Send a message using the Google Chat API

This guide explains how to call the Google Chat API's messages.create() method to do any of the following:

  • Send messages that contain text, cards, and interactive widgets.
  • Send messages privately to a specific Chat user.
  • Start or reply to a message thread.
  • Name a message, so that you can specify it in other Chat API requests.

The maximum message size (including any text or cards) is 32,000 bytes. To send a message that exceeds this size, your Chat app must send multiple messages instead.

In addition to calling the messages.create() method, Chat apps can create and send messages to reply to user interactions, such as posting a welcome message after a user adds the Chat app to a space. When responding to interactions, Chat apps can use other types of messaging features, including interactive dialogs and link preview interfaces. To reply to a user, the Chat app returns the message synchronously, without calling the Chat API. To learn about sending messages to respond to interactions, see Receive and respond to interactions with your Google Chat app.

How Chat displays and attributes messages created with the Chat API

You can call the messages.create() method using app authentication and user authentication. Chat attributes the message sender differently depending on the type of authentication that you use.

When you authenticate as the Chat app, the Chat app sends the message.

Calling the messages.create() method with app authentication.
Figure 1: With app authentication, the Chat app sends the message. To note that the sender isn't a person, Chat displays App next to its name.

When you authenticate as a user, the Chat app sends the message on behalf of the user. Chat also attributes the Chat app to the message by displaying its name.

Calling the messages.create() method with user authentication.
Figure 2: With user authentication, the user sends the message, and Chat displays the Chat app name next to the user's name.

The authentication type also determines which messaging features and interfaces that you can include in the message. With app authentication, Chat apps can send messages that contain rich text, card-based interfaces, and interactive widgets. Since Chat users can only send text in their messages, you can only include text when creating messages using user authentication. To learn more about messaging features available for the Chat API, see the Google Chat messages overview.

This guide explains how to use either authentication type to send a message with the Chat API.

Prerequisites

Node.js

Python

Java

Apps Script

Send a message as the Chat app

This section explains how to send messages that contain text, cards, and interactive accessory widgets using app authentication.

Message sent with app authentication
Figure 4. A Chat app sends a message with text, a card, and an accessory button.

To call the messages.create() using app authentication, you must specify the following fields in the request:

  • The chat.bot authorization scope.
  • The Space resource in which you want to post the message. The Chat app must be a member of the space.
  • The Message resource to create. To define the content of the message, you can include rich text (text), one or more card interfaces (cardsV2), or both.

Optionally, you can include the following:

The following code shows an example of how a Chat app can send a message posted as the Chat app that contains text, a card, and a clickable button at the bottom of the message:

Node.js

chat/client-libraries/cloud/create-message-app-cred.js
import {createClientWithAppCredentials} from './authentication-utils.js';

// This sample shows how to create message with app credential
async function main() {
  // Create a client
  const chatClient = createClientWithAppCredentials();

  // Initialize request argument(s)
  const request = {
    // Replace SPACE_NAME here.
    parent: 'spaces/SPACE_NAME',
    message: {
      text: '👋🌎 Hello world! I created this message by calling ' +
            'the Chat API\'s `messages.create()` method.',
      cardsV2 : [{ card: {
        header: {
          title: 'About this message',
          imageUrl: 'https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/i/short-term/release/googlesymbols/info/default/24px.svg'
        },
        sections: [{
          header: 'Contents',
          widgets: [{ textParagraph: {
              text: '🔡 <b>Text</b> which can include ' +
                    'hyperlinks 🔗, emojis 😄🎉, and @mentions 🗣️.'
            }}, { textParagraph: {
              text: '🖼️ A <b>card</b> to display visual elements' +
                    'and request information such as text 🔤, ' +
                    'dates and times 📅, and selections ☑️.'
            }}, { textParagraph: {
              text: '👉🔘 An <b>accessory widget</b> which adds ' +
                    'a button to the bottom of a message.'
            }}
          ]}, {
            header: "What's next",
            collapsible: true,
            widgets: [{ textParagraph: {
                text: "❤️ <a href='https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/api/reference/rest/v1/spaces.messages.reactions/create'>Add a reaction</a>."
              }}, { textParagraph: {
                text: "🔄 <a href='https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/api/reference/rest/v1/spaces.messages/patch'>Update</a> " +
                      "or ❌ <a href='https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/api/reference/rest/v1/spaces.messages/delete'>delete</a> " +
                      "the message."
              }
            }]
          }
        ]
      }}],
      accessoryWidgets: [{ buttonList: { buttons: [{
        text: 'View documentation',
        icon: { materialIcon: { name: 'link' }},
        onClick: { openLink: {
          url: 'https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/create-messages'
        }}
      }]}}]
    }
  };

