How do I create an account on FEED?

Click Sign Up in the top right corner. You can register as a Professional (contractor) or Customer (hiring company). Complete your profile with your skills, experience, and rate to get matched with opportunities.

What is the difference between White Glove and Standard contracts?

White Glove contracts include full HR/payroll services where Automate America handles billing and pays professionals directly. Standard contracts are direct relationships with our platform facilitating the connection and you manage payments directly.

When do contractors get paid?

Payment timing depends on contract terms (Net-15 or Net-30). For White Glove contracts, once your timesheet is approved and the customer pays, funds are deposited to your bank account within 2-3 business days.

How much does it cost to post a job on FEED?

Creating job posts, updates, and listings is completely FREE. You only pay if you choose to boost your listing for $50/week for increased visibility. White Glove contracts have fees built into the bill rate.

How do I submit expenses for reimbursement?

Go to Dashboard > Expenses and click New Expense Report. Upload receipts, categorize expenses, and submit for approval. Approved expenses are included in your next scheduled payment.

What is a boosted listing?

Boosting increases your listing visibility for $50/week. Boosted listings appear at the top of search results with a Boosted badge, helping you find qualified candidates faster.

Messages & Communication

Platform Messaging•Updated January 18, 2026

Using the Messaging System

The messaging system lets you communicate directly with customers, professionals, and your Account Manager — all in one place within Automate America.

Accessing Messages

Click the Messages icon in the header (envelope icon)
Or go to Dashboard > Messages
Your inbox shows all conversations

Message Features

Text messages — Quick written communication
File attachments — Share documents, images, PDFs
Read receipts — Know when messages are read
Search — Find past conversations
Notifications — Get alerted to new messages

Starting a Conversation

From a Profile

View a professional's or company's profile
Click the Message or Contact button
Write your message and send

From a Contract

Go to Dashboard > Contracts
Select the contract
Click Message to contact the other party

From an Application

When viewing applications or applying to contracts, you can include a message to introduce yourself or ask questions.

Pro Tip

Personalized messages get better responses. Reference specific details from their profile or job posting to show you've done your research.

Message Notifications

Email Notifications

Configure when you receive email alerts:

Immediately — Get notified for every message
Digest — Daily summary of unread messages
Important Only — Only from active contract partners
Off — No email notifications

Push Notifications

For instant alerts on your device:

Go to Settings > Notifications
Enable Push Notifications
Toggle New Messages on

Customizing Notifications

Fine-tune your preferences:

Mute specific conversations
Set quiet hours (no notifications during certain times)
Prioritize notifications from certain users

Blocking & Reporting Users

Blocking a User

If someone is bothering you:

Open the conversation
Click the ⋮ menu (three dots)
Select Block User
Confirm the block

What happens when you block:

They can't send you messages
They can't see your profile
You won't appear in their searches
Existing contracts remain active (contact support for issues)

Reporting a User

For serious violations (harassment, spam, fraud):

Open the conversation
Click the ⋮ menu
Select Report User
Choose the reason for reporting
Add details if needed
Submit the report

Report Serious Issues

If you experience harassment, threats, or fraudulent behavior, report immediately. Our trust & safety team reviews all reports within 24 hours.

Message Etiquette Guidelines

Professional communication helps build trust and gets better results:

Do

✅ Be professional and courteous
✅ Respond promptly (within 24-48 hours)
✅ Be clear and specific in your requests
✅ Keep work-related discussions on platform
✅ Use proper grammar and spelling
✅ Respect time zones and working hours

Don't

❌ Send spam or unsolicited promotions
❌ Share personal contact info to bypass the platform
❌ Use inappropriate or offensive language
❌ Harass users who don't respond
❌ Share confidential client information
❌ Make threats or intimidating statements

Sharing Files in Messages

How to Attach Files

Open the conversation
Click the 📎 attachment icon
Select files from your device
Add a message (optional)
Click Send

Supported File Types

Type	Formats
Documents	PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT
Spreadsheets	XLS, XLSX, CSV
Images	JPG, PNG, GIF, WEBP
Other	ZIP (up to 25MB)

File Size Limits

Maximum per file: 25MB
Maximum per message: 5 files
For larger files, use a cloud storage link (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.)

Security Tip

Never share sensitive documents like Social Security numbers, bank passwords, or client confidential data through messages. Use secure document upload features for sensitive materials.

Frequently Asked Questions

You can message users you have a business relationship with: customers you've applied to, professionals who've applied to you, or active contract partners. To prevent spam, messaging strangers is limited. Use the "Contact" button on profiles when available.

Messages are private between you and the recipient. However, for safety and dispute resolution, messages may be reviewed by Automate America support if either party reports an issue. Illegal content or terms violations may be flagged automatically.

Read receipts show when your message has been viewed. Look for a small checkmark or "Read" indicator below your message. Note: some users may have read receipts disabled in their privacy settings.

You can delete messages from your view, but the recipient will still see their copy. To unsend a message (remove it for everyone), you have a 5-minute window after sending. After that, only your copy can be deleted.

You can share PDFs, images (JPG, PNG, GIF), and common document formats (DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX). Maximum file size is 25MB. For larger files, consider using a cloud storage link.

Need help with messaging?

Contact Support