Fetches a conversation's history of messages and events.

Notices

Information about required scopes
This Conversations API method's required scopes depend on the type of channel-like object you're working with. You only need the scopes corresponding to that conversation type, found below in Required scopes.

Facts

Method access

HTTP
JavaScript
Python
Java
HTTP
POSThttps://slack.com/api/conversations.history
Bolt for Java
app.client().conversationsHistory
Powered by Bolt
Bolt for Python
app.client.conversations_history
Powered by Bolt
Bolt for JavaScript
app.client.conversations.history
Powered by Bolt

Content types

application/x-www-form-urlencodedapplication/json
  • Rate limits

    Tier 3
  • Arguments

    Required arguments

    Authentication token bearing required scopes. Tokens should be passed as an HTTP Authorization header or alternatively, as a POST parameter.

    Example
    xxxx-xxxxxxxxx-xxxx

    Conversation ID to fetch history for.

    Example
    C1234567890
    Optional arguments

    Paginate through collections of data by setting the cursor parameter to a next_cursor attribute returned by a previous request's response_metadata. Default value fetches the first "page" of the collection. See pagination for more detail.

    Example
    dXNlcjpVMDYxTkZUVDI=

    Return all metadata associated with this message.

    Default
    0
    Example
    true

    Include messages with oldest or latest timestamps in results. Ignored unless either timestamp is specified.

    Default
    0
    Example
    true

    Only messages before this Unix timestamp will be included in results. Default is the current time.

    Example
    1234567890.123456

    The maximum number of items to return. Fewer than the requested number of items may be returned, even if the end of the conversation history hasn't been reached. Maximum of 999.

    Default
    100
    Example
    20

    Only messages after this Unix timestamp will be included in results.

    Default
    0
    Example
    1234567890.123456

    Usage info

    This method returns a portion of message events from the specified conversation. Call the method with no oldest or latest arguments to read the entire history for a conversation.

    Each type of token can be used to access a set of conversations given the proper scopes.

    Token type Required scopes Accessible conversations
    App-level access token Relevant *:history scope Any conversation the relevant app is a member of.
    Bot token Relevant *:history scope Any conversation the relevant bot is a member of.
    User token Relevant *:history scope Any private conversation the user is a member of, and all public conversations.
    Legacy bot user tokens Direct message and multi-party direct message conversations.

    Pagination

    This method uses cursor-based pagination to make it easier to incrementally collect information. To begin pagination, specify a limit value under 1000. We recommend no more than 200 results at a time.

    Responses will include a top-level response_metadata attribute containing a next_cursor value. By using this value as a cursor parameter in a subsequent request, along with limit, you may navigate through the collection page by virtual page.

    See pagination for more information.

    Pagination by time

    This form of pagination can be used in conjunction with cursors.

    The messages array contains up to 100 messages between the oldest and latest timestamps. The most recent messages in the time range are returned first.

    If there were more than 100 messages between oldest and latest, then has_more will be true in the response. In an additional call, set the ts value of the final message as latest to get the next page of messages.

    If a message has the same timestamp as oldest or latest it will not be included in the list. This functionality allows you to use the timestamps of specific messages as boundaries for the results. You can, however, have both timestamps be included in the time range by setting inclusive to true. The inclusive parameter is ignored when oldest or latest is not specified.

    Retrieving a single message

    conversations.history can also be used to find a single message from the archive.

    You'll need a message's ts value, uniquely identifying it within a conversation. You'll also need that conversation's ID.

    If you know the ts of a specific message:

    1. Set oldest to the ts
    2. Set inclusive to true
    3. Set limit to 1

    If you know the ts of the message that is before or after of the specific message you're looking for; set inclusive to false and use the oldest or latest value respectively.

    Provide another message's ts value as the latest parameter. Set limit to 1. If it exists, you'll receive the queried message in return.

    Finally, use inclusive=true because otherwise we'll never retrieve the message we're actually after, just the ones that come after it.

    GET /api/conversations.history?channel=C123ABC456&latest=1476909142.000007&inclusive=true&limit=1
    Authorization: Bearer TOKEN_WITH_CHANNELS_HISTORY_SCOPE
    

    To retrieve a message from a thread, check out conversation.replies.

    You can easily generate a permalink URL for any specific message using chat.getPermalink.


    Message types

    Messages of type "message" are user-entered text messages sent to the channel, while other types are events that happened within the channel. All messages have both a type and a sortable ts, but the other fields depend on the type. For a list of all possible events, see the channel messages documentation.

    Messages that have been reacted to by team members will have a reactions array delightfully included.

    If a message has been starred by the calling user, the is_starred property will be present and true. This property is only added for starred items, so is not present in the majority of messages.

    The is_limited boolean property is only included for free teams that have reached the free message limit. If true, there are messages before the current result set, but they are beyond the message limit.

