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Messages

The following APIs can help you manage messages from your server-side. There are three types of messages: text message, file message, and admin message. Text message and file message are sent by users in a channel, while an admin message is sent only by an admin through the Chat API or the Sendbird Dashboard.

Resource representation

The following table shows the list of properties in a messages resource.

List of properties for text message

Property name	Type	Description
message_id	long	A unique identifier for the message.
type	string	The type of the message, which is MESG for a text message.
custom_type	string	A custom message type which is used for message grouping. * Custom types are also used within Sendbird's Advanced analytics to segment metrics, which enables the sub-classification of data views.
channel_url	string	The unique URL of the channel where the message is sent to.
user	nested object	The user who sent the message.
mention_type	string	The mentioning method which indicates the user scope who get a notification for the message. A value of users indicates that only the specified users with the mentioned_users property below get notified. A value of channel indicates that all users in the channel get notified.
mentioned_users[]	array	The IDs of the specific users who get a notification for the message.
is_removed	boolean	Indicates whether the message is removed from the channel.
message	string	The content of the message.
translations	object	The messages of the same meaning which are automatically translated into other languages from the original language of the message.
data	string	A `string` data which can contain additional message information such as custom font size, font type or `JSON` formatted string.
sorted_metaarray	nested object	A `JSON` object of one or more key-values items to store additional message information. Each item consists of a key and the values in an array. When retrieving, items are returned in the exact order they’ve been initially added.
og_tag	nested object	The Open Graph (OG) metadata contained in the given URL when a text message or an admin message includes the URL of a web page. This consists of properties such as og:url, og:title, og:description, and og:image.
created_at	long	The time that the message was sent, in Unix milliseconds format.
updated_at	long	The time that the message was updated, in Unix milliseconds format.
file	nested object	A file contained in the message. This property is empty for any text messages.
is_apple_critical_alert	boolean	Indicates whether the message is a critical alert.

List of properties for file message

Property name	Type	Description
message_id	long	A unique identifier for the message.
type	string	The type of the message, which is FILE for a file message.
custom_type	string	A custom message type which is used for message grouping.
channel_url	string	The unique URL of the channel where the message is sent to.
user	nested object	The user who sent the message.
mention_type	string	The mentioning method which indicates the user scope who get a notification for the message. A value of users indicates that only the specified users with the mentioned_users property below get notified. A value of channel indicates that all users in the channel get notified.
mentioned_users[]	array	The IDs of the specific users who get a notification for the message.
is_removed	boolean	Indicates whether the message is removed from the channel.
file	nested object	The information on the file in the message which was directly uploaded to Sendbird server, or which was specified by URL that is already hosted externally.
file.url	string	The URL of the file where it is hosted.
file.name	string	The name of the file that you can specify.
file.type	string	The MIME type of the file that you can specify.
file.size	int	The size of the file that you can specify.
file.data	string	A `string` data which can contain additional message information such as custom font size, font type or `JSON` formatted string.
sorted_metaarray	nested object	A `JSON` object of one or more key-values items to store additional message information. Each item consists of a key and the values in an array. When retrieving, items are returned in the exact order they’ve been initially added.
thumbnails[]	list	The thumbnail images which were automatically generated by Sendbird server from the uploaded image or video file in the message, or which were specified by URLs that are already hosted externally.
require_auth	boolean	Indicates whether or not the file in the message and generated thumbnail images can be only accessed by the users within the application who are participating in the same open channel, or who are the members of the same group channel. This property is only effective when using the share encrypted files. The feature encrypts the uploaded files of any types and the automatically-generated thumbnail images with `AES256`, stores them securely in Sendbird server, and enables only the users with access to share the files. If true, the parameter auth should be added to the end of the file URLs to access the encrypted files and thumbnail images, which is specified with an encryption key of the user such as `?auth=RW5b2RIHaMdGV4eA==`. An encryption key, which is managed internally by the Sendbird system, is generated every time a user logs in to Sendbird server and is valid for 3 days starting from the last login. The system mainly uses the key to check if a user is properly accessing the data of the application.
created_at	long	The time that the message was sent, in Unix milliseconds format.
updated_at	long	The time that the message was updated, in Unix milliseconds format.

List of properties for admin message

Property name	Type	Description
message_id	long	A unique identifier for the message.
type	string	The type of the message, which is ADMM for an admin message.
custom_type	string	A custom message type which is used for message grouping.
channel_url	string	The unique URL of the channel where the message is sent to.
mention_type	string	The mentioning method which indicates the user scope who get a notification for the message. A value of users indicates that only the specified users with the mentioned_users property below get notified. A value of channel indicates that all users in the channel get notified.
mentioned_users[]	array	The IDs of the specific users who get a notification for the message.
is_removed	boolean	Indicates whether the message is removed from the channel.
message	string	The content of the message.
data	string	A `string` data which can contain additional message information such as custom font size, font type or `JSON` formatted string.
sorted_metaarray	nested object	A `JSON` object of one or more key-values items to store additional message information. Each item consists of a key and the values in an array. When retrieving, items are returned in the exact order they’ve been initially added.
og_tag	nested object	The Open Graph (OG) metadata contained in the given URL when a text message or an admin message includes the URL of a web page. This consists of properties such as og:url, og:title, og:description, and og:image.
created_at	long	The time that the message was sent, in Unix milliseconds format.
updated_at	long	The time that the message was updated, in Unix milliseconds format.

Actions

API endpoints are relative to the allocated base URL. In this page, the /{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages endpoint refers to https://api-{application_id}.sendbird.com/v3/{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages.

Note: If you want to know the ID and base URL of your application, sign in to your dashboard, go to the Settings > Application > General, and then check the Application ID, API request URL.

{channel_type}: either open_channels or group_channels.
It's recommended that the parameter values in API URLs be urlencoded, such as {user_id} and {channel_url}.

