To login to the chat room, simply click on the Username field and enter the name that you'd like to use within the chat room. Some chat rooms may require that you enter a password before proceeding. If this is the case, enter your assigned password, or click Create a new user account to register the username that you'd like to use in the chat room.

Click the Login button to enter the chat room.

If you'd like the chat room to remember your password the next time you visit, click the checkbox next to Remember Password.

The main chat display region is where messages appear have been sent to the chat room. All users in the room will see the same messages.

You may copy and paste content from the display by selecting the text with your mouse. Right click anywhere in the display region to view a menu allowing you to copy text, clear the display, set font size & style, and much more. Explanations for items whose functions aren't apparent are provided below:

Ignore IM's: Ignore all incoming instant messages
Font Face & Size: Here you may set the font style and size used in the main display. Other users will not see the setting you have chosen.
Show Markup: Enable or disable special markup, including text colors, HTML markup, and BBCode.
Show Time: When selected, every public message will indicate the time it was received.
Audio: Enable or disable sounds from being played.
Audio Notify: Play a short message when a public message is received.
Popup Notify: Popup a small window indicating when someone has entered a new message.

The upper-right hand corner of your chat room may display a small logo image. You may click on this image to be taken to the advertised web site. Some chat room smay also randomly display a new image (advertisement) every one to five minutes.

If a new window does not open when you click on a logo or advertisement image, hold down your Shift while clicking on the image.

Your chat room may allow you to change your status to Away and back to Online while you are logged in. When you need to step away from your computer for a short period, or if you are consumed with an instant-message session, you may wish to change your status to Away.

The User List provides a list of all users logged into the chat system, including a list of all available chat rooms. Chat rooms are indicated by a gold door icon (see image to the left) and users are indicated by a pawn icon. Your chat room may be using slightly different icons to represent users and rooms.

Blue icons indicate a user with normal privileges. Green icons indicate a Guest Speaker or Celebrity. Yellow icons are reserved for Moderators. Finally, red icons are used to denote a user with administrative privileges. A full user function menu (right click on a user in the user-list to see this menu) for administrators is shown to the right. Beginning with version 8.05, accounts without moderation features are equipped with a 'Flag User' option which allows an administrator to change the user-list icon color of another user in the chat room. The default color user list flag color is green.

You may double click on a room name to enter that room. Some rooms may prompt you for a password before continuing. Double click on a username to open up an instant message (one to one private message) with that user.

Users with administrative privileges may perform most required administrative duties using the user function menu.

Other functions may also be indicated in the user list that are now shown here. For example, your chat room may be equipped with a special user profile system, or webcam system which has been integrated with the chat room.

Emoticons are image representations of emotion, used to convey thoughts or feelings with an image that replaces a single word (trigger). The emoticon window will display emoticons available in your chat room.

Click on any emoticon to add it's corresponding trigger to the input field. When you send your message to the chat room, the emoticon image will display instead of the trigger.

Audicons, or audio emoticons, are audible representations of emotion, used to convey thoughts or feelings with a sound that replaces a single word (trigger). The audicon window will display audio emoticons available in your chat room.

Click on any audicon to add it's corresponding trigger to the input field. When you send your message to the chat room, the trigger will display and the corresponding sound will be heard by all users who have audio enabled.

Your chat room may be equipped with Avatars. Avatars are single images used to represent you in the chat room. You may select any single avatar, or click the Do not use an avatar button to choose not to use an avatar.

Once you have selected an avatar, your avatar image will appear next to all messages that you send to the chat room.

Use the input field to enter and send messages to the chat room. After typing a message press Enter, or click the Send button to send the message to other users.

You may also right-click your mouse in the text input field for additional features. A input field right-click menu is shown at the right. The Emoticons and Audicons submenu allow you to quickly select an emoticon without using a popup emoticon window. The Markup window allows you to customize your message by inserting BBCode or HTML code. Administrators may also access Macros from this menu.

The following commands may also be available to you in the chat room. To enter a command, enure the text input field is blank, and begin the command with a forward slash (/) followed immediately by one of the commands listed below. E.g., to clear the chat display, type /cls and press Enter.

To send an instant (private) message to another user, you may use the /msg command, or simply double click on another user's name in the user list.

By double-clicking on another user's name, a new window will apppear allowing you to have a one-on-one conversation with that user. To send a message, simply type your message in the input field and click the Send button.

A sample instant message dialog is shown to the right.

Moderated chat events are one of the most powerful features of AddonChat. Each individual room within the chat system may be configured as a moderated room.

Moderated rooms require that all messages sent to the chat room (except messages sent by Guest Speakers, Moderators, or Administrators) be approved by a Moderator. If you are in a a moderated session and send a message, you will receive a message indicating that your message has been queued for verification by a moderator. When your message is approved it will be displayed in the main display.

Administrators may enable moderation for a room by right-clicking on the room name in the user list and selecting Moderated. Moderators and Guest Speakers may be assigned from the account control panel or by right-clicking on a user and selecting one of Guest Speaker or Moderator.

If you have been selected to be a moderator in the chat room, messages will be sent to you for your approval (or denial) before being allowed to the chat room. If there are multiple moderators, a random moderator will be selected for each message. When a moderator receives a message for verification, the Moderator's Dialog will appear (see image). Messages will queue up and will be displayed in the order in which they were received. To approve a message, select the message from the list, and click the Accept button. To reject (deny) a message, click the Reject button. You may also ignore the user by clicking the Ignore User button. Moderator notices (/mnotice) may also be displayed in the Moderator's Dialog.

Moderated rooms that do not have any moderators present will be rendered unusable until a moderator disables moderation for this room or a moderator enters.