--- title: "Conversation object" summary: "A conversation object contains information about a channel-like thing in Slack. It might be a public channel, a private channel, a direct message, a multi-person direct message, or a huddle. You'll find all of these objects throughout the Conversations API. Different fields are included in the object payload depending on the type of conversation (channel, DM, MPIM, etc.). The legacy objects—channel, group, im, and mpim—reference pages are nested under this one for posterity, but they are all now represented by the conversation object." url: "https://docs.slack.dev/reference/objects/conversation-object" type: "reference" subtype: "object" --- Source: https://docs.slack.dev/reference/objects/conversation-object # Conversation object A conversation object contains information about a channel-like thing in Slack. It might be a public channel, a private channel, a direct message, a multi-person direct message, or a huddle. You'll find all of these objects throughout the [Conversations API](https://docs.slack.dev/apis/web-api/using-the-conversations-api.md). Different fields are included in the object payload depending on the type of conversation (channel, DM, MPIM, etc.). The legacy objects—[channel](https://docs.slack.dev/reference/objects/channel-object.md), [group](https://docs.slack.dev/reference/objects/group-object.md), [im](https://docs.slack.dev/reference/objects/im-object.md), and [mpim](https://docs.slack.dev/reference/objects/mpim-object.md)—reference pages are nested under this one for posterity, but they are all now represented by the conversation object. ## Example responses {#examples} An example response for the [`conversations.info`](https://docs.slack.dev/reference/methods/conversations.info.md) method is as follows: ``` { "channel": { "id": "C123456", "name": "general", "is_channel": true, "is_group": false, "is_im": false, "is_mpim": false, "is_private": false, "created": 1449252889, "is_archived": false, "is_general": true, "unlinked": 0, "name_normalized": "general", "is_shared": false, "is_frozen": false, "is_org_shared": false, "is_pending_ext_shared": false, "pending_shared": [], "context_team_id": "T12345ABCDE", "updated": 1689965803820, "parent_conversation": null, "creator": "W123456", "is_ext_shared": false, "shared_team_ids": [ "T12345ABCDE" ], "pending_connected_team_ids": [], "is_member": true, "topic": { "value": "For public discussion of generalities", "creator": "W123456", "last_set": 1449709364 }, "purpose": { "value": "This part of the workspace is for fun. Make fun here.", "creator": "W123456", "last_set": 1449709364 }, "properties": { "posting_restricted_to": { "type": [ "admin" ] }, "threads_restricted_to": { "type": [ "ra" ] }, "tabs": [ { "id": "files", "label": "", "type": "files" }, { "id": "bookmarks", "label": "", "type": "bookmarks" } ] }, "previous_names": [ "specifics", "abstractions", "etc" ] }} ``` An example response for the [`conversations.history`](https://docs.slack.dev/reference/methods/conversations.history.md) method is as follows: ``` { "messages": [ { "type": "message", "text": "", "user": "USLACKBOT", "channel": "C12345ABCDE", "room": { "id": "R12345ABCDE", "name": "", "media_server": "", "created_by": "U12345ABCDE", "date_start": 1689964161, "date_end": 0, "participants": [], "participant_history": [ "U12345ABCDE" ], "participants_camera_on": [], "participants_camera_off": [], "participants_screenshare_on": [], "participants_screenshare_off": [], "canvas_thread_ts": "1689964161.419229", "thread_root_ts": "1689964161.419229", "channels": [ "C12345ABCDE" ], "is_dm_call": false, "was_rejected": false, "was_missed": false, "was_accepted": false, "has_ended": false, "background_id": "GRADIENT_03", "canvas_background": "GRADIENT_03", "is_prewarmed": false, "is_scheduled": false, "attached_file_ids": [], "media_backend_type": "free_willy", "display_id": "", "external_unique_id": "12345abc-123a-123b-123c-12345abcde7", "app_id": "A00", "call_family": "huddle", "pending_invitees": {}, "last_invite_status_by_user": {} }, "no_notifications": true, "permalink": "https://example.com", "subtype": "huddle_thread", "ts": "1689964161.419229", "blocks": [ { "type": "rich_text", "block_id": "aBcDe", "elements": [ { "type": "rich_text_section", "elements": [ { "type": "text", "text": "A huddle started" } ] } ] } ], "team": "T12345ABCDE" }, // ... ]} ``` ## Conversation-related booleans {#booleans} Property Description `has_pins` Whether a channel has pinned