zulip/templates/zerver/api/get-messages.md

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# Get messages
Fetch message history from a Zulip server.
`GET {{ api_url }}/v1/messages`
This `GET /api/v1/messages` endpoint is the primary way to fetch
message history from a Zulip server. It is useful both for Zulip
clients (e.g. the web, desktop, mobile, and terminal clients) as well
as bots, API clients, backup scripts, etc.
By specifying a [narrow filter](/api/construct-narrow), you can use
this endpoint to fetch the messages matching any search query that is
supported by Zulip's powerful full-text search backend.
When a narrow is not specified, it can be used to fetch a user's
message history (We recommend paginating to 1000 messages at a time).
In either case, you specify an `anchor` message (or ask the server to
calculate the first unread message for you and use that as the
anchor), as well as a number of messages before and after the anchor
message. The server returns those messages, sorted by message ID, as
well as some metadata that makes it easy for a client to determine
whether there are more messages matching the query that were not
returned due to the `num_before` and `num_after` limits.
We recommend using `num_before <= 1000` and `num_after <= 1000` to
avoid generating very large HTTP responses. A maximum of 5000 messages
can be obtained per request; attempting to exceed this will result in an
error.
## Usage examples
{start_tabs}
{tab|python}
{generate_code_example(python)|/messages:get|example}
{tab|js}
More examples and documentation can be found [here](https://github.com/zulip/zulip-js).
```js
const zulip = require('zulip-js');
// Pass the path to your zuliprc file here.
const config = {
zuliprc: 'zuliprc',
};
zulip(config).then((client) => {
const readParams = {
stream,
type: 'stream',
anchor: res.id,
num_before: 1,
num_after: 1,
};
// Fetch messages anchored around id (1 before, 1 after)
return client.messages.retrieve(readParams);
}).then(console.log);
```
{tab|curl}
{generate_code_example(curl, exclude=["client_gravatar", "apply_markdown"])|/messages:get|example}
{end_tabs}
## Arguments
{generate_api_arguments_table|zulip.yaml|/messages:get}
## Response
#### Return values
When a request is successful, this endpoint returns a dictionary
containing the following (in addition to the `msg` and `result` keys
present in all Zulip API responses).
* `anchor`: the same `anchor` specified in the request.
* `found_newest`: whether the `messages` list includes the latest message in
the narrow.
* `found_oldest`: whether the `messages` list includes the oldest message in
the narrow.
* `found_anchor`: whether it was possible to fetch the requested anchor, or
the closest in the narrow has been used.
* `messages`: an array of `message` objects, each containing the following
fields:
* `avatar_url`: The URL of the user's avatar.
* `client`: A Zulip "client" string, describing what Zulip client
sent the message.
* `content`: The content/body of the message.
* `content_type`: The HTTP `content_type` for the message content. This
will be `text/html` or `text/x-markdown`, depending on
whether `apply_markdown` was set.
* `display_recipient`: Data on the recipient of the message;
either the name of a stream or a dictionary containing data on
the users who received the message.
* `flags`: The user's [message flags][message-flags] for the message.
* `id`: The unique message ID. Messages should always be
displayed sorted by ID.
* `is_me_message`: Whether the message is a [/me status message][status-messages]
* `reactions`: Data on any reactions to the message.
* `recipient_id`: A unique ID for the set of users receiving the
message (either a stream or group of users). Useful primarily
for hashing.
* `sender_email`: The email address of the message's sender.
* `sender_full_name`: The full name of the message's sender.
* `sender_id`: The user ID of the message's sender.
* `sender_realm_str`: A string identifier for the realm the sender
is in.
* `sender_short_name`: Reserved for future use.
* `stream_id`: Only present for stream messages; the ID of the stream.
* `subject`: The `topic` of the message (only present for stream
messages). The name is a legacy holdover from when topics were
called "subjects".
* `subject_links`: Data on any links to be included in the `topic`
line (these are generated by
[custom linkification filters][linkification-filters] that match
content in the message's topic.)
* `submessages`: Data used for certain experimental Zulip integrations.
* `timestamp`: The UNIX timestamp for when the message was sent,
in UTC seconds.
* `type`: The type of the message: `stream` or `private`.
#### Example response
A typical successful JSON response may look like:
{generate_code_example|/messages:get|fixture(200)}
[status-messages]: /help/format-your-message-using-markdown#status-messages
[linkification-filters]: /help/add-a-custom-linkification-filter
[message-flags]: /api/update-message-flags#available-flags