Agorai's document editor doesn't have a chat sidebar as far as I can tell from how it's documented. In a document, everyone in it sees each other's typing, cursors and names live, and their faces appear at the top, but the guide doesn't describe a side panel for messages or comments. I'd rather not describe a feature I can't confirm.
Two things work today for talking without touching the text:
- Group private message: Open Messages (the speech-bubble icon at the top on a computer, or the Messages tab at the bottom on a phone), start a New conversation, and use Add people to include all four of you. Messages there never change the document, and you can keep it open next to the doc in another tab.
- Circle topic: If the four of you share a circle, make a topic for the document in its conversation list and talk there. Everyone in the circle can see it, which suits a longer back-and-forth.
If you want a sidebar built into the document, send that request through Feedback (the link at the bottom of every page), where the people who run Agorai read every suggestion.