    Example responses

    Common successful response

    Typical success response containing a channel's messages

    {
        "ok": true,
        "messages": [
            {
                "type": "message",
                "user": "U123ABC456",
                "text": "I find you punny and would like to smell your nose letter",
                "ts": "1512085950.000216"
            },
            {
                "type": "message",
                "user": "U222BBB222",
                "text": "What, you want to smell my shoes better?",
                "ts": "1512104434.000490"
            }
        ],
        "has_more": true,
        "pin_count": 0,
        "response_metadata": {
            "next_cursor": "bmV4dF90czoxNTEyMDg1ODYxMDAwNTQz"
        }
    }

    Alternate response

    Typical success response included formatted messages from bots and incoming webhooks

    {
        "ok": true,
        "messages": [
            {
                "type": "message",
                "user": "U123ABC456",
                "text": "I find you punny and would like to smell your nose letter",
                "ts": "1512085950.000216"
            },
            {
                "type": "message",
                "user": "U222BBB222",
                "text": "Isn't this whether dreadful? <https://badpuns.example.com/puns/123>",
                "attachments": [
                    {
                        "service_name": "Leg end nary a laugh, Ink.",
                        "text": "This is likely a pun about the weather.",
                        "fallback": "We're withholding a pun from you",
                        "thumb_url": "https://badpuns.example.com/puns/123.png",
                        "thumb_width": 1920,
                        "thumb_height": 700,
                        "id": 1
                    }
                ],
                "ts": "1512085950.218404"
            }
        ],
        "has_more": true,
        "pin_count": 0,
        "response_metadata": {
            "next_cursor": "bmV4dF90czoxNTEyMTU0NDA5MDAwMjU2"
        }
    }

    Alternate response

    Typical success response with latest timestamp and inclusive parameters specified

    {
        "ok": true,
        "latest": "1512085950.000216",
        "messages": [
            {
                "type": "message",
                "user": "U123ABC456",
                "text": "I find you punny and would like to smell your nose letter",
                "ts": "1512085950.000216"
            }
        ],
        "has_more": true,
        "pin_count": 0,
        "response_metadata": {
            "next_cursor": "bmV4dF90czoxNTEyMzU2NTI2MDAwMTMw"
        }
    }

    Common error response

    Typical error response

    {
        "ok": false,
        "error": "channel_not_found"
    }

    Errors

    This table lists the expected errors that this method could return. However, other errors can be returned in the case where the service is down or other unexpected factors affect processing. Callers should always check the value of the ok params in the response.

    ErrorDescription
    channel_not_found

    Value passed for channel was invalid.

    invalid_cursor

    Value passed for cursor was not valid or is no longer valid.

    invalid_metadata_filter_keys

    Value passed for metadata_keys_to_include was invalid. Must be valid json array of strings.

    invalid_ts_latest

    Value passed for latest was invalid

    invalid_ts_oldest

    Value passed for oldest was invalid

    not_in_channel

    The token used does not have access to the proper channel. Only user tokens can access public channels they are not in.

    pagination_not_available

    Pagination does not currently function on Enterprise Grid workspaces.

    access_denied

    Access to a resource specified in the request is denied.

    account_inactive

    Authentication token is for a deleted user or workspace when using a bot token.

    deprecated_endpoint

    The endpoint has been deprecated.

    ekm_access_denied

    Administrators have suspended the ability to post a message.

    enterprise_is_restricted

    The method cannot be called from an Enterprise.

    invalid_auth

    Some aspect of authentication cannot be validated. Either the provided token is invalid or the request originates from an IP address disallowed from making the request.

    method_deprecated

    The method has been deprecated.

    missing_scope

    The token used is not granted the specific scope permissions required to complete this request.

    not_allowed_token_type

    The token type used in this request is not allowed.

    not_authed

    No authentication token provided.

    no_permission

    The workspace token used in this request does not have the permissions necessary to complete the request. Make sure your app is a member of the conversation it's attempting to post a message to.

    org_login_required

    The workspace is undergoing an enterprise migration and will not be available until migration is complete.

    token_expired

    Authentication token has expired

    token_revoked

    Authentication token is for a deleted user or workspace or the app has been removed when using a user token.

    two_factor_setup_required

    Two factor setup is required.

    team_access_not_granted

    The token used is not granted the specific workspace access required to complete this request.

    accesslimited

    Access to this method is limited on the current network

    fatal_error

    The server could not complete your operation(s) without encountering a catastrophic error. It's possible some aspect of the operation succeeded before the error was raised.

    internal_error

    The server could not complete your operation(s) without encountering an error, likely due to a transient issue on our end. It's possible some aspect of the operation succeeded before the error was raised.

    invalid_arg_name

    The method was passed an argument whose name falls outside the bounds of accepted or expected values. This includes very long names and names with non-alphanumeric characters other than _. If you get this error, it is typically an indication that you have made a very malformed API call.

    invalid_arguments

    The method was either called with invalid arguments or some detail about the arguments passed is invalid, which is more likely when using complex arguments like blocks or attachments.