List of actions

Action	HTTP request
List messages	`GET` /{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages Retrieves a list of past messages of a specific channel.
View a message	`GET` /{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages/{message_id} Retrieves information on the message.
Send a message	`POST` /{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages Sends a message to a specific channel.
Update a message	`PUT` /{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages/{message_id} Updates information on the message.
View total number of messages in a channel	`GET` /{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages/total_count Retrieves the total number of messages in a specific channel.
View number of each member's unread messages	`GET` /group_channels/{channel_url}/messages/unread_count Retrieves the total number of a user's unread messages in a specific group channel.
Mark all messages as delivered	`PUT` /group_channels/{channel_url}/messages/mark_as_delivered Marks all messages in a specific group channel as delivered for a user.
Mark all messages as read	`PUT` /group_channels/{channel_url}/messages/mark_as_read Marks all messages in a specific group channel as read for a user.
Delete a message	`DELETE` /{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages/{message_id} Deletes the message from a specific channel.
Turn on message reaction	`PUT` /applications/settings/reactions Turns on and off the message reaction feature at an application level.
List reactions of a message	`GET` /{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages/{message_id}/reactions Retrieves a list of reactions made to the message.
Add a reaction to a message	`POST` /{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages/{message_id}/reactions Adds a specific reaction to the message.
Remove a reaction from a message	`DELETE` /{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages/{message_id}/reactions Removes a specific reaction from the message.
Add extra data to a message	`POST` /{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages/{message_id}/sorted_metaarray Adds one or more items which store additional message information.
Update extra data in a message	`PUT` /{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages/{message_id}/sorted_metaarray Updates values of specific items by their keys.
Remove extra data from a message	`DELETE` /{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages/{message_id}/sorted_metaarray Removes specific items from the message by their keys.
Translate a message into other languages	`POST` /{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages/{message_id}/translation Translates the message into specific languages.

List messages

Retrieves a list of past messages of a channel.

HTTP request

GET https://api-{application_id}.sendbird.com/v3/{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages

Parameters

The following table lists the parameters that this action supports.

Parameters

Required	Type	Description
channel_type	string	Specifies the type of the channel. Either open_channels or group_channels.
channel_url	string	Specifies the URL of the channel to retrieve a list of past messages.
message_ts	long	Specifies the timestamp to be the reference point of the query, in Unix milliseconds. Either this or message_id parameter below should be specified in your query URL to retrieve a list.
message_id	long	Specifies the unique ID of the message to be the reference point of the query. Either this or message_ts parameter above should be specified in your query URL to retrieve a list.

Optional	Type	Description
prev_limit	int	Specifies the number of previously sent messages to retrieve before message_ts. For example, if message_ts=1484202848298, then prev_limit=50 returns 50 messages sent by 1484202848297 (message_ts - 1). (Default: 15, Range: 0-200)
next_limit	int	Specifies the number of sent messages to retrieve after message_ts. For example, if message_ts=1484202848298, then next_limit=50 returns 50 messages sent from 1484202848299 (message_ts + 1). (Default: 15, Range: 0-200)
include	boolean	Determines whether to include in the results the messages sent exactly on the specified message_ts. (Default: true)
reverse	boolean	Determines whether to sort the results in reverse order. If true, returns a list of messages which the latest comes at first and the earliest at last. the results are sorted in reverse order. If false, returns a list of messages which the earliest comes at first and the latest at last. (Default: false)
sender_id	string	Restricts the search scope to only retrieve the messages that are sent by the user with the specified ID.
sender_ids	string	Restricts the search scope to only retrieve the messages that are sent by the users specified in a comma-separated string of one or more their IDs.
operator_filter	string	Restricts the search scope to only retrieve messages sent from the operators of the channel or not. Acceptable values are all, operator, and nonoperator. (Default: all)
custom_types	string	Specifies a comma-separated string of one or more custom message types to retrieve. The value set to this parameter can serve as a filter as follows: - A string of specific custom types: messages with the corresponding custom types are returned. - Empty like `&custom_types=&...`: messages whose custom_type property is empty or has a value of null are returned. - *An asterisk () (default): all messages are returned regardless of their custom_type**.
message_type	string	Specifies the message type to filter the messages with the corresponding type. Acceptable values are limited to MESG, FILE, and ADMM. If not specified, all messages are the scope of a retrieval.
including_removed	boolean	Determines whether to include in the results the removed messages in the channel. (Default: false)
include_reactions	boolean	Determines whether to include in the results the message reactions in the channel. (Default: false)
with_sorted_meta_array	boolean	Determines whether to include the sorted_metaarray property in the response. (Default: false)
show_subchannel_messages_only	boolean	Determines whether to retrieve the messages from a subchannel where the user specified with the user_id parameter is currently in. This parameter is effective only when the subchannel_messages_lifetime property hasn’t expired and the maximum number of messages to be retrieved is determined by the value of max_recent_messages_count property. If false, messages from all subchannels will be retrieved. This should be specified in conjunction with the user_id below. (Default: false)
user_id	string	Specifies the unique ID of a user to restrict the scope to the user’s subchannel. Messages in their subchannel will be retrieved. This parameter should be specified in conjunction with the show_subchannel_messages_only above.
~~custom_type~~	string	*(Deprecated)* Specifies the custom message type to filter the messages with the corresponding custom type. If not specified, all messages are the scope of a retrieval.
~~with_meta_array~~	boolean	*(Deprecated)* Determines whether to include the metaarray* property in the response. (Default: false)*

Query string example

?message_ts=1484208113351&prev_limit=10&next_limit=10&operator_filter=nonoperator&custom_types=vote,poll

Note : To access encrypted files in file messages, an HTTP GET request containing an Api-Token header specified with either your master API token or secondary API token can be used regardless of the require_auth parameter. The request should also specify the URL of an encrypted file which can be retrieved through this action.

