “Quote” under their post or comment, then add your response.

Link to an OASIS room in a reply

Use the OASIS room tag option inside the reply composer.

See how many people replied to a comment

Check the Reply count displayed beneath that comment. Note: this reflects direct replies only, not all nested replies below.

Reply beyond four branch levels

Tap Reply — your message will be posted as a new top-level comment on the original post.



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🎥 Walkthrough Video of Threads & Sub-threads (6 min)

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