---
title: "Rocket.Chat Messaging API"
slug: "introduction-to-messaging"
status: "new"
updated: 2026-09-14T20:13:07Z
published: 2026-09-14T20:13:07Z
canonical: "developer.rocket.chat/introduction-to-messaging"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developer.rocket.chat/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Rocket.Chat Messaging API

The Messaging APIs let you send, manage, and search messages across every kind of room. This section covers the **Chat** endpoints (messages in channels, groups, and threads), **Direct Messages**, and **Auto-Translate**.

## The message object

Message endpoints accept and return a message object. A trimmed example from [Get Message](/apidocs/get-message):

```json
{
  "message": {
    "_id": "CeXwh5eBbdrtvnqG6",
    "rid": "agh2Sucgb54RQ8dDo",
    "msg": "s",
    "ts": "2018-10-05T13:48:21.616Z",
    "u": {
      "_id": "KPkEYwKKBKZnEEPpt",
      "username": "marc.pow",
      "name": "Marc Pow"
    },
    "reactions": {
      ":frowning2:": { "usernames": ["marcos.defendi"] }
    },
    "mentions": [],
    "channels": []
  },
  "success": true
}
```

Fields you use most often:

- `_id`: The message ID. Pass it as `msgId` or `messageId` when updating, reacting, pinning, or deleting.
- `rid`: The ID of the room the message belongs to. Most message endpoints require it.
- `msg`: The message text.
- `u`: The user who sent the message.
- `tmid`: Set when the message belongs to a thread — it holds the thread's parent message ID.

## Common workflows

**Post and manage a message**

1. [Post a message](/apidocs/post-message) to a room using its `roomId` or channel name.
2. [Update the message](/apidocs/update-message), [react to it](/apidocs/react-to-message), or [pin it](/apidocs/pin-message).
3. [Delete the message](/apidocs/delete-chat-message) when it is no longer needed.

**Start a direct message**

1. [Create the direct message session](/apidocs/create-dm) with one or more users.
2. [Post messages](/apidocs/post-message) using the returned room ID.
3. [Close the session](/apidocs/close-dm) to hide it from your room list.

**Work with threads**

1. [Send a message](/apidocs/send-message) with `tmid` set to the parent message ID to reply in a thread.
2. [List a room's threads](/apidocs/list-threads) and [read a thread's messages](/apidocs/get-thread-messages).
3. [Mark the thread as read](/apidocs/mark-thread-as-read) when you finish processing it.

**Translate messages**

1. [Get the supported languages](/apidocs/get-supported-languages).
2. [Translate the message](/apidocs/translate-message) to the target language.

## Conventions

- [Post Message](/apidocs/post-message) accepts a channel name or ID and can send to multiple channels; [Send Message](/apidocs/send-message) targets one room and lets you set a custom message `_id` and thread fields.
- Message endpoints identify rooms by `roomId` (`rid`). Message-level actions take the message ID from the message object.
- List endpoints such as [Search Message](/apidocs/search-message) support `count` and `offset` [query parameters](/apidocs/query-parameters).