Response

If successful, this action returns a list of message resources that match the specified parameters in the response body.

Note: Sendbird Chat SDK supports the generation of the URL link preview within a message if the given URL has Open Graph (OG) tags, which will be included as an og_tag property in your response as well. This feature is turned on by default for Sendbird applications. If this isn't available for your Sendbird application, contact our support team to enable the feature.

Status: 200 OK

{
    "messages": [
        {
            "message_id": 273778828,
            "type": "MESG",
            "custom_type": "vote",
            "channel_url": "sendbird_group_channel_6037267_600ddc81a5e23049c804193370d47217fa2ed5f9",
            "user": {
                "user_id": "Aaron",
                "nickname": "Raptor",
                "profile_url": "https://sendbird.com/main/img/profiles/profile_53_512px.png",
                "metadata": {
                    "location": "St. Louis",
                    "marriage": "N"
                }
            },
            "mention_type": "users",
            "mentioned_users": [
                {
                    "user_id": "Jay",
                    "nickname": "Rooster",
                    "profile_url": "https://sendbird.com/main/img/profiles/profile_13_512px.png",
                    "metadata": {
                        "location": "New York",
                        "marriage": "Y"
                    }
                },
                ... # More mentioned users
            ],
            "is_removed": false,
            "message": "Hey, what do you think of our front page? I created 3 new designs, can you check them out? www.sendbird.com",
            "translations": {},
            "data": "",
            "sorted_metaarray": [
                {
                    "key": "design",
                    "value": ["A", "B", "C"]
                }
            ],
            "og_tag": {
                "og:url": "www.sendbird.com",
                "og:title": "Sendbird - A Complete Chat Platform, Messaging and Chat SDK and API",
                "og:description": "Sendbird's chat, voice and video APIs and SDKs connect users through immersive, modern communication solutions that drive better user experiences and engagement.",
                "og:image": {
                    "url": "https://6cro14eml0v2yuvyx3v5j11j-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/sendbird_thumbnail.png",
                    "secure_url": "https://6cro14eml0v2yuvyx3v5j11j-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/sendbird_thumbnail.png",
                    "width": 640,
                    "height": 480
                }
            },
            "created_at": 1544421761159,
            "updated_at": 0,
            "file": {}
        },
        ... # More messages
    ]
}

List of response properties

Property name	Type	Description
messages[]	list	A list of messages that match the specified optional parameters.

View a message

Retrieves information on a message.

HTTP request

GET https://api-{application_id}.sendbird.com/v3/{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages/{message_id}

Parameters

The following table lists the parameters that this action supports.

Parameters

Required	Type	Description
channel_type	string	Specifies the type of the channel. Either open_channels or group_channels.
channel_url	string	Specifies the URL of the target channel.
message_id	long	Specifies the unique ID of the message to retrieve.

Optional	Type	Description
with_sorted_meta_array	boolean	Determines whether to include the sorted_metaarray property in the response. (Default: false)
~~with_meta_array~~	boolean	*(Deprecated)* Determines whether to include the metaarray* property in the response. (Default: false)*

Query string example

?with_sorted_meta_array=true

Response

If successful, this action returns a message resource in the response body.

Note: Sendbird Chat SDK supports the generation of the URL link preview within a message if the given URL has Open Graph (OG) tags, which will be included as an og_tag property in your response as well. This feature is turned on by default for Sendbird applications. If this isn't available for your Sendbird application, contact our support team to enable the feature.

Send a message

Sends a message to a channel. You can send a text message, a file message, and an admin message.

Note: With Sendbird Chat SDKs and the platform API, any type of files in messages can be uploaded to Sendbird server.

HTTP request

POST https://api-{application_id}.sendbird.com/v3/{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages

Parameters

The following table lists the parameters that this action supports.

Required

Parameter name	Type	Description
channel_type	string	Specifies the type of the channel. Either open_channels or group_channels.
channel_url	string	Specifies the URL of the channel to send a message to.

Note: Sendbird Chat SDK now supports two open channel systems, which are classic and dynamic partitioning. As for dynamic partitioning open channels, an admin message is sent to all subchannels if the subchannel type is set to Multiple. See Open channel to learn more about how classic and dynamic partitioning open channels work.

Request body

The following table lists the properties of an HTTP request that this action supports.

List of properties for sending text message

Required	Type	Description
message_type	string	Specifies the type of the message as MESG.
user_id	string	Specifies the user ID of the sender.
message	string	Specifies the content of the message.

