No — adding a Business Manager (BM) to a chat room is not required. You can communicate with clients through GigRadar CRM without one. However, certain features are only available when a BM is present in the room.
Why would I add a BM?
The Upwork API currently does not support sending attachments or scheduling meetings. A BM bridges this gap by enabling both capabilities directly within the chat room.
Feature | Without BM | With BM |
Send messages | ✅ | ✅ |
Send attachments | ❌ | ✅ |
Schedule meetings | ❌ (coming soon) | ✅ (coming soon) |
When should I add a BM?
Add a BM to the chat room if you need to:
Share files or attachments with the client
Schedule a meeting (this feature will be available in a future update)
If your communication is text-only, a BM is not needed.
Summary
A BM is optional but unlocks functionality that the Upwork API doesn't natively support. Add one when you need to share files or arrange meetings — skip it if plain messaging is enough.