  // Make the request
  const response = await chatClient.createMessage(request);

  // Handle the response
  console.log(response);
}

main().catch(console.error);

Python

chat/client-libraries/cloud/create_message_app_cred.py
from authentication_utils import create_client_with_app_credentials
from google.apps import chat_v1 as google_chat

# This sample shows how to create message with app credential
def create_message_with_app_cred():
    # Create a client
    client = create_client_with_app_credentials()

    # Initialize request argument(s)
    request = google_chat.CreateMessageRequest(
        # Replace SPACE_NAME here.
        parent = "spaces/SPACE_NAME",
        message = {
            "text": '👋🌎 Hello world! I created this message by calling ' +
                    'the Chat API\'s `messages.create()` method.',
            "cards_v2" : [{ "card": {
                "header": {
                    "title": 'About this message',
                    "image_url": 'https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/i/short-term/release/googlesymbols/info/default/24px.svg'
                },
                "sections": [{
                    "header": "Contents",
                    "widgets": [{ "text_paragraph": {
                            "text": '🔡 <b>Text</b> which can include ' +
                                    'hyperlinks 🔗, emojis 😄🎉, and @mentions 🗣️.'
                        }}, { "text_paragraph": {
                            "text": '🖼️ A <b>card</b> to display visual elements' +
                                    'and request information such as text 🔤, ' +
                                    'dates and times 📅, and selections ☑️.'
                        }}, { "text_paragraph": {
                            "text": '👉🔘 An <b>accessory widget</b> which adds ' +
                                    'a button to the bottom of a message.'
                        }}
                    ]}, {
                        "header": "What's next",
                        "collapsible": True,
                        "widgets": [{ "text_paragraph": {
                                "text": "❤️ <a href='https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/api/reference/rest/v1/spaces.messages.reactions/create'>Add a reaction</a>."
                            }}, { "text_paragraph": {
                                "text": "🔄 <a href='https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/api/reference/rest/v1/spaces.messages/patch'>Update</a> " +
                                        "or ❌ <a href='https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/api/reference/rest/v1/spaces.messages/delete'>delete</a> " +
                                        "the message."
                            }
                        }]
                    }
                ]
            }}],
            "accessory_widgets": [{ "button_list": { "buttons": [{
                "text": 'View documentation',
                "icon": { "material_icon": { "name": 'link' }},
                "on_click": { "open_link": {
                    "url": 'https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/create-messages'
                }}
            }]}}]
        }
    )

    # Make the request
    response = client.create_message(request)

    # Handle the response
    print(response)

create_message_with_app_cred()

Java

chat/client-libraries/cloud/src/main/java/com/google/workspace/api/chat/samples/CreateMessageAppCred.java
import com.google.apps.card.v1.Button;
import com.google.apps.card.v1.ButtonList;
import com.google.apps.card.v1.Card;
import com.google.apps.card.v1.Icon;
import com.google.apps.card.v1.MaterialIcon;
import com.google.apps.card.v1.OnClick;
import com.google.apps.card.v1.OpenLink;
import com.google.apps.card.v1.TextParagraph;
import com.google.apps.card.v1.Widget;
import com.google.apps.card.v1.Card.CardHeader;
import com.google.apps.card.v1.Card.Section;
import com.google.chat.v1.AccessoryWidget;
import com.google.chat.v1.CardWithId;
import com.google.chat.v1.ChatServiceClient;
import com.google.chat.v1.CreateMessageRequest;
import com.google.chat.v1.Message;