Optional	Type	Description
custom_type	string	Specifies a custom message type which is used for message grouping. The length is limited to 128 characters. * Custom types are also used within Sendbird's Advanced analytics to segment metrics, which enables the sub-classification of data views.
data	string	Specifies additional message information such as custom font size, font type or `JSON` formatted string.
send_push	boolean	Determines whether to send a push notification for the message to the members of the channel (applicable to group channels only). (Default: true)
mention_type	string	Specifies the mentioning method which indicates the user scope who will get a notification for the message. Acceptable values are users and channel. If set to users, only the specified users with the mentioned_users property below will get notified. If set to channel, all users in the channel will get notified. (Default: users)
mentioned_user_ids[]	array	Specifies an array of one or more IDs of the users who will get a notification for the message.
is_silent	boolean	Determines whether to send a message without updating some of the channel properties. If set to true, the channel's last_message is updated only for the sender while its unread_message_count remains unchanged for all channel members. Also, a push notification isn't sent to the users who receive the message. If the message is sent to a hidden channel, the channel still remains hidden. (Default: false) * Once the value of this property is set, it can't be reverted.
mark_as_read	boolean	Determines whether to mark the message as read for the sender. If set to false, then the sender's unread_count and read_receipt remain unchanged after the message is sent. (Default: true)
sorted_metaarray	nested object	Specifies a `JSON` object of one or more key-values items which store additional message information. Each item consists of a key and the values in an array. Items are saved and will be returned in the exact order they’ve been specified.
created_at	long	Specifies the time that the message was sent, in Unix milliseconds format. This property can be used when migrating the messages of other system to Sendbird server. If specified, the server sets the time of message creation as the property value.
dedup_id	string	Specifies the unique message ID created by other system. In general, this property is used to prevent the same message data from getting inserted when migrating the messages of the other system to Sendbird server. If specified, the server performs a duplicate check using the property value.
apns_bundle_id	string	Specifies the bundle ID of the client app in order to send a push notification to iOS devices. You can find this in Settings > Chat > Notifications > Push notification services on the Sendbird Dashboard.
apple_critical_alert_options	object	Specifies options that support Apple critical alerts and checks whether the message is a critical alert.
sound	string	Specifies the name of the file that sounds for critical alerts.
volume	float	Specifies the volume of the critical alert sound. The volume ranges from 0.0 to 1.0, which indicates silent and full volume, respectively. (Default: 1.0)
~~metaarray~~	nested object	*(Deprecated)* Specifies a `JSON` object of one or more key-values* items which store additional message information. The item consists of a key and the values in an array.*

List of properties for sending file message

Required	Type	Description
message_type	string	Specifies the type of the message as FILE.
user_id	string	Specifies the user ID of the sender.
file	string	Depending on the file upload method, this specifies the data of the file to upload to Sendbird server in raw binary format, or the location of the file. When sending a request containing a file, you must change the value of the `content-type` header to `multipart/form-data; boundary={your_unique_boundary_string}` in the request. The code examples of HTTP multipart request and `cURL` are provided below for your reference. If this file property is specified, the url property is not required. * This doesn't allow a converted `base64-encoded` string from a file as its value.
url	string	Specifies the URL of the file which is hosted on the server of your own or other external third party companies. If this url property is specified, the file property is not required.

Optional	Type	Description
file_name	string	If the file property is used for file upload, this property is automatically specified by Sendbird server. Otherwise you should specify the name of the file directly.
file_size	int	If the file property is used for file upload, this property is automatically specified by Sendbird server. Otherwise you should specify the size of the file directly.
file_type	string	If the file property is used for file upload, this property is automatically specified by Sendbird server. Otherwise you should specify the media type of the file directly.
thumbnails[]	array	Specifies an array of one or more URLs of the external thumbnail images which are generated from the image which is specified by the url property. * If you are using auto-thumbnail generation, up to 3 thumbnails of the uploaded image or video file by specifying the width and height in an HTTP multipart request. For more information on how to make the request, refer to the Request body and Response samples below.
custom_type	string	Specifies a custom message type which is used for message grouping. The length is limited to 128 characters. * Custom types are also used within Sendbird's Advanced analytics to segment metrics, which enables the sub-classification of data views.
data	string	Specifies additional message information such as custom font size, font type or `JSON` formatted string.
require_auth	boolean	Determines whether or not the file in the message and generated thumbnail images can be only accessed by the users within the application who are participating in the same open channel, or who are the members of the same group channel. This property is only effective when using the share encrypted files. The feature encrypts the uploaded files of any types and the automatically-generated thumbnail images with `AES256`, stores them securely in Sendbird server, and enables only the users with access to share the files. You can use the property to restrict access to the files. If set to true, the files are uploaded first, then encrypted, and finally stored along with the thumbnail images which are encrypted as well. The parameter auth should be added to the end of the file URLs when accessing them, which is specified with an encryption key of the user such as `?auth=RW5b2RIHaMdGV4eA==`. An encryption key, which is managed internally by the Sendbird system, is generated every time a user logs in to Sendbird server and is valid for 3 days starting from the last login. The system mainly uses the key to check if a user is properly accessing the data of the application. (Default: true)
send_push	boolean	Determines whether to send a push notification for the message to the members of the channel (applicable to group channels only). (Default: true)
mention_type	string	Specifies the mentioning method which indicates the user scope who will get a notification for the message. Acceptable values are users and channel. If set to users, only the specified users with the mentioned_users property below will get notified. If set to channel, all users in the channel will get notified. (Default: users)
mentioned_user_ids[]	array	Specifies an array of one or more IDs of the users who will get a notification for the message.
is_silent	boolean	Determines whether to send a message without updating some of the channel properties. If set to true, the channel's last_message is updated only for the sender while its unread_message_count remains unchanged for all channel members. Also, a push notification isn't sent to the users who receive the message. If the message is sent to a hidden channel, the channel still remains hidden. (Default: false) * Once the value of this property is set, it can't be reverted.
mark_as_read	boolean	Determines whether to mark the message as read for the sender. If set to false, the sender's unread_count and read_receipt remain unchanged after the message is sent. (Default: true)
sorted_metaarray	nested object	Specifies a `JSON` object of one or more key-values items which store additional message information. Each item consists of a key and the values in an array. Items are saved and will be returned in the exact order they’ve been specified.
created_at	long	Specifies the time that the message was sent, in Unix milliseconds format. This property can be used when migrating the messages of other system to Sendbird server. If specified, the server sets the time of message creation as the property value.
dedup_id	string	Specifies the unique message ID created by other system. In general, this property is used to prevent the same message data from getting inserted when migrating the messages of the other system to Sendbird server. If specified, the server performs a duplicate check using the property value.
apns_bundle_id	string	Specifies the bundle ID of the client app in order to send a push notification to iOS devices. You can find this in Settings > Chat > Notifications > Push notification services on the Sendbird Dashboard.
apple_critical_alert_options	object	Specifies options that support Apple critical alerts and checks whether the message is a critical alert.
sound	string	Specifies the name of the file that sounds for critical alerts.
volume	float	Specifies the volume of the critical alert sound. The volume ranges from 0.0 to 1.0, which indicates silent and full volume, respectively. (Default: 1.0)
~~custom_field~~	string	*(Deprecated)* Specifies additional data to store for the specified file in the message.
~~metaarray~~	nested object	*(Deprecated)* Specifies a `JSON` object of one or more key-values* items which store additional message information. The item consists of a key and the values in an array.*

List of properties for sending admin message

Required	Type	Description
message_type	string	Specifies the type of the message as ADMM.
message	string	Specifies the content of the message.

