# API Changelog This page documents changes to the Zulip Server API over time. See also the [Zulip server changelog][server-changelog]. The recommended way for a client like the Zulip mobile or desktop apps that needs to support interaction with a wide range of different Zulip server versions is to check the `zulip_feature_level` parameter in the `/register` and `/server_settings` responses to determine which of the below features are supported. ## Changes in Zulip 5.0 **Feature level 96** * [`PATCH /realm/user_settings_defaults`](/api/update-realm-user-settings-defaults): Added new endpoint to update default values of user settings in a realm. **Feature level 95** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Added `realm_user_settings_defaults` object, containing default values of personal user settings for new users in the realm. * [`GET /events`](/api/get-events): Added `realm_user_settings_defaults` event type, which is sent when the organization's configured default settings for new users change. **Feature level 94** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Added `demo_organization_scheduled_deletion_date` field to realm data. **Feature level 93** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue), [`GET /user_groups`](/api/get-user-groups), [`GET /events`](/api/get-events): Added `is_system_group` field to user group objects. **Feature level 92** * [`GET /messages`](/api/get-messages), [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue), [`GET /users`](/api/get-users), [`GET /users/{user_id}`](/api/get-user), [`GET /users/{email}`](/api/get-user-by-email): The `client_gravatar` parameter now defaults to `true`. **Feature level 91** * `PATCH /realm`, [`PATCH /streams/{stream_id}`](/api/update-stream): These endpoints now accept `"unlimited"` for `message_retention_days`, replacing `"forever"` as the way to encode a retention policy where messages are not automatically deleted. **Feature level 90** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): The `unread_msgs` section of the response no longer includes `sender_ids` in the `streams` dictionaries. These were removed because no clients were interested in using the data, which required substantial complexity to construct correctly. **Feature level 89** * [`GET /events`](/api/get-events): Introduced the `user_settings` event type, unifying and replacing the previous `update_display_settings` and `update_global_notifications` event types. The legacy event types are still supported for backwards compatibility, but will be removed in a future release. * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Added `user_settings` field in the response, which is a dictionary containing all the user's personal settings. For backwards-compatibility, individual settings will still appear in the top-level response for clients don't support the `user_settings_object` client capability. * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Added the `user_settings_object` property to supported `client_capabilities`. When enabled, the server will not include a duplicate copy of personal settings in the top-level response. * [`GET /events`](/api/get-events): `update_display_settings` and `update_global_notifications` events now only sent to clients that did not include `user_settings_object` in their `client_capabilities` when the event queue was created. **Feature level 88** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Added `zulip_merge_base` field to the response. * [`GET /events`](/api/get-events): Added new `zulip_merge_base` field to the `restart` event. * [`GET /server_settings`](/api/get-server-settings): Added `zulip_merge_base` to the responses which can be used to make "About Zulip" widgets in clients. **Feature level 87** * [`PATCH /settings`](/api/update-settings): Added a new `enable_drafts_synchronization` setting, which controls whether the syncing drafts between different clients is enabled. * [`GET /events`](/api/get-events), [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Added new `enable_drafts_synchronization` setting under `update_display_settings`. * [`GET /drafts`](/api/get-drafts): Added new endpoint to fetch user's synced drafts from the server. * [`POST /drafts`](/api/create-drafts): Added new endpoint to create drafts when syncing has been enabled. * [`PATCH /drafts/{draft_id}`](/api/edit-draft): Added new endpoint to edit a draft already owned by the user. * [`DELETE /drafts/{draft_id}`](/api/delete-draft): Added new endpoint to delete a draft already owned by the user. **Feature level 86** * [`GET /events`](/api/get-events): Added `emoji_name`, `emoji_code`, and `reaction_type` fields to `user_status` objects. * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Added `emoji_name`, `emoji_code`, and `reaction_type` fields to `user_status` objects. * `POST /users/me/status`: Added support for new `emoji_name`, `emoji_code`, and `reaction_type` parameters. **Feature level 85** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue), `PATCH /realm`: Replaced `add_emoji_by_admins_only` field with an integer field `add_custom_emoji_policy`. **Feature level 84** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): The `enter_sends` setting is now sent when `update_display_setting` is present in `fetch_event_types` instead of `realm_user`. **Feature level 83** * * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): The `cross_realm_bots` section of the response now uses the `is_system_bot` flag to indicate whether the bot is a system bot. **Feature level 82** * [`PATCH /settings`](/api/update-settings) now accepts a new `email_notifications_batching_period_seconds` field for setting the time duration for which the server will collect email notifications before sending them. **Feature level 81** * `POST /users/me/enter-sends` has been removed. The `enter_sends` setting is now edited using the normal [`PATCH /settings`](/api/update-settings) endpoint. **Feature level 80** * [`PATCH /settings`](/api/update-settings): The `/settings/notifications` and `/settings/display` endpoints were merged into the main `/settings` endpoint; now all personal settings should be edited using that single endpoint. The old URLs are preserved as deprecated aliases for backwards compatibility. **Feature level 79** * [`GET /users/me/subscriptions`](/api/get-subscriptions): The `subscribers` field now returns user IDs if `include_subscribers` is passed. Previously, this endpoint returned user display email addresses in this field. * `GET /streams/{stream_id}/members`: This endpoint now returns user IDs. Previously, it returned display email addresses. **Feature level 78** * [`PATCH /settings`](/api/update-settings): Added `ignored_parameters_unsupported` field, which is a list of parameters that were ignored by the endpoint, to the response object. * [`PATCH /settings`](/api/update-settings): Removed `full_name` and `account_email` fields from the response object. **Feature level 77** * [`GET /events`](/api/get-events): Removed `recipient_id` and `sender_id` field in responses of `delete_message` event when `message_type` is `private`. **Feature level 76** * [`POST /fetch_api_key`](/api/fetch-api-key), [`POST /dev_fetch_api_key`](/api/dev-fetch-api-key): The HTTP status for authentication errors is now 401. This was previously 403. * All API endpoints now use the HTTP 401 error status for API requests involving a deactivated user or realm. This was previously 403. * Mobile push notifications now include the `mentioned_user_group_id` and `mentioned_user_group_name` fields when a user group containing the user is mentioned. Previously, these were indistinguishable from personal mentions (as both types have `trigger="mention"`). **Feature level 75** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue), `PATCH /realm`: Replaced `allow_community_topic_editing` field with an integer field `edit_topic_policy`. **Feature level 74** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Added `server_needs_upgrade` and `event_queue_longpoll_timeout_seconds` field when fetching realm data. **Feature level 73** * [`GET /users`](/api/get-users), [`GET /users/{user_id}`](/api/get-user), [`GET /users/{email}`](/api/get-user-by-email) and [`GET /users/me`](/api/get-own-user): Added is `user_billing_admin` field to returned user objects. * [`GET /events`](/api/get-events): Added `is_billing_admin` field to user objects sent in `realm_user` events. * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Added `is_billing_admin` field in the user objects returned in the `realm_users` field. **Feature level 72** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Renamed `max_icon_file_size` to `max_icon_file_size_mib`, `realm_upload_quota` to `realm_upload_quota_mib` and `max_logo_file_size` to `max_logo_file_size_mib`. **Feature level 71** * [`GET /events`](/api/get-events): Added `is_web_public` field to `stream` events changing `invite_only`. **Feature level 70** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Added new top-level `server_timestamp` field when fetching presence data, to match the existing presence API. Feature levels 66-69 are reserved for future use in 4.x maintenance releases. ## Changes in Zulip 4.0 **Feature level 65** No changes; feature level used for Zulip 4.0 release. **Feature level 64** * `PATCH /streams/{stream_id}`: Removed unnecessary JSON-encoding of string parameters `new_name` and `description`. * `PATCH /settings/display`: Removed unnecessary JSON-encoding of string parameters `default_view`, `emojiset` and `timezone`. **Feature level 63** * `PATCH /settings/notifications`: Removed unnecessary JSON-encoding of string parameter `notification_sound`. * `PATCH /settings/display`: Removed unnecessary JSON-encoding of string parameter `default_language`. * `POST /users/me/tutorial_status`: Removed unnecessary JSON-encoding of string parameter `status`. * `POST /realm/domains`: Removed unnecessary JSON-encoding of string parameter `domain`. * `PATCH /default_stream_groups/{user_id}`: Removed unnecessary JSON-encoding of string parameters `new_group_name` and `new_description`. * `POST /users/me/hotspots`: Removed unnecessary JSON-encoding of string parameter `hotspot`. **Feature level 62** * Added `moderators only` option for `wildcard_mention_policy`. **Feature level 61** * Added support for inviting users as moderators to the invitation endpoints. **Feature level 60** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Added a new boolean field `is_moderator`, similar to the existing `is_admin`, `is_owner` and `is_guest` fields, to the response. * [`PATCH /users/{user_id}`](/api/update-user): Added