// This sample shows how to create message with app credential.
public class CreateMessageAppCred {

  public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
    try (ChatServiceClient chatServiceClient =
        AuthenticationUtils.createClientWithAppCredentials()) {
      CreateMessageRequest.Builder request = CreateMessageRequest.newBuilder()
        // Replace SPACE_NAME here.
        .setParent("spaces/SPACE_NAME")
        .setMessage(Message.newBuilder()
          .setText( "👋🌎 Hello world! I created this message by calling " +
                    "the Chat API\'s `messages.create()` method.")
          .addCardsV2(CardWithId.newBuilder().setCard(Card.newBuilder()
            .setHeader(CardHeader.newBuilder()
              .setTitle("About this message")
              .setImageUrl("https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/i/short-term/release/googlesymbols/info/default/24px.svg"))
            .addSections(Section.newBuilder()
              .setHeader("Contents")
              .addWidgets(Widget.newBuilder().setTextParagraph(TextParagraph.newBuilder().setText(
                "🔡 <b>Text</b> which can include " +
                "hyperlinks 🔗, emojis 😄🎉, and @mentions 🗣️.")))
              .addWidgets(Widget.newBuilder().setTextParagraph(TextParagraph.newBuilder().setText(
                "🖼️ A <b>card</b> to display visual elements " +
                "and request information such as text 🔤, " +
                "dates and times 📅, and selections ☑️.")))
              .addWidgets(Widget.newBuilder().setTextParagraph(TextParagraph.newBuilder().setText(
                "👉🔘 An <b>accessory widget</b> which adds " +
                "a button to the bottom of a message."))))
            .addSections(Section.newBuilder()
              .setHeader("What's next")
              .setCollapsible(true)
              .addWidgets(Widget.newBuilder().setTextParagraph(TextParagraph.newBuilder().setText(
                "❤️ <a href='https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/api/reference/rest/v1/spaces.messages.reactions/create'>Add a reaction</a>.")))
              .addWidgets(Widget.newBuilder().setTextParagraph(TextParagraph.newBuilder().setText(
                "🔄 <a href='https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/api/reference/rest/v1/spaces.messages/patch'>Update</a> " +
                "or ❌ <a href='https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/api/reference/rest/v1/spaces.messages/delete'>delete</a> " +
                "the message."))))))
          .addAccessoryWidgets(AccessoryWidget.newBuilder()
            .setButtonList(ButtonList.newBuilder()
              .addButtons(Button.newBuilder()
                .setText("View documentation")
                .setIcon(Icon.newBuilder()
                  .setMaterialIcon(MaterialIcon.newBuilder().setName("link")))
                .setOnClick(OnClick.newBuilder()
                  .setOpenLink(OpenLink.newBuilder()
                    .setUrl("https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/create-messages")))))));
      Message response = chatServiceClient.createMessage(request.build());