Optional	Type	Description
custom_type	string	Specifies a custom message type which is used for message grouping. The length is limited to 128 characters. * Custom types are also used within Sendbird's Advanced analytics to segment metrics, which enables the sub-classification of data views.
data	string	Specifies additional message information such as custom font size, font type or `JSON` formatted string.
send_push	boolean	Determines whether to send a push notification for the message to the members of the channel (applicable to group channels only). Unlike text and file messages, a push notification for an admin message is not sent by default. (Default: false)
mention_type	string	Specifies the mentioning type which indicates the user scope who will get a notification for the message. Acceptable values are users and channel. If set to users, only the specified users with the mentioned_users property below will get notified. If set to channel, all users in the channel will get notified. (Default: users)
mentioned_user_ids[]	array	Specifies an array of one or more IDs of the users who will get a notification for the message.
is_silent	boolean	Determines whether to send a message without updating some of the channel properties. If a message is sent in a channel, with this property set to true, the channel's last_message is updated only for the sender while its unread_message_count remains unchanged for all channel members. Also, the message doesn't send a push notification to message receivers. If the message is sent to a hidden channel, the channel still remains hidden. (Default: false) * Once the value of this property is set, it can't be reverted.
sorted_metaarray	nested object	Specifies a `JSON` object of one or more key-values items which store additional message information. Each item consists of a key and the values in an array. Items are saved and will be returned in the exact order they’ve been specified.
created_at	long	Specifies the time that the message was sent, in Unix milliseconds format. This property can be used when migrating the messages of other system to Sendbird server. If specified, the server sets the message's creation time as the property value.
dedup_id	string	Specifies the unique message ID created by other system. In general, this property is used to prevent the same message data from getting inserted when migrating the messages of the other system to Sendbird server. If specified, the server performs a duplicate check using the property value.
apns_bundle_id	string	Specifies the bundle ID of the client app in order to send a push notification to iOS devices. You can find this in Settings > Chat > Notifications > Push notification services on the Sendbird Dashboard.
~~metaarray~~	nested object	*(Deprecated)* Specifies a `JSON` object of one or more key-values* items which store additional message information. The item consists of a key and the values in an array.*

TextFile: HTTP multipart requestFile: using cURLFile: specifying URLAdmin

# Request body example
{
    "message_type": "MESG",
    "user_id": "Aaron",
    "custom_type": "vote",
    "message": "Hey, what do you think of our front page? I created 3 new designs, can you check them out? www.sendbird.com",
    "mention_type": "users",
    "mentioned_user_ids": ["Jay", "Benjamin", "Aiden"],
    "sorted_metaarray": [
        {
            "key": "design",
            "value": ["A", "B", "C"]
        }
    ],
    "apns_bundle_id": "com.cca.MyChatPlain",
    "apple_critical_alert_options": {
        "sound": "bell.aiff",
        "volume": "1.0"
    }
}

Response

If successful, this action returns a message resource in the response body.

Note: Sendbird Chat SDK supports the generation of the URL link preview within a message if the given URL has Open Graph (OG) tags, which will be included as an og_tag property in your response as well. This feature is turned on by default for Sendbird applications. If this isn't available for your Sendbird application, contact our support team to enable the feature.

TextFile: HTTP multipart requestFile: using cURLFile: specifying URLAdmin

# Status: 200 OK
{
    "message_id": 273778828,
    "type": "MESG",
    "custom_type": "vote",
    "channel_url": "sendbird_group_channel_6037267_600ddc81a5e23049c804193370d47217fa2ed5f9",
    "user": {
        "user_id": "Aaron",
        "nickname": "Raptor",
        "profile_url": "https://sendbird.com/main/img/profiles/profile_53_512px.png",
        "metadata": {
            "location": "St. Louis",
            "marriage": "N"
        }
    },
    "mention_type": "users",
    "mentioned_users": [
        {
            "user_id": "Jay",
            "nickname": "Rooster",
            "profile_url": "https://sendbird.com/main/img/profiles/profile_13_512px.png",
            "metadata": {
                "location": "New York",
                "marriage": "Y"
            }
        },
        ... # More mentioned users
    ],
    "is_removed": false,
    "message": "Hey, what do you think of our front page? I created 3 new designs, can you check them out? www.sendbird.com",
    "translations": {},
    "data": "",
    "sorted_metaarray": [
        {
            "key": "design",
            "value": ["A", "B", "C"]
        }
    ],
    "created_at": 1544421761159,
    "updated_at": 0,
    "file": {}
    "is_apple_critical_alert": true
}

Update a message

Updates information on a message in a channel.

HTTP request

PUT https://api-{application_id}.sendbird.com/v3/{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages/{message_id}

Parameters

The following table lists the parameters that this action supports.

Required

Parameter name	Type	Description
channel_type	string	Specifies the type of the channel. Either open_channels or group_channels.
channel_url	string	Specifies the URL of the target channel.
message_id	long	Specifies the unique ID of the message to update.

Request body

The following table lists the properties of an HTTP request that this action supports.

List of properties for updating text message

Required	Type	Description
message_type	string	Specifies the type of the message as MESG.

