--- title: "Channel object" summary: "A channel object is a legacy object that contains information about a workspace channel. These channel objects are not the same object type as private channels, which are considered group objects. Channels and groups are now considered a type of conversation." url: "https://docs.slack.dev/reference/objects/channel-object" type: "reference" subtype: "object" --- Source: https://docs.slack.dev/reference/objects/channel-object # Channel object A channel object is a legacy object that contains information about a workspace channel. These channel objects are not the same object type as private channels, which are considered [group objects](https://docs.slack.dev/reference/objects/group-object.md). Channels and groups are now considered a type of [conversation](https://docs.slack.dev/reference/objects/conversation-object.md). ## Channel object fields {#fields} Field Type Description `accepted_user` `user_id` The user ID of the user who accepted a shared channel invite. `connected_team_ids` Array of `team_id` Team IDs of external workspaces connected via Slack Connect. `context_team_id` `team_id` The workspace or enterprise ID that provides the context for this channel object. Required field. `created` Unix timestamp Timestamp of when the channel was created. `creator` String The user ID of the member that created the channel. `enterprise_id` `enterprise_id` The Enterprise org ID this channel belongs to. `frozen_reason` String Reason the channel was frozen (e.g. Slack Connect disconnection). `id` String The channel ID. `internal_team_ids` Array of `workspace_id` Workspace IDs of internal (home-org) workspaces connected to this channel. `is_archived` Boolean `true` if the channel is archived. `is_channel` Boolean Indicates if it is a channel. `is_frozen` Boolean Whether the channel is frozen (e.g. a disconnected Slack Connect channel becomes a read-only frozen copy on the away-team side). `is_general` Boolean `true` if this channel is the "general" channel that includes all regular members. In most workspaces this is called `#general`, but some workspaces have renamed it. `is_global_shared` Boolean Whether the channel is shared across an entire Enterprise Grid org. `is_member` Boolean `true` if the calling member is part of the channel. `is_moved` Integer Indicates whether the channel has been moved; non-zero when a move has occurred. `is_mpim` Boolean Indicates if the channel is a multi-party instant message. `is_non_threadable` Boolean Whether threading is disabled in the channel; messages cannot have thread replies. `is_org_default` Boolean Whether the channel is a default org-wide channel (all new members are auto-added). `is_org_mandatory` Boolean Whether membership in the channel is mandatory (members cannot leave). `is_org_shared` Boolean Indicates if the organization which the channel belongs to is shared. `is_pending_ext_shared` Boolean Whether the channel is pending an external/Slack Connect share (invite sent but not yet accepted). `is_private` Boolean Indicates if the channel is private. `is_read_only` Boolean Whether the channel is read-only; members cannot post messages. `is_shared` Boolean `true` if the channel is shared. `is_starred` Boolean Whether the user has starred this channel. `is_thread_only` Boolean Whether the channel is thread-only; new messages can only be posted as thread replies. `last_read` Unix timestamp The timestamp for the last message the calling user has read in this channel. `latest` Object The latest message in the channel. `members` Array A list of user IDs for all users in this channel. This includes any disabled accounts that were in this channel when they were disabled. `name` String Indicates the name of the channel-like thing, without a leading hash sign. Don't get too attached to that name. It might change. Don't even bother storing it. When thinking about channel-like things, think about their IDs, their type, and the team/workspace they belong to. `name_normalized` String A normalized string of the name. `num_members` Integer Number of members in the channel. `pending_shared` Array of `workspace_id` Workspace IDs for workspaces that have a pending share invitation to this channel. `previous_names` Array A list of prior names the channel has used. `priority` Number Sort priority of the channel in the user's sidebar. `properties` Object Additional channel properties. `purpose` Object The purpose of the channel. `retention_duration` Integer Custom message retention duration for the channel, in days. `shared_team_ids` Array of `workspace_id` Workspace IDs of all workspaces that are part of this shared channel. `topic` Object The topic of the channel. `unlinked` Integer Whether channel was ever shared/disconnected. `unread_count` Integer A full count of visible messages that the calling user has yet to read. `unread_count_display` Integer A count of messages that the calling user has yet to read that matter to them (this means it excludes things like join/leave messages). ## Example {#example} ``` { "channel": { "id": "C1H9RESGL", "name": "busting", "is_channel": true, "created": 1466025154, "creator": "U0G9QF9C6", "is_archived": false, "is_general": false, "name_normalized": "busting", "is_shared": false, "is_org_shared": false, "is_member": true, "is_private": false, "is_mpim": false, "last_read": "1503435939.000101", "latest": { "text": "Containment unit is 98% full", "username": "ecto1138", "bot_id": "B19LU7CSY", "attachments": [ { "text": "Don't get too attached", "id": 1, "fallback": "This is an attachment fallback" } ], "type": "message", "subtype": "bot_message", "ts": "1503435956.000247" }, "unread_count": 1, "unread_count_display": 1, "members": [ "U0G9QF9C6", "U1QNSQB9U" ], "topic": { "value": "Spiritual containment strategies", "creator": "U0G9QF9C6", "last_set": 1503435128 }, "purpose": { "value": "Discuss busting ghosts", "creator": "U0G9QF9C6", "last_set": 1503435128 }, "previous_names": [ "dusting" ] }} ```