      System.out.println(JsonFormat.printer().print(response));
    }
  }
}

Apps Script

chat/advanced-service/Main.gs
/**
 * This sample shows how to create message with app credential
 * 
 * It relies on the OAuth2 scope 'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.bot'
 * used by service accounts.
 */
function createMessageAppCred() {
  // Initialize request argument(s)
  // TODO(developer): Replace SPACE_NAME here.
  const parent = 'spaces/SPACE_NAME';
  const message = {
    text: '👋🌎 Hello world! I created this message by calling ' +
          'the Chat API\'s `messages.create()` method.',
    cardsV2 : [{ card: {
      header: {
        title: 'About this message',
        imageUrl: 'https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/i/short-term/release/googlesymbols/info/default/24px.svg'
      },
      sections: [{
        header: 'Contents',
        widgets: [{ textParagraph: {
            text: '🔡 <b>Text</b> which can include ' +
                  'hyperlinks 🔗, emojis 😄🎉, and @mentions 🗣️.'
          }}, { textParagraph: {
            text: '🖼️ A <b>card</b> to display visual elements' +
                  'and request information such as text 🔤, ' +
                  'dates and times 📅, and selections ☑️.'
          }}, { textParagraph: {
            text: '👉🔘 An <b>accessory widget</b> which adds ' +
                  'a button to the bottom of a message.'
          }}
        ]}, {
          header: "What's next",
          collapsible: true,
          widgets: [{ textParagraph: {
              text: "❤️ <a href='https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/api/reference/rest/v1/spaces.messages.reactions/create'>Add a reaction</a>."
            }}, { textParagraph: {
              text: "🔄 <a href='https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/api/reference/rest/v1/spaces.messages/patch'>Update</a> " +
                    "or ❌ <a href='https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/api/reference/rest/v1/spaces.messages/delete'>delete</a> " +
                    "the message."
            }
          }]
        }
      ]
    }}],
    accessoryWidgets: [{ buttonList: { buttons: [{
      text: 'View documentation',
      icon: { materialIcon: { name: 'link' }},
      onClick: { openLink: {
        url: 'https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/create-messages'
      }}
    }]}}]
  };
  const parameters = {};

  // Make the request
  const response = Chat.Spaces.Messages.create(
    message, parent, parameters, getHeaderWithAppCredentials()
  );

  // Handle the response
  console.log(response);
}

To run this sample, replace SPACE_NAME with the ID from the space's name field. You can obtain the ID by calling the spaces.list() method or from the space's URL.

Send a text message on behalf of a user

This section explains how to send messages on behalf of a user using user authentication. With user authentication, the content of the message can only contain text and must omit messaging features that are only available to Chat apps, including card interfaces and interactive widgets.

Message sent with user authentication
Figure 3. A Chat app sends a text message on behalf of a user.

To call the messages.create() using user authentication, you must specify the following fields in the request:

  • An authorization scope that supports user authentication for this method. The following sample uses the chat.messages.create scope.
  • The Space resource in which you want to post the message. The authenticated user must be a member of the space.
  • The Message resource to create. To define the content of the message, you must include the text field.

Optionally, you can include the following:

  • The messageId field, which lets you name the message to use in other API requests.
  • The thread.threadKey and messageReplyOption fields to start or reply to a thread. If the space doesn't use threading, this field is ignored.

The following code shows an example of how a Chat app can send a text message in a given space on behalf of an authenticated user:

Node.js

chat/client-libraries/cloud/create-message-user-cred.js
import {createClientWithUserCredentials} from './authentication-utils.js';

const USER_AUTH_OAUTH_SCOPES = ['https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.messages.create'];

// This sample shows how to create message with user credential
async function main() {
  // Create a client
  const chatClient = await createClientWithUserCredentials(USER_AUTH_OAUTH_SCOPES);

  // Initialize request argument(s)
  const request = {
    // Replace SPACE_NAME here.
    parent: 'spaces/SPACE_NAME',
    message: {
      text: '👋🌎 Hello world!' +
            'Text messages can contain things like:\n\n' +
            '* Hyperlinks 🔗\n' +
            '* Emojis 😄🎉\n' +
            '* Mentions of other Chat users `@` \n\n' +
            'For details, see the ' +
            '<https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/format-messages' +
            '|Chat API developer documentation>.'
    }
  };

  // Make the request
  const response = await chatClient.createMessage(request);

  // Handle the response
  console.log(response);
}

main().catch(console.error);

Python

chat/client-libraries/cloud/create_message_user_cred.py
from authentication_utils import create_client_with_user_credentials
from google.apps import chat_v1 as google_chat

SCOPES = ["https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.messages.create"]

def create_message_with_user_cred():
    # Create a client
    client = create_client_with_user_credentials(SCOPES)

    # Initialize request argument(s)
    request = google_chat.CreateMessageRequest(
        # Replace SPACE_NAME here.
        parent = "spaces/SPACE_NAME",
        message = {
            "text": '👋🌎 Hello world!' +
                    'Text messages can contain things like:\n\n' +
                    '* Hyperlinks 🔗\n' +
                    '* Emojis 😄🎉\n' +
                    '* Mentions of other Chat users `@` \n\n' +
                    'For details, see the ' +
                    '<https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/format-messages' +
                    '|Chat API developer documentation>.'
        }
    )