Optional	Type	Description
message	string	Specifies the content of the message.
custom_type	string	Specifies a custom message type which is used for message grouping. The length is limited to 128 characters. * Custom types are also used within Sendbird's Advanced analytics to segment metrics, which enables the sub-classification of data views.
data	string	Specifies additional message information such as custom font size, font type or `JSON` formatted string.
mention_type	string	Specifies the mentioning method which indicates the user scope who will get a notification for the message. Acceptable values are users and channel. If set to users, only the specified users with the mentioned_users property below will get notified. If set to channel, all users in the channel will get notified. (Default: users)
mentioned_user_ids[]	array	Specifies an array of one or more IDs of the users who will get a notification for the message.

List of properties for updating file message

Required	Type	Description
message_type	string	Specifies the type of the message as FILE.

Optional	Type	Description
custom_type	string	Specifies a custom message type which is used for message grouping. The length is limited to 128 characters. * Custom types are also used within Sendbird's Advanced analytics to segment metrics, which enables the sub-classification of data views.
data	string	Specifies additional message information such as custom font size, font type or `JSON` formatted string.
mention_type	string	Specifies the mentioning method which indicates the user scope who will get a notification for the message. Acceptable values are users and channel. If set to users, only the specified users with the mentioned_users property below will get notified. If set to channel, all users in the channel will get notified. (Default: users)
mentioned_user_ids[]	array	Specifies an array of one or more IDs of the users who will get a notification for the message.

List of properties for updating admin message

Required	Type	Description
message_type	string	Specifies the type of the message as ADMM.

Optional	Type	Description
message	string	Specifies the content of the message.
custom_type	string	Specifies a custom message type which is used for message grouping. The length is limited to 128 characters. * Custom types are also used within Sendbird's Advanced analytics to segment metrics, which enables the sub-classification of data views.
data	string	Specifies additional message information such as custom font size, font type or `JSON` formatted string.
mention_type	string	Specifies the mentioning method which indicates the user scope who will get a notification for the message. Acceptable values are users and channel. If set to users, only the specified users with the mentioned_users property below will get notified. If set to channel, all users in the channel will get notified. (Default: users)
mentioned_user_ids[]	array	Specifies an array of one or more IDs of the users who will get a notification for the message.

Response

If successful, this action returns an updated message resource in the response body.

View total number of messages in a channel

Retrieves the total number of messages in a channel.

HTTP request

GET https://api-{application_id}.sendbird.com/v3/{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages/total_count

Parameters

The following table lists the parameters that this action supports.

Required

Parameter name	Type	Description
channel_type	string	Specifies the type of the channel. Either open_channels or group_channels.
channel_url	string	Specifies the URL of the channel to retrieve the total count.

Response

If successful, this action returns the total number of messages in the channel in the response body.

Status: 200 OK

{
    "total": 293
}

Property name	Type	Description
total	int	The total count of messages in the channel.

View number of each member's unread messages

Retrieves the total number of each member's unread messages in a group channel. This action is only applicable for users in a group channel.

HTTP request

GET https://api-{application_id}.sendbird.com/v3/group_channels/{channel_url}/messages/unread_count

Parameters

The following table lists the parameters that this action supports.

Required

Parameter name	Type	Description
channel_url	string	Specifies the URL of the channel to retrieve the number of each member's unread messages.
user_ids	string	Specifies a comma-separated string of one or more IDs of the users to retrieve their unread message count in the channel. Urlencoding each user ID is recommended (for example, ?user_ids=urlencoded_id_1, urlencoded_id_2).

Query string example

?user_ids=Jeremy,Matthew

Response

If successful, this action returns the numbers of each member's unread messages in the channel in the response body.

Status: 200 OK

{
    "unread": {
        "Jeremy": 6,
        "Matthew": 4
    }
}

Property name	Type	Description
unread[]	array	An array of key-value items. The key indicates the channel member's user ID and the value indicates the count of the member's unread messages in the channel.

Mark all messages as delivered

Marks all messages in a group channel as delivered for a given user. This action is only applicable for users in a group channel.

HTTP request

PUT https://api-{application_id}.sendbird.com/v3/group_channels/{channel_url}/messages/mark_as_delivered

Parameters

The following table lists the parameters that this action supports.

Required

Parameter name	Type	Description
application_id	string	Specifies the unique ID of your application.
channel_url	string	Specifies the URL of the target channel.

Request body

The following table lists the properties of an HTTP request that this action supports.

Properties

Required	Type	Description
user_id	string	Specifies the ID of the recipient to mark messages as delivered.

{
    "user_id": "debbie"
}

Response

If delivered_ts of the user is updated, the key ts, which indicates the updated value of the user’s delivered_ts, is included in the response in Unix milliseconds format.

Status: 200 OK

{
    "ts": 1542756099266
}

Any GET API call that returns a group channel resource contains the delivery_receipt property inside the resource. A user who has never made a delivery event isn’t included in the property. The property consists of the user ID and the timestamp of when the user last received the message in Unix milliseconds as shown below.

Status: 200 OK

{
    "channels": [
        {
            ...

            "delivery_receipt": {
                "benjamin": 1542756099266,
                "charles": 1542756098734,
                "debbie": 1542756099266
            },
            ...

        },
        ...

    ],
    "next": "ansYQFFRQ1AIEUBXX1RcE2d0FUZSUlkJFVQRHB86AkAgNn8eABABBBNFX..."
}

Mark all messages as read

Marks all messages in a group channel as read for a given user. This action is only applicable for users in a group channel.

HTTP request

PUT https://api-{application_id}.sendbird.com/v3/group_channels/{channel_url}/messages/mark_as_read

Parameters

The following table lists the parameters that this action supports.

Required

Parameter name	Type	Description
channel_url	string	Specifies the URL of the target channel.

Request body

The following table lists the properties of an HTTP request that this action supports.