support for changing a user's organization-level role to moderator. * API endpoints that return `role` values can now return `300`, the encoding of the moderator role. **Feature level 59** * [`GET /users`](/api/get-users), [`GET /users/{user_id}`](/api/get-user), [`GET /users/{email}`](/api/get-user-by-email) and [`GET /users/me`](/api/get-own-user): Added `role` field to returned user objects. * [`GET /events`](/api/get-events): Added `role` field to user objects sent in `realm_user` events. * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Added `role` field in the user objects returned in the `realm_users` field. * [`GET /events`](/api/get-events): Added new `zulip_version` and `zulip_feature_level` fields to the `restart` event. **Feature level 58** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Added the new `stream_typing_notifications` property to supported `client_capabilities`. * [`GET /events`](/api/get-events): Extended format for `typing` events to support typing notifications in stream messages. These new events are only sent to clients with `client_capabilities` showing support for `stream_typing_notifications`. * [`POST /set-typing-status`](/api/set-typing-status): Added support for sending typing notifications for stream messages. **Feature level 57** * [`PATCH /realm/filters/{filter_id}`](/api/update-linkifier): New endpoint added to update a realm linkifier. **Feature level 56** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Added a new setting `move_messages_between_streams_policy` for controlling who can move messages between streams. **Feature level 55** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Added `realm_giphy_rating` and `giphy_rating_options` fields. * `PATCH /realm`: Added `giphy_rating` parameter. **Feature level 54** * `GET /realm/filters` has been removed and replace with [`GET /realm/linkifiers`](/api/get-linkifiers) which returns the data in a cleaner dictionary format. * [`GET /events`](/api/get-events): Introduced new event type `realm_linkifiers`. The previous `realm_filters` event type is still supported for backwards compatibility, but will be removed in a future release. * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): The response now supports a `realm_linkifiers` event type, containing the same data as the legacy `realm_filters` key, with a more extensible object format. The previous `realm_filters` event type is still supported for backwards compatibility, but will be removed in a future release. The legacy `realm_filters` key is deprecated but remains available for backwards compatibility. **Feature level 53** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Added `max_topic_length` and `max_message_length`, and renamed `max_stream_name_length` and `max_stream_description_length` to allow clients to transparently support these values changing in a future server version. **Feature level 52** * `PATCH /realm`: Removed unnecessary JSON-encoding of string parameters `name`, `description`, `default_language`, and `default_code_block_language`. **Feature level 51** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Added a new boolean field `can_invite_others_to_realm`. **Feature level 50** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Replaced `invite_by_admins_only` field with an integer field `invite_to_realm_policy`. **Feature level 49** * Added new [`POST /realm/playground`](/api/add-code-playground) and [`DELETE /realm/playground/{playground_id}`](/api/remove-code-playground) endpoints for code playgrounds. * [`GET /events`](/api/get-events): A new `realm_playgrounds` events is sent when changes are made to a set of configured code playgrounds for an organization. * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Added a new `realm_playgrounds` field, which is required to fetch the set of configured code playgrounds for an organization. **Feature level 48** * [`POST /users/me/muted_users/{muted_user_id}`](/api/mute-user), [`DELETE /users/me/muted_users/{muted_user_id}`](/api/unmute-user): New endpoints added to mute/unmute users. * [`GET /events`](/api/get-events): Added new event type `muted_users` which will be sent to a user when the set of users muted by them has changed. **Feature level 47** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Added a new `giphy_api_key` field, which is required to fetch GIFs using the GIPHY API. **Feature level 46** * [`GET /messages`](/api/get-messages) and [`GET /events`](/api/get-events): The `topic_links` field now contains a list of dictionaries, rather than a list of strings. **Feature level 45** * [`GET /events`](/api/get-events): Removed useless `op` field from `custom_profile_fields` events. These events contain the full set of configured `custom_profile_fields` for the organization regardless of what triggered the change. **Feature level 44** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): extended the `unread_msgs` object to include `old_unreads_missing`, which indicates whether the server truncated the `unread_msgs` due to excessive total unread messages. **Feature level 43** * [`GET /users/{user_id_or_email}/presence`]: Added support for passing the `user_id` to identify the target user. **Feature level 42** * `PATCH /settings/display`: Added a new `default_view` setting allowing the user to [set the default view](/help/change-default-view). **Feature level 41** * [`GET /events`](/api/get-events): Removed `name` field from update subscription events. **Feature level 40** * [`GET /events`](/api/get-events): Removed `email` field from update subscription events. **Feature level 39** * Added new [GET /users/{email}](/api/get-user-by-email) endpoint. **Feature level 38** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Increased `realm_community_topic_editing_limit_seconds` time limit value to 259200s (3 days). **Feature level 37** * Consistently provide `subscribers` in stream data when clients register for subscriptions with `include_subscribers`, even if the user can't access subscribers. **Feature level 36** * [`POST /users`](/api/create-user): Restricted access to organization administrators with the `can_create_users` permission. * [Error handling](/api/rest-error-handling): The `code` property will not be present in errors due to rate limits. **Feature level 35** * The peer_add and peer_remove subscription events now have plural versions of `user_ids` and `stream_ids`. **Feature level 34** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Added a new `wildcard_mention_policy` setting for controlling who can use wildcard mentions in large streams. **Feature level 33** * Markdown code blocks now have a `data-code-language` attribute attached to the outer `div` element, recording the programming language that was selecting for syntax highlighting. This field supports the upcoming "view in playground" feature for code blocks. **Feature level 32** * [`GET /events`](/api/get-events): Added `op` field to `update_message_flags` events, deprecating the `operation` field (which has the same value). This removes an unintentional anomaly in the format of this event type. **Feature level 31** * [`GET users/me/subscriptions`](/api/get-subscriptions): Added a `role` field to Subscription objects representing whether the user is a stream administrator. * [`GET /events`](/api/get-events): Added `role` field to Subscription objects sent in `subscriptions` events. Note that as of this feature level, stream administrators are a partially completed feature. In particular, it is impossible for a user to be a stream administrator at this feature level. **Feature level 30** * [`GET users/me/subscriptions`](/api/get-subscriptions), [`GET /streams`](/api/get-streams): Added `date_created` to Stream objects. * [`POST /users`](/api/create-user), `POST /bots`: The ID of the newly created user is now returned in the response. Feature levels 28 and 29 are reserved for future use in 3.x bug fix releases. ## Changes in Zulip 3.1 **Feature level 27** * The `short_name` field is removed from `display_recipients` in `POST /users`. **Feature level 26** * The `sender_short_name` field is no longer included in `GET /messages`. * The `short_name` field is removed from `display_recipients` in `GET /messages`. ## Changes in Zulip 3.0 **Feature level 25** No changes; feature level used for Zulip 3.0 release. **Feature level 24** * The `!avatar()` and `!gravatar()` Markdown syntax, which was never documented, had inconsistent syntax, and was rarely used, was removed. **Feature level 23** * `GET/PUT/POST /users/me/pointer`: Removed. Zulip 3.0 removes the `pointer` concept from Zulip; this legacy data structure was replaced by tracking unread messages and loading views centered on the first unread message. **Feature level 22** * [`GET /attachments`](/api/get-attachments): The date when a message using the attachment was sent is now correctly encoded as `date_sent`, replacing the confusingly named `name` field. The `date_sent` and `create_time` fields of attachment objects are now encoded as integers; (previously the implementation could send floats incorrectly suggesting that microsecond precision is relevant). * `GET /invites`: Now encodes the user ID of the person who created the invitation as `invited_by_user_id`, replacing the previous `ref` field (which had that user's Zulip display email address). * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): The encoding of an unlimited `realm_message_retention_days` in the response was changed from `null` to `-1`. **Feature level 21** * `PATCH /settings/display`: Replaced the `night_mode` boolean with `color_scheme` as part of supporting automatic night theme detection. **Feature level 20** * Added support for inviting users as organization owners to the invitation endpoints. **Feature level 19** * [`GET /events`](/api/get-events): `subscriptions` event with `op="peer_add"` and `op="peer_remove"` now identify the modified stream by a `stream_id` field, replacing the old `name` field. **Feature level 18** * [`POST /register`](/api/register-queue): Added `user_avatar_url_field_optional` to supported `client_capabilities`. **Feature level 17** * [`GET users/me/subscriptions`](/api/get-subscriptions), [`GET /streams`](/api/get-streams): Added `message_retention_days` to Stream objects. * [`POST users/me/subscriptions`](/api/subscribe), [`PATCH streams/{stream_id}`](/api/update-stream): Added `message_retention_days` parameter. **Feature level 16** * [`GET /users/me`]: Removed `pointer` from the response, as the "pointer" concept is being removed in Zulip. * Changed the rendered HTML markup for mentioning a time to use the `