    # Make the request
    response = client.create_message(request)

    # Handle the response
    print(response)

create_message_with_user_cred()

Java

chat/client-libraries/cloud/src/main/java/com/google/workspace/api/chat/samples/CreateMessageUserCred.java
import com.google.chat.v1.ChatServiceClient;
import com.google.chat.v1.CreateMessageRequest;
import com.google.chat.v1.Message;

// This sample shows how to create message with user credential.
public class CreateMessageUserCred {

  private static final String SCOPE =
    "https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.messages.create";

  public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
    try (ChatServiceClient chatServiceClient =
        AuthenticationUtils.createClientWithUserCredentials(
          ImmutableList.of(SCOPE))) {
      CreateMessageRequest.Builder request = CreateMessageRequest.newBuilder()
        // Replace SPACE_NAME here.
        .setParent("spaces/SPACE_NAME")
        .setMessage(Message.newBuilder()
          .setText( "👋🌎 Hello world!" +
                    "Text messages can contain things like:\n\n" +
                    "* Hyperlinks 🔗\n" +
                    "* Emojis 😄🎉\n" +
                    "* Mentions of other Chat users `@` \n\n" +
                    "For details, see the " +
                    "<https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/format-messages" +
                    "|Chat API developer documentation>."));
      Message response = chatServiceClient.createMessage(request.build());

      System.out.println(JsonFormat.printer().print(response));
    }
  }
}

Apps Script

chat/advanced-service/Main.gs
/**
 * This sample shows how to create message with user credential
 * 
 * It relies on the OAuth2 scope 'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.messages.create'
 * referenced in the manifest file (appsscript.json).
 */
function createMessageUserCred() {
  // Initialize request argument(s)
  // TODO(developer): Replace SPACE_NAME here.
  const parent = 'spaces/SPACE_NAME';
  const message = {
    text: '👋🌎 Hello world!' +
          'Text messages can contain things like:\n\n' +
          '* Hyperlinks 🔗\n' +
          '* Emojis 😄🎉\n' +
          '* Mentions of other Chat users `@` \n\n' +
          'For details, see the ' +
          '<https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/format-messages' +
          '|Chat API developer documentation>.'
  };

  // Make the request
  const response = Chat.Spaces.Messages.create(message, parent);

  // Handle the response
  console.log(response);
}

To run this sample, replace SPACE_NAME with the ID from the space's name field. You can obtain the ID by calling the spaces.list() method or from the space's URL.

Add interactive widgets at the bottom of a message

In the first code sample of this guide, the Chat app message displays a clickable button at the bottom of the message, known as an accessory widget. Accessory widgets appear after any text or cards in a message. You can use these widgets to prompt users to interact with your message in many ways, including the following:

  • Rate the accuracy or satisfaction of a message.
  • Report an issue with the message or Chat app.
  • Open a link to related content, such as documentation.
  • Dismiss or snooze similar messages from the Chat app for a specific period of time.

To add accessory widgets, include the accessoryWidgets[] field in the body of your request and specify one or more widgets that you want to include.

The following image shows a Chat app that appends a text message with accessory widgets so that users can rate their experience with the Chat app.

Accessory widget.
Figure 5: A Chat app message with text and accessory widgets.

The following shows the body of the request that creates a text message with two accessory buttons. When a user clicks a button, the corresponding function (such as doUpvote) processes the interaction:

{
  text: "Rate your experience with this Chat app.",
  accessoryWidgets: [{ buttonList: { buttons: [{
    icon: { material_icon: {
      name: "thumb_up"
    }},
    color: { red: 0, blue: 255, green: 0 },
    onClick: { action: {
      function: "doUpvote"
    }}
  }, {
    icon: { material_icon: {
      name: "thumb_down"
    }},
    color: { red: 0, blue: 255, green: 0 },
    onClick: { action: {
      function: "doDownvote"
    }}
  }]}}]
}

Send a message privately

Chat apps can send messages privately so that the message is only visible to a specific user in the space. When a Chat app sends a private message, the message shows a label that notifies the user that the message is only visible to them.