Properties

Required	Type	Description
user_id	string	Specifies the ID of the user to mark all messages as read.

Optional	Type	Description
timestamp	long	Specifies the timestamp to be the reference point of marking as read. If specified, the messages received before the specified time are marked as read.

Query string example

{
    "user_id": "Justin"
}

Response

If successful, this action returns an empty response body.

Delete a message

Deletes a message from a channel.

HTTP request

DELETE https://api-{application_id}.sendbird.com/v3/{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages/{message_id}

Parameters

The following table lists the parameters that this action supports.

Required

Parameter name	Type	Description
channel_type	string	Specifies the type of the channel. Either open_channels or group_channels.
channel_url	string	Specifies the URL of the target channel.
message_id	long	Specifies the unique ID of the message to delete.

Response

If successful, this action returns an empty response body.

Turn on message reaction

Turns on and off the message reaction feature at an application level.

Note: Currently, this action is only available in group channels.

HTTP request

PUT https://api-{application_id}.sendbird.com/v3/applications/settings/reactions

Parameters

The following table lists the parameters that this action supports.

Optional

Parameter name	Type	Description
enabled	boolean	Determines whether to turn on the message reaction feature. (Default: false)

Response

If successful, this action returns the status of the message reaction feature in the response body.

Status: 200 OK

{
    "reactions": true
}

List reactions of a message

Retrieves a list of reactions made to a message.

Note: Currently, this action is only available in group channels.

HTTP request

GET https://api-{application_id}.sendbird.com/v3/{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages/{message_id}/reactions

Parameters

The following table lists the parameters that this action supports.

Parameters

Required	Type	Description
channel_type	string	Specifies the type of the channel. Either open_channels or group_channels.
channel_url	string	Specifies the URL of the target channel.
message_id	long	Specifies the unique ID of the message to add a reaction to.

Optional	Type	Description
list_users	boolean	Determines whether to list the IDs of users who reacted to the message by reaction in the response. If set to false, this parameter shows the count of each reaction. (Default: false)

Query string example

?list_users=true

Response

If successful, this action returns a list of reactions made to the message in the response body.

Status: 200 OK

{
    "smile": [
        "Katherine", "Julia", "Debbie", "Jeff"
    ],
    "delightful": [
        "Jay", "Kay", "Katherine"
    ]
}

If the list_users is set to false, this action returns the counts of reactions made to the message in the response body.

Status: 200 OK

{
    "smile": 4,
    "delightful": 3
}

Add a reaction to a message

Adds a specific reaction to a message.

Note: Currently, this action is only available in group channels.

HTTP request

POST https://api-{application_id}.sendbird.com/v3/{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages/{message_id}/reactions

Parameters

The following table lists the parameters that this action supports.

Required

Parameter name	Type	Description
channel_type	string	Specifies the type of the channel. Currently, a value of group_channels is only available for the parameter.
channel_url	string	Specifies the URL of the target channel.
message_id	long	Specifies the unique ID of the message to add a reaction to.

Request body

The following table lists the properties of an HTTP request that this action supports.

Properties

Required	Type	Description
user_id	string	Specifies the ID of the user who reacts to the message.
reaction	string	Specifies the unique key of the reaction to be added to the message. The length is limited to 192 characters.

Request body example

{
    "user_id": "Jessie",
    "reaction": "celebrate"
}

Response

If successful, this action returns the information about the reaction event in the response body.

Status: 200 OK

{
    "user_id": "Jessie",
    "operation": "ADD",
    "success": true,
    "reaction": "celebrate",
    "updated_at": 1577327594231
}

List of response properties

Property name	Type	Description
user_id	string	The ID of the user who reacted to the message.
operation	string	The operation type of the request. Either ADD or DELETE.
success	boolean	Indicates whether the reaction operation succeeded or failed. A value of false indicates that there is an identical reaction attempt made by the same user to the same message.
reaction	string	The unique key of the reaction.
updated_at	long	The time when the message reaction was updated in Unix milliseconds. This appears only when the success property is true.

Remove a reaction from a message

Removes a specific reaction from a message.

Note: Currently, this action is only available in group channels.

HTTP request

DELETE https://api-{application_id}.sendbird.com/v3/{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages/{message_id}/reactions

Parameters

The following table lists the parameters that this action supports.

Required

Parameter name	Type	Description
channel_type	string	Specifies the type of the channel. Either open_channels or group_channels.
channel_url	string	Specifies the URL of the target channel.
message_id	long	Specifies the unique ID of the message to remove a reaction from.
user_id	string	Specifies the ID of the user who reacted to the message. Urlencoding the value is recommended (for example, ?user_id=urlencoded_id).
reaction	string	Specifies the key of the reaction to be removed from the message. The length is limited to 192 characters.

Query string example

?user_id=Jessie&reaction=celebrate

Response

If successful, this action returns the information about the reaction event in the response body.

Status: 200 OK

{
    "user_id": "Jessie",
    "operation": "DELETE",
    "success": true,
    "reaction": "celebrate",
    "updated_at": 1577327594231
}

List of response properties

Property name	Type	Description
user_id	string	The ID of the user who reacted to the message.
operation	string	The operation type of the request. Either ADD or DELETE.
success	boolean	Indicates whether the reaction operation succeeded or failed. A value of false indicates that there is an identical operation attempt made by the same user to the same message.
reaction	string	The unique key of the reaction.
updated_at	long	The time when the message reaction was updated in Unix milliseconds. This appears only when the success property is true.

Add extra data to a message

Adds one or more key-values items which store additional information for a message.

HTTP request

POST https://api-{application_id}.sendbird.com/v3/{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages/{message_id}/sorted_metaarray

Parameters

The following table lists the parameters that this action supports.

