rtm.start

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Deprecated: Starts a Real Time Messaging session. Use rtm.connect instead.

Reference docs Tester

Facts

Method access

HTTP

JavaScript

Python

Java

HTTP

GEThttps://slack.com/api/rtm.start

Bolt for Java

app.client().rtmStart

Bolt for Python

app.client.rtm_start

Bolt for JavaScript

app.client.rtm.start

Required scopes

User tokensclient

Legacy bot tokensbot

Content types

application/x-www-form-urlencoded

Rate limits

Tier 1

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

Optional arguments

batch_presence_aware

boolean

·Optional

Batch presence deliveries via subscription. Enabling changes the shape of presence_change events. See batch presence.

Default

false

Example

1

include_locale

boolean

·Optional

Set this to true to receive the locale for users and channels. Defaults to false

Example

true

mpim_aware

boolean

·Optional

Returns MPIMs to the client in the API response.

Example

true

no_latest

boolean

·Optional

Exclude latest timestamps for channels, groups, mpims, and ims. Automatically sets no_unreads to 1

Default

0

Example

1

no_unreads

boolean

·Optional

Skip unread counts for each channel (improves performance).

Example

true

presence_sub

boolean

·Optional

Only deliver presence events when requested by subscription. See presence subscriptions.

Default

true

Example

true

simple_latest

boolean

·Optional

Return timestamp only for latest message object of each channel (improves performance).

Example

true

Usage info

DEPRECATED: Learn more about this method's deprecation.

This method began a Real Time Messaging API session and reserved your application a specific URL with which to connect via websocket.

It's user-centric and team-centric: your app connects as a specific user or bot user on a specific team. Many apps will find the Events API's subscription model more scalable when working against multiple teams.

Please proactively rtm.connect instead. Existing apps still using rtm.start after September 27, 2022 now get the response from that method instead.

Consult the RTM API documentation for full details on using the RTM API.

New Slack apps may not use any Real Time Messaging API method. Create a classic app and use the V1 Oauth flow to use RTM.

For most applications, Socket Mode is a better way to communicate with Slack.

See the rtm.connect method documentation for details on this method's response after September 27, 2022.

Example responses

Common successful response

Typical success response

{
    "ok": true
}

Common error response

Typical error response

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

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
`migration_in_progress`	Workspace is being migrated between servers. See the `team_migration_started` event documentation for details.
`rtm_connect_required`	`rtm.start` is deprecated. Please use `rtm.connect` instead of `rtm.start`. Read https://api.slack.com/changelog/2021-10-rtm-start-to-stop for more info.
`method_deprecated`	The method has been deprecated.
`not_authed`	No authentication token provided.
`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.
`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.
`token_revoked`	Authentication token is for a deleted user or workspace or the app has been removed when using a `user` token.
`token_expired`	Authentication token has expired
`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.
`ekm_access_denied`	Administrators have suspended the ability to post a message.
`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.
`deprecated_endpoint`	The endpoint has been deprecated.
`two_factor_setup_required`	Two factor setup is required.
`enterprise_is_restricted`	The method cannot be called from an Enterprise.
`invalid_arguments`	The method was either called with invalid arguments or some detail about the arguments passed are invalid, which is more likely when using complex arguments like blocks or attachments.
`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_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.
`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.
`ratelimited`	The request has been ratelimited. Refer to the `Retry-After` header for when to retry the request.
`accesslimited`	Access to this method is limited on the current network
`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
`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.

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
`member_list_truncated`	A `members` array included in a channel object was truncated at 1500 results. Use `conversations.members` to retrieve all results.
`method_deprecated`	`rtm.start` is deprecated. Please use `rtm.connect` instead of `rtm.start`. Read https://api.slack.com/changelog/2021-10-rtm-start-to-stop for more info.
`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

Deprecation notice

rtm.start is retired and behavior for existing users changed on September 27, 2022.

Learn more

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