To send a message privately using the Chat API, specify the privateMessageViewer field in the body of your request. To specify the user, you set the value to the User resource that represents the Chat user. You can also use the name field of the User resource, as shown in the following example:

{
  text: "Hello private world!",
  privateMessageViewer: {
    name: "users/USER_ID"
  }
}

To use this sample, replace USER_ID with a unique ID for the user, such as 12345678987654321 or hao@cymbalgroup.com. For more information about specifying users, see Identify and specify Google Chat users.

To send a message privately, you must omit the following in your request:

Start or reply in a thread

For spaces that use threads, you can specify whether a new message starts a thread, or replies to an existing thread.

By default, messages that you create using the Chat API start a new thread. To help you identify the thread and reply to it later, you can specify a thread key in your request:

To create a message that replies to an existing thread:

  • In the body of your request, include the thread field. If set, you can specify the threadKey that you created. Otherwise, you must use the name of the thread.
  • Specify the query parameter messageReplyOption.

The following code shows an example of how a Chat app can send a text message that starts or replies to a given thread identified by key of a given space on behalf of an authenticated user:

Node.js

chat/client-libraries/cloud/create-message-user-cred-thread-key.js
import {createClientWithUserCredentials} from './authentication-utils.js';
const {MessageReplyOption} = require('@google-apps/chat').protos.google.chat.v1.CreateMessageRequest;

const USER_AUTH_OAUTH_SCOPES = ['https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.messages.create'];

// This sample shows how to create message with user credential with thread key
async function main() {
  // Create a client
  const chatClient = await createClientWithUserCredentials(USER_AUTH_OAUTH_SCOPES);

  // Initialize request argument(s)
  const request = {
    // Replace SPACE_NAME here.
    parent: 'spaces/SPACE_NAME',
    // Creates the message as a reply to the thread specified by thread_key
    // If it fails, the message starts a new thread instead
    messageReplyOption: MessageReplyOption.REPLY_MESSAGE_FALLBACK_TO_NEW_THREAD,
    message: {
      text: 'Hello with user credential!',
      thread: {
        // Thread key specifies a thread and is unique to the chat app
        // that sets it
        threadKey: 'THREAD_KEY'
      }
    }
  };

  // Make the request
  const response = await chatClient.createMessage(request);

  // Handle the response
  console.log(response);
}

main().catch(console.error);

Python

chat/client-libraries/cloud/create_message_user_cred_thread_key.py
from authentication_utils import create_client_with_user_credentials
from google.apps import chat_v1 as google_chat

import google.apps.chat_v1.CreateMessageRequest.MessageReplyOption

SCOPES = ["https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.messages.create"]

# This sample shows how to create message with user credential with thread key
def create_message_with_user_cred_thread_key():
    # Create a client
    client = create_client_with_user_credentials(SCOPES)

    # Initialize request argument(s)
    request = google_chat.CreateMessageRequest(
        # Replace SPACE_NAME here
        parent = "spaces/SPACE_NAME",
        # Creates the message as a reply to the thread specified by thread_key.
        # If it fails, the message starts a new thread instead.
        message_reply_option = MessageReplyOption.REPLY_MESSAGE_FALLBACK_TO_NEW_THREAD,
        message = {
            "text": "Hello with user credential!",
            "thread": {
                # Thread key specifies a thread and is unique to the chat app
                # that sets it.
                "thread_key": "THREAD_KEY"
            }
        }
    )

    # Make the request
    response = client.create_message(request)

    # Handle the response
    print(response)

create_message_with_user_cred_thread_key()

Java

chat/client-libraries/cloud/src/main/java/com/google/workspace/api/chat/samples/CreateMessageUserCredThreadKey.java
import com.google.chat.v1.ChatServiceClient;
import com.google.chat.v1.CreateMessageRequest;
import com.google.chat.v1.CreateMessageRequest.MessageReplyOption;
import com.google.chat.v1.Message;
import com.google.chat.v1.Thread;