    invalid_array_arg

    The method was passed an array as an argument. Please only input valid strings.

    invalid_charset

    The method was called via a POST request, but the charset specified in the Content-Type header was invalid. Valid charset names are: utf-8 iso-8859-1.

    invalid_form_data

    The method was called via a POST request with Content-Type application/x-www-form-urlencoded or multipart/form-data, but the form data was either missing or syntactically invalid.

    invalid_post_type

    The method was called via a POST request, but the specified Content-Type was invalid. Valid types are: application/json application/x-www-form-urlencoded multipart/form-data text/plain.

    missing_post_type

    The method was called via a POST request and included a data payload, but the request did not include a Content-Type header.

    ratelimited

    The request has been ratelimited. Refer to the Retry-After header for when to retry the request.

    request_timeout

    The method was called via a POST request, but the POST data was either missing or truncated.

    service_unavailable

    The service is temporarily unavailable

    team_added_to_org

    The workspace associated with your request is currently undergoing migration to an Enterprise Organization. Web API and other platform operations will be intermittently unavailable until the transition is complete.

    Warnings

    This table lists the expected warnings that this method will return. However, other warnings can be returned in the case where the service is experiencing unexpected trouble.

    WarningDescription
    missing_charset

    The method was called via a POST request, and recommended practice for the specified Content-Type is to include a charset parameter. However, no charset was present. Specifically, non-form-data content types (e.g. text/plain) are the ones for which charset is recommended.

    superfluous_charset

    The method was called via a POST request, and the specified Content-Type is not defined to understand the charset parameter. However, charset was in fact present. Specifically, form-data content types (e.g. multipart/form-data) are the ones for which charset is superfluous.

    Arguments

    Need a token? Create and install a Slack app to begin.
    This will make a real API request. Beware of using it with live workspaces.

    API response


    Submit your arguments to see the API response
    Fetching conversation history
    Java
    JavaScript
    Python
    HTTP
    Java
    import com.slack.api.Slack; import com.slack.api.methods.SlackApiException; import com.slack.api.model.Message; import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory; import java.io.IOException; import java.util.List; import java.util.Optional; import static java.util.Collections.emptyList; public class ConversationsHistory { static Optional<List<Message>> conversationHistory = Optional.empty(); /** * Fetch conversation history using ID from last example */ static void fetchHistory(String id) { // you can get this instance via ctx.client() in a Bolt app var client = Slack.getInstance().methods(); var logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger("my-awesome-slack-app"); try { // Call the conversations.history method using the built-in WebClient var result = client.conversationsHistory(r -> r // The token you used to initialize your app .token(System.getenv("SLACK_BOT_TOKEN")) .channel(id) ); conversationHistory = Optional.ofNullable(result.getMessages()); // Print results logger.info("{} messages found in {}", conversationHistory.orElse(emptyList()).size(), id); } catch (IOException | SlackApiException e) { logger.error("error: {}", e.getMessage(), e); } } public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception { fetchHistory("C24601"); } }
    JavaScript
    Code to initialize Bolt app
    // Require the Node Slack SDK package (github.com/slackapi/node-slack-sdk) const { WebClient, LogLevel } = require("@slack/web-api"); // WebClient instantiates a client that can call API methods // When using Bolt, you can use either `app.client` or the `client` passed to listeners. const client = new WebClient("xoxb-your-token", { // LogLevel can be imported and used to make debugging simpler logLevel: LogLevel.DEBUG });
    // Store conversation history let conversationHistory; // ID of channel you watch to fetch the history for let channelId = "C24601"; try { // Call the conversations.history method using WebClient const result = await client.conversations.history({ channel: channelId }); conversationHistory = result.messages; // Print results console.log(conversationHistory.length + " messages found in " + channelId); } catch (error) { console.error(error); }
    Python
    Code to initialize Bolt app
    import logging import os # Import WebClient from Python SDK (github.com/slackapi/python-slack-sdk) from slack_sdk import WebClient from slack_sdk.errors import SlackApiError # WebClient instantiates a client that can call API methods # When using Bolt, you can use either `app.client` or the `client` passed to listeners. client = WebClient(token=os.environ.get("SLACK_BOT_TOKEN")) logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
    # Store conversation history conversation_history = [] # ID of the channel you want to send the message to channel_id = "C123ABC456" try: # Call the conversations.history method using the WebClient # conversations.history returns the first 100 messages by default # These results are paginated, see: https://api.slack.com/methods/conversations.history$pagination result = client.conversations_history(channel=channel_id) conversation_history = result["messages"] # Print results logger.info("{} messages found in {}".format(len(conversation_history), channel_id)) except SlackApiError as e: logger.error("Error creating conversation: {}".format(e))
    HTTP
    GET https://slack.com/api/conversations.history Authorization: Bearer xoxb-your-token { channel: "CONVERSATION_ID_HERE" }