Use this walkthrough when a Chat conversation needs a lasting link back to a goal. You will choose the goal from the reference picker, send it as part of a message, and confirm that the posted reference opens the intended work.
A goal reference is more than typed text. Selecting a result from the picker turns the visible label into a durable link that follows the goal when its space key or location changes.
Before You Share
•Check your Chat access - Sign in, open a conversation where you can send messages, and make sure you have joined the space that owns the goal. The picker includes only joined spaces and goals available to you in their current areas.
•Recognize the goal - Look for its reference on a Goals card, backlog row, or goal article. A space with a short key may show VS-42; a space without one uses a qualified label such as visual-space/42.
•Choose the best shortcut - Use /VS- when you know the uppercase space key, /VS-42 when you know the exact goal number, or /goal when you want to choose the space first. The general /goal route also includes keyless spaces.
The letters in a keyed shortcut must be uppercase. Lowercase /vs- does not open the goal picker. Space keys can contain uppercase letters and numbers, but they always begin with a letter.
Find And Insert The Goal
•Open the message field - Place the cursor where the goal should appear in your message. A shortcut works at the beginning of the message or after a space.
•Start a keyed search - Type a shortcut such as /VS-. With one matching joined space, Visual Space continues directly to goals in that space. Leaving the text after the hyphen empty shows recent goals; typing a title or keyword after it narrows the choices.
•Resolve a shared key - If several joined spaces use VS, the picker first shows Choose a space. Select the space that owns the goal, using its name and /s/ handle to distinguish it. The next stage searches only that space, so two goals both labeled VS-42 cannot be confused.
•Use the general route when needed - Type /goal to see the joined-space stage even when keys are not duplicated. Choose the intended space, including a keyless one, and then choose its goal. You can add search text after the command, such as /goal onboarding, before selecting the space.
•Move through the picker - Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to change the highlighted space or goal. Press Enter or Tab to accept the highlight. At the space stage, that choice advances to the goals; at the goal stage, it inserts the reference. Press Escape to close the picker without inserting anything.
•Confirm the insertion - The selected shortcut is replaced by the goal's visible reference, followed by room to continue typing. While the picker is open, Enter accepts the highlighted choice rather than sending the message. After the reference appears, finish the surrounding text and send the message normally.
You can also select a space or goal directly with a pointer. Keyboard and pointer selection use the same highlighted rows and produce the same durable reference.
!Onboarding Chat composer with an unsent VS goal shortcut and VS-5 Goals - Goal ids highlighted in the goal picker
Before anything is inserted or sent, the picker shows both the durable VS-5 identity and the matching seeded goal title.
Go Straight To A Known Number
An exact shortcut is useful when someone has already given you a current label.
•Type the complete shortcut - Enter /VS-42 with the leading slash, uppercase key, hyphen, and positive goal number.
•Choose the space if necessary - If only one joined space uses VS, Visual Space searches that space immediately. If several joined spaces use it, select the intended space before accepting goal 42.
•Check the result before sending - Accept the goal shown by the picker and confirm that the slash shortcut changes into the displayed goal reference. Do not leave /VS-42 as unselected plain text if you want a durable, openable link.
An old visible label is not a permanent alternate name. If a space key has changed or a goal has moved to another space, use /goal to find the goal in its current space rather than relying on the previous text.
Verify The Posted Reference
•Find the reference in your message - After sending, the goal appears as a compact highlighted reference instead of the original slash command.
•Open the goal - Select the posted reference. It should open the same goal at its current accessible location, even if the message was written from a different space's Chat.
•Check the identity, not only the label - Confirm the goal title and owning area after it opens. This is especially helpful when several spaces use the same key or similarly named goals exist.
•Understand later changes - If a manager changes the space key, or the goal moves, the message can show the goal's current label while continuing to open the same work. You do not need to repost the reference.
Readers can open the reference only when they have access to the goal's current area. Sharing a reference does not grant membership or reveal private goal details.
When The Goal Is Not Available
If the picker shows No accessible spaces, confirm that you joined the owning space. If it shows No goals found, check the selected space, key, number, and search text, then try /goal to choose the space explicitly.
A posted reference becomes the non-clickable label Goal unavailable when the goal was deleted or the reader can no longer access it. Visual Space uses the same safe message for both situations, so the former title and location remain private. The sender and another reader may therefore see different results when their access differs.
If a search reports that it could not find goals, keep the message as a draft and try again. Sending the unresolved slash text creates ordinary text, not the durable goal reference described in this guide.
Related Guidance
Read Goal References for the complete explanation of space keys, keyless labels, moves, and access boundaries. Return to the Goals overview to see how shared references connect Chat with boards, backlogs, and goal articles.