items. `is_archived` Indicates a conversation is archived, frozen in time. `is_channel` Indicates whether a conversation is a channel. Private channels created before March 2021 (with IDs that begin with `G`) will return `false`, and `is_group` will be `true` instead. Use `is_private` to determine whether a channel is private or public. `is_channel_agent_enabled` Whether a channel agent is enabled for this channel. `is_ext_shared` Indicates whether a conversation is part of a [Shared Channel](https://docs.slack.dev/apis/slack-connect.md) with a remote organization. Your app should make sure the data it shares in such a channel is appropriate for both workspaces. `is_shared` will also be `true`. `is_ext_ws_shared` Whether the channel is shared on an external workspace. `is_file` Whether this is a file channel. `is_frozen` Whether the conversation is frozen (e.g. a disconnected Slack Connect channel becomes a read-only frozen copy on the away-team side). `is_general` Means the channel is the workspace's "general" discussion channel (even if it may not be named `#general`). That might be important to your app because almost every user is a member. `is_group` Means the channel is a private channel created before March 2021. `is_private` will also be `true`. `is_im` Means the conversation is a direct message between two distinguished individuals or a user and a bot. `is_private` will also be `true`. `is_member` Indicates whether the user, bot user or Slack app associated with the token making the API call is itself a member of the conversation. `is_non_threadable` Indicates if threads are disabled on this conversation. `is_open` Whether a DM is open; this field is DM/MPIM-specific. `is_mpim` Represents an unnamed private conversation between multiple users. `is_private` will also be `true`. `is_org_default` Whether this conversation is an org-wide default channel, meaning it is shared with all workspaces in the Enterprise org (all new members are automatically added). `is_org_mandatory` Whether this conversation is a mandatory channel for all members in the Enterprise org. Members cannot leave mandatory channels. `is_org_shared` Indicates whether this shared channel is shared between [Enterprise organization](https://docs.slack.dev/enterprise.md) workspaces within the same organization. It's a little different from (_externally_) [shared channels](https://docs.slack.dev/apis/slack-connect.md), yet `is_shared` will be `true`. `is_pending_ext_shared` Means the conversation is ready to become an `is_ext_shared` channel, but needs some kind of approval or sign off first. Best to treat it as if it were a shared channel, even if it traverses only one workspace. `is_private` Means the conversation is privileged between two or more members. Ensure that you meet their privacy expectations. `is_read_only` Means the conversation can't be written to by the user performing the API call. `is_shared` Means the conversation is in some way shared between multiple workspaces. Look for `is_ext_shared` and `is_org_shared` to learn which kind it is, and if that matters, act accordingly. `is_starred` Whether the user has starred this channel. `is_thread_only` Means the conversation can't be written to by the user performing the API call, except to reply to messages in the channel. `num_members` The number of members in the conversation. `num_members` may not make an appearance in the response for conversation types like DMs, where the number of members is constant. ## Other conversation-related attributes {#other-attributes} Property Type Description `connected_team_ids` Array of `team_id` Connected external team IDs. `context_team_id` String (`team_id`) The ID of the workspace the conversation is within. Required field. `conversation_host_id` String Appears on shared channel objects and indicates the "host" of the shared channel. The value may contain a workspace's ID (beginning with `T`) _or_ an Enterprise organization's ID (beginning with `E`). `created` Int Timestamp, in seconds, of when the conversation was created. `creator` String The ID of the member that created this conversation. `enterprise_id` String The Enterprise organization ID. `frozen_reason` String Reason the channel is frozen (when `is_frozen` is `true`). `internal_team_ids` Array of `workspace_id` Internal team IDs for shared channels. `is_moved` Integer Timestamp when the channel was moved (Enterprise orgs). `name` String Indicates the name of the channel-like thing, without a leading hash sign. Don't get too attached