Required

Parameter name	Type	Description
channel_type	string	Specifies the type of the channel. Either open_channels or group_channels.
channel_url	string	Specifies the URL of the target channel.
message_id	long	Specifies the unique ID of the message to add key-values items for additional information.

Request body

The following table lists the properties of an HTTP request that this action supports.

Properties

Required	Type	Description
sorted_metaarray	nested object	Specifies a `JSON` object of one or more key-values items which store additional message information. Each item consists of a key and the values in an array. Items are saved and will be returned in the exact order they’ve been specified.
~~metaarray~~	nested object	*(Deprecated)* Specifies a `JSON` object of one or more key-values* items which store additional message information. The item consists of a key and the values in an array.*

Request body example

{
    "sorted_metaarray": [
        {
            "key": "places",
            "value": ["office", "cafe", "restaurant"]
        },
        {
            "key": "beverages",
            "value": ["water", "milk", "coffee"]
        }
    ]
}

Response

If successful, this action returns the key and values of added items in the response body.

Update extra data in a message

Updates the values of specific items by their keys.

HTTP request

PUT https://api-{application_id}.sendbird.com/v3/{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages/{message_id}/sorted_metaarray

Parameters

The following table lists the parameters that this action supports.

Required

Parameter name	Type	Description
channel_type	string	Specifies the type of the channel. Either open_channels or group_channels.
channel_url	string	Specifies the URL of the target channel.
message_id	long	Specifies the unique ID of the message to update key-values items.

Request body

The following table lists the properties of an HTTP request that this action supports.

Properties

Required	Type	Description
sorted_metaarray	nested object	Specifies a `JSON` object of one or more key-values items which store additional message information. Each item consists of a key and the values in an array. Items are saved and will be returned in the exact order they’ve been specified.
mode	string	Determines whether to add the specified values in the items or remove the specified values from the existing items. Acceptable values are limited to add and remove. If set to add, the specified values are added only when they are different from the existing values. If set to remove, the specified values are removed only when they have the corresponding ones in the existing values.
upsert	boolean	Determines whether to add new items in addition to updating existing items. If true, new key-values items are added when there are no items with the keys. The existing items are updated with new values when there are already items with the keys. If false, only the items of which keys match the ones you specify are updated with new values. (Default: false)
~~metaarray~~	nested object	*(Deprecated)* Specifies a `JSON` object of one or more key-values* items which store additional message information. The item consists of a key and the values in an array.*

add-moderemove-modeupsert

# Request body example
{
    "sorted_metaarray": [
        {
            "key": "places",
            "value": ["department store"]   // A new value
        },
        {
            "key": "beverages",
            "value": ["tea"]        // A new value
        }
    ],
    "mode": "add"
}

Response

If successful, this action returns the key and values of updated items in the response body.

add-moderemove-modeupsert

# Status: 200 OK
{
    "sorted_metaarray": [
        {
            "key": "places",
            "value": ["office", "cafe", "restaurant", "department store"]   // "department store" is added.
        },
        {
            "key": "beverages",
            "value": ["water", "milk", "coffee", "tea"] // "tea" is added.
        }
    ]
}

Remove extra data from a message

Removes specific items from a message by their keys.

HTTP request

DELETE https://api-{application_id}.sendbird.com/v3/{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages/{message_id}/sorted_metaarray

Parameters

The following table lists the parameters that this action supports.

Required

Parameter name	Type	Description
channel_type	string	Specifies the type of the channel. Either open_channels or group_channels.
channel_url	string	Specifies the URL of the target channel.
message_id	long	Specifies the unique ID of the message to remove key-values items from.
keys	array	In a query string, specifies an array of one or more keys of items to remove from the message. Urlencoding each key is recommended (for example, ?keys=urlencoded_key_1, urlencoded_key_2).

Query string example

../sorted_metaarray?keys=places,beverages

Response

If successful, this action returns an empty response body.

Translate a message into other languages

Translates a message into specific languages. Only text messages of which type is MESG can be translated into other languages.

Note: Message translation is powered by Google Cloud Translation API recognition engine. Find language codes supported by the engine in the Miscellaneous page or visit the Language Support for Google Cloud Translation.

HTTP request

POST https://api-{application_id}.sendbird.com/v3/{channel_type}/{channel_url}/messages/{message_id}/translation

Parameters

The following table lists the parameters that this action supports.

Required

Parameter name	Type	Description
channel_type	string	Specifies the type of the channel. Either open_channels or group_channels.
channel_url	string	Specifies the URL of the target channel.
message_id	long	Specifies the unique ID of the message to translate.

Request body

The following table lists the properties of an HTTP request that this action supports.

Properties

Required	Type	Description
target_langs	array	Specifies an array of one or more codes of languages to translate the message into.

Request body example

{
    "target_langs": ["es", "de"]    // Spanish and German
}

Response

If successful, this action returns a message resource in the response body.

Status: 200 OK

{
    "message_id": 273779321,
    "type": "MESG",     // File and admin messages aren't supported by the message auto-translation feature.
    "custom_type": "",
    "channel_url": "sendbird_group_channel_6037267_600ddc81a5e23049c804193370d47217fa2ed5f9",
    "user": {
        "user_id": "Julia",
        "nickname": "Yogini",
        "profile_url": "https://sendbird.com/main/img/profiles/profile_94_512px.png",
        "metadata": {
            "location": "Bali",
            "marriage": "N"
        }
    },
    "mention_type": "users",
    "mentioned_users": [],
    "is_removed": false,
    "message": "Hi, nice to meet you!",
    "translations": {   // The message has been translated into the specified languages.
        "es": "¡Hola, encantado de conocerte!",     // Spanish
        "de": "Hallo, schön, Sie zu treffen!"       // German
    },
    "data": "",
    "created_at": 1544810640267,
    "updated_at": 0,
    "file": {}
}

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