// This sample shows how to create message with a thread key with user
// credential.
public class CreateMessageUserCredThreadKey {

  private static final String SCOPE =
    "https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.messages.create";

  public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
    try (ChatServiceClient chatServiceClient =
        AuthenticationUtils.createClientWithUserCredentials(
          ImmutableList.of(SCOPE))) {
      CreateMessageRequest.Builder request = CreateMessageRequest.newBuilder()
        // Replace SPACE_NAME here.
        .setParent("spaces/SPACE_NAME")
        // Creates the message as a reply to the thread specified by thread_key.
        // If it fails, the message starts a new thread instead.
        .setMessageReplyOption(
          MessageReplyOption.REPLY_MESSAGE_FALLBACK_TO_NEW_THREAD)
        .setMessage(Message.newBuilder()
          .setText("Hello with user credentials!")
          // Thread key specifies a thread and is unique to the chat app
          // that sets it.
          .setThread(Thread.newBuilder().setThreadKey("THREAD_KEY")));
      Message response = chatServiceClient.createMessage(request.build());

      System.out.println(JsonFormat.printer().print(response));
    }
  }
}

Apps Script

chat/advanced-service/Main.gs
/**
 * This sample shows how to create message with user credential with thread key
 * 
 * It relies on the OAuth2 scope 'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.messages.create'
 * referenced in the manifest file (appsscript.json).
 */
function createMessageUserCredThreadKey() {
  // Initialize request argument(s)
  // TODO(developer): Replace SPACE_NAME here.
  const parent = 'spaces/SPACE_NAME';
  // Creates the message as a reply to the thread specified by thread_key
  // If it fails, the message starts a new thread instead
  const messageReplyOption = 'REPLY_MESSAGE_FALLBACK_TO_NEW_THREAD';
  const message = {
    text: 'Hello with user credential!',
    thread: {
      // Thread key specifies a thread and is unique to the chat app
      // that sets it
      threadKey: 'THREAD_KEY'
    }
  };

  // Make the request
  const response = Chat.Spaces.Messages.create(message, parent, {
    messageReplyOption: messageReplyOption
  });

  // Handle the response
  console.log(response);
}

To run this sample, replace the following:

  • THREAD_KEY: an existing thread key in the space, or to create a new thread, a unique name for the thread.
  • SPACE_NAME: the ID from the space's name field. You can obtain the ID by calling the spaces.list() method or from the space's URL.

Name a message

To retrieve or specify a message in future API calls, you can name a message by setting the messageId field in your messages.create() request. Naming your message lets you specify the message without needing to store the system-assigned ID from the resource name of the message (represented in the name field).

For example, to retrieve a message using the get() method, you use the resource name to specify which message to retrieve. The resource name is formatted as spaces/{space}/messages/{message}, where {message} represents the system-assigned ID or the custom name that you set when you created the message.

To name a message, specify a custom ID in the messageId field when you create the message. The messageId field sets the value for the clientAssignedMessageId field of the Message resource.

You can only name a message when you create the message. You can't name or modify a custom ID for existing messages. The custom ID must meet the following requirements:

  • Begins with client-. For example, client-custom-name is a valid custom ID, but custom-name is not.
  • Contains up to 63 characters and only lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens.
  • Is unique within a space. A Chat app can't use the same custom ID for different messages.