to that name; it may change — instead, when working with channel-like things, focus on their IDs, their type, and the team/workspace they belong to. `name_normalized` String The normalized version of the channel name. Required field. `parent_conversation` String The parent conversation ID, or `null` if there is none. `pending_connected_team_ids` Array of `workspace_id` Pending connected team IDs. `pending_shared` Array of `workspace_id` Pending shared workspace IDs. `previous_names` Array of strings Previous names the channel has had. `purpose` Object Provides information about the channel purpose. Structure is `{value: string, creator: string, last_set: integer}`. `retention_duration` Integer The custom message retention duration for this conversation, in days. Only present when a custom retention policy has been set (via the `admin.conversations.setCustomRetention` method). When absent, the workspace or org default retention policy applies. `shared_team_ids` Array of `workspace_id` IDs of workspaces the channel is shared with. `topic` Object Provides information about the channel topic. Structure is `{value: string, creator: string, last_set: integer}`. `unlinked` Integer Whether the channel was previously shared then disconnected. `updated` Int The timestamp, in milliseconds (not seconds like `created`), when the channel settings were updated — for example, the "topic" or "description" of the channel changed. `use_case` String Channel use-case classification. `user` String (`user_id`) The other user's ID (DM-specific). Some API methods; for example, [`conversations.join`](https://docs.slack.dev/reference/methods/conversations.join.md), can include extra state information for channels when the calling user is a member: Property Type Description `last_read` Timestamp The timestamp for the last message the calling user has read in this channel. `unread_count` Int A full count of visible messages that the calling user has yet to read. `unread_count_display` Int A count of messages that the calling user has yet to read that matter to them (excludes things like join/leave messages). `latest` String The latest message in the channel. `no_latest=true` for non-first party requests. `properties` Object Additional channel properties (see below). The `properties` object contains many additional fields that appear based on the context of the object. Property Type Description `at_channel_restricted` Boolean Indicates if the `@channel` mention is restricted. `at_here_restricted` Boolean Indicates if the `@here` mention is restricted. `auto_open_tab_id` String Indicates which tab in the channel auto opens. `canvas` Object The channel canvas. `channel_solutions` Object Properties for channel solutions: `workflow_trigger_ids`, `workflow_workflow_ids`, `canvas_ids`, `list_ids`. `channel_workflows` Array An array of workflows in the channel. `crm` Object Properties for Slack CRM. `default_tab_id` String Indicates which tab in the channel is the default. `huddles` Object Properties for huddles for the channel the huddle occurred in. `huddles_restricted` Boolean Indicates if huddles are restricted. `meeting_notes` Object Properties for channel meeting notes. `membership_limit` Integer Limit of users in channel. `posting_restricted_to` Object An object comprised of three arrays: `subteam`, `type`, and `user`, each offering a different way to restrict who can post in the channel. `record_channel` Object Properties for Salesforce channels. `sharing_disabled` Boolean Indicates if sharing is disabled. `tabs` Object List of channel tabs. Each tab has an `id`, `label`, `type`, `data`, and `is_disabled` property. Its `type` can be any of the following: `list`, `canvas`, `files`, `bookmarks`, `folder`, `pins`, `workflows`, `channel_canvas`, `record_list`, `record_overview`, `record_summary`, `record_related_list`,`salesforce_list_view`. `threads_restricted_to` Object An object comprised of three arrays: `subteam`, `type`, and `user`, each offering a different way to restrict who can post in threads in the channel. `who_can_manage_channel_agent` String Controls who can configure, add, or remove a channel agent for this conversation. Possible values: `everyone`, `channel_managers`. `workflow` Object Properties for a workflow; currently contains one field, `primary_workflow_url`. These channel objects are not the same object type as those for private channels created before March 2021, which are considered [group objects](https://docs.slack.dev/reference/objects/group-object.md).