diff --git a/src/modules/direct-messaging/direct-messaging.gateway.ts b/src/modules/direct-messaging/direct-messaging.gateway.ts
index de748f1..a6023da 100644
--- a/src/modules/direct-messaging/direct-messaging.gateway.ts
+++ b/src/modules/direct-messaging/direct-messaging.gateway.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import {
   MessageBody,
 } from '@nestjs/websockets';
 import { Server, Socket } from 'socket.io';
-import { JwtAuthGuard } from '../authentication/guards/jwt-auth.guard';
 import { DirectMessagingService } from './direct-messaging.service';
 import { ConnectionService } from '../connections/connections.service';
 import { ListingType } from './direct-messaging.schema';
@@ -17,7 +16,6 @@ import {
   Logger,
   UnauthorizedException,
 } from '@nestjs/common';
-import { UseWsGuards } from 'src/shared/decorators/use-ws-guard';
 import { AccessTokenService } from '../authentication/tokens/accesstoken.service';
 
 @WebSocketGateway({
@@ -29,7 +27,6 @@ import { AccessTokenService } from '../authentication/tokens/accesstoken.service
   },
   namespace: 'direct-messaging',
 })
-@UseWsGuards(JwtAuthGuard)
 export class DirectMessagingGateway
   implements OnGatewayConnection, OnGatewayDisconnect
 {
@@ -153,16 +150,16 @@ export class DirectMessagingGateway
       data.conversationId,
     );
 
-    conversation.users.forEach(async (participantId) => {
-      if (participantId.toString() !== userId) {
-        this.server.to(participantId.toString()).emit('newMessage', message);
+    conversation.users.forEach(async (participant) => {
+      if (participant._id.toString() !== userId) {
+        this.server.to(participant._id.toString()).emit('newMessage', message);
 
         const unreadCount =
           await this.directMessagingService.getUnreadMessageCount(
-            participantId.toString(),
+            participant._id.toString(),
           );
         this.server
-          .to(participantId.toString())
+          .to(participant._id.toString())
           .emit('unreadMessageCount', unreadCount);
       }
     });
@@ -180,7 +177,6 @@ export class DirectMessagingGateway
       data.conversationId,
       data.before,
     );
-    console.log(messages);
 
     client.emit('getMessagesResponse', messages);
   }
diff --git a/src/modules/direct-messaging/direct-messaging.service.ts b/src/modules/direct-messaging/direct-messaging.service.ts
index 5727c82..64a3a70 100644
--- a/src/modules/direct-messaging/direct-messaging.service.ts
+++ b/src/modules/direct-messaging/direct-messaging.service.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ export class DirectMessagingService {
     });
 
     if (existingConversation) {
-      console.log('Existing conversation found:', existingConversation);
       return existingConversation;
     }
 
@@ -75,13 +74,12 @@ export class DirectMessagingService {
     page: number = 1,
     limit: number = 20,
   ): Promise<ConversationDocument[]> {
-    const skip = (page - 1) * limit; // Calculate how many documents to skip
-
+    const skip = (page - 1) * limit;
     return this.conversationModel
       .aggregate([
         {
           $match: {
-            user_ids: new Types.ObjectId(userId), // Match conversations involving the user
+            users: new Types.ObjectId(userId), // Match conversations involving the user
           },
         },
         {
@@ -119,9 +117,9 @@ export class DirectMessagingService {
           // Project the required fields (you can add/remove fields as needed)
           $project: {
             _id: 1,
-            user_ids: 1,
-            room_listing_id: 1,
-            roommate_listing_id: 1,
+            users: 1,
+            room_listing: 1,
+            roommate_listing: 1,
             listing_type: 1,
             created_at: 1,
             updated_at: 1,
diff --git a/src/modules/direct-messaging/test.html b/src/modules/direct-messaging/test.html
index 91ae7bf..a4579c1 100644
--- a/src/modules/direct-messaging/test.html
+++ b/src/modules/direct-messaging/test.html
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ <h3>Conversations:</h3>
         function connectToWebSocket() {
             const token = document.getElementById('token').value;
 
-            socket = io('http://localhost:3000/direct-messaging', {
+            socket = io('https://tgbsldrj-3000.uks1.devtunnels.ms/direct-messaging', {
                 auth: {
                     token: token
                 }
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ <h3>Conversations:</h3>
             const listingId = document.getElementById('listingId').value;
 
             socket.emit('createConversation', {
-                userIds: [userId, '670fbaf758cfd6a751e911f1'], // example userId to create conversation with
+                userIds: [userId, '66e34873662945c5adfa7b86'], // example userId to create conversation with
                 listingType: listingType,
                 listingId: listingId
             });