conversations.history

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

Bolt for Python

app.client.conversations_history

Bolt for JavaScript

app.client.conversations.history

Required scopes

Bot tokenschannels:historygroups:historyim:historympim:history

User tokenschannels:historygroups:historyim:historympim:history

Legacy bot tokensbot

Content types

application/x-www-form-urlencodedapplication/json

Rate limits

Tier 3

Arguments

Required arguments

token

token

·Required

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

Example

xxxx-xxxxxxxxx-xxxx

channel

string

·Required

Conversation ID to fetch history for.

Example

C1234567890

Optional arguments

cursor

string

·Optional

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=

include_all_metadata

boolean

·Optional

Return all metadata associated with this message.

Default

0

Example

true

inclusive

boolean

·Optional

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

Default

0

Example

true

latest

string

·Optional

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

Example

1234567890.123456

limit

number

·Optional

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

oldest

string

·Optional

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:

Set oldest to the ts
Set inclusive to true
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.

Retrieving message history from a direct message

conversations.history can also be used to export messages from a direct message.

In addition to a bot token, you'll need to input the direct message ID (similar to a conversation ID and beginning with D) in order to retrieve the message history. You can find the direct message ID by using the conversations.list method.

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 you need a full list of reactions for a message, use the reactions.get method.

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.

Error	Description
`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.
`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.

Warning	Description
`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.

API response

URL

POST body

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"
}