The following code shows an example of how a Chat app can send a text message with an ID to a given space on behalf of an authenticated user:

Node.js

chat/client-libraries/cloud/create-message-user-cred-message-id.js
import {createClientWithUserCredentials} from './authentication-utils.js';

const USER_AUTH_OAUTH_SCOPES = ['https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.messages.create'];

// This sample shows how to create message with user credential with message id
async function main() {
  // Create a client
  const chatClient = await createClientWithUserCredentials(USER_AUTH_OAUTH_SCOPES);

  // Initialize request argument(s)
  const request = {
    // Replace SPACE_NAME here.
    parent: 'spaces/SPACE_NAME',
    // Message id lets chat apps get, update or delete a message without needing
    // to store the system assigned ID in the message's resource name
    messageId: 'client-MESSAGE-ID',
    message: { text: 'Hello with user credential!' }
  };

  // Make the request
  const response = await chatClient.createMessage(request);

  // Handle the response
  console.log(response);
}

main().catch(console.error);

Python

chat/client-libraries/cloud/create_message_user_cred_message_id.py
from authentication_utils import create_client_with_user_credentials
from google.apps import chat_v1 as google_chat

SCOPES = ["https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.messages.create"]

# This sample shows how to create message with user credential with message id
def create_message_with_user_cred_message_id():
    # Create a client
    client = create_client_with_user_credentials(SCOPES)

    # Initialize request argument(s)
    request = google_chat.CreateMessageRequest(
        # Replace SPACE_NAME here
        parent = "spaces/SPACE_NAME",
        # Message id let chat apps get, update or delete a message without needing
        # to store the system assigned ID in the message's resource name.
        message_id = "client-MESSAGE-ID",
        message = {
            "text": "Hello with user credential!"
        }
    )

    # Make the request
    response = client.create_message(request)

    # Handle the response
    print(response)

create_message_with_user_cred_message_id()

Java

chat/client-libraries/cloud/src/main/java/com/google/workspace/api/chat/samples/CreateMessageUserCredMessageId.java
import com.google.chat.v1.ChatServiceClient;
import com.google.chat.v1.CreateMessageRequest;
import com.google.chat.v1.Message;

// This sample shows how to create message with message id specified with user
// credential.
public class CreateMessageUserCredMessageId {

  private static final String SCOPE =
    "https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.messages.create";

  public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
    try (ChatServiceClient chatServiceClient =
        AuthenticationUtils.createClientWithUserCredentials(
          ImmutableList.of(SCOPE))) {
      CreateMessageRequest.Builder request = CreateMessageRequest.newBuilder()
        // Replace SPACE_NAME here.
        .setParent("spaces/SPACE_NAME")
        .setMessage(Message.newBuilder()
          .setText("Hello with user credentials!"))
        // Message ID lets chat apps get, update or delete a message without
        // needing to store the system assigned ID in the message's resource
        // name.
        .setMessageId("client-MESSAGE-ID");
      Message response = chatServiceClient.createMessage(request.build());

      System.out.println(JsonFormat.printer().print(response));
    }
  }
}

Apps Script

chat/advanced-service/Main.gs
/**
 * This sample shows how to create message with user credential with message id
 * 
 * It relies on the OAuth2 scope 'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.messages.create'
 * referenced in the manifest file (appsscript.json).
 */
function createMessageUserCredMessageId() {
  // Initialize request argument(s)
  // TODO(developer): Replace SPACE_NAME here.
  const parent = 'spaces/SPACE_NAME';
  // Message id lets chat apps get, update or delete a message without needing
  // to store the system assigned ID in the message's resource name
  const messageId = 'client-MESSAGE-ID';
  const message = { text: 'Hello with user credential!' };

  // Make the request
  const response = Chat.Spaces.Messages.create(message, parent, {
    messageId: messageId
  });

  // Handle the response
  console.log(response);
}

To run this sample, replace the following:

  • SPACE_NAME: the ID from the space's name field. You can obtain the ID by calling the spaces.list() method or from the space's URL.
  • MESSAGE-ID: a name for the message that begins with custom-. Must be unique from any other message names created by the Chat app in the specified space.

Troubleshoot

When a Google Chat app or card returns an error, the Chat interface surfaces a message saying "Something went wrong." or "Unable to process your request." Sometimes the Chat UI doesn't display any error message, but the Chat app or card produces an unexpected result; for example, a card message might not appear.

Although an error message might not display in the Chat UI, descriptive error messages and log data are available to help you fix errors when error logging for Chat apps is turned on. For help viewing, debugging, and fixing errors, see Troubleshoot and fix Google Chat errors.