Edit a message

PATCH https://balena.zulipchat.com/api/v1/messages/{message_id}

Update the content, topic, or channel of the message with the specified ID.

You can resolve topics by editing the topic to ✔ {original_topic} with the propagate_mode parameter set to "change_all".

See configuring message editing for detailed documentation on when users are allowed to edit message content, and restricting moving messages for detailed documentation on when users are allowed to change a message's topic and/or channel.

The relevant realm settings in the API that are related to the above linked documentation on when users are allowed to update messages are:

• allow_message_editing
• can_move_messages_between_channels_group
• can_move_messages_between_topics_group
• message_content_edit_limit_seconds
• move_messages_within_stream_limit_seconds
• move_messages_between_streams_limit_seconds

More details about these realm settings can be found in the POST /register response or in the documentation of the realm op: update_dict event in GET /events.

Changes: In Zulip 10.0 (feature level 316), edit_topic_policy was removed and replaced by can_move_messages_between_topics_group realm setting.

Changes: In Zulip 10.0 (feature level 310), move_messages_between_streams_policy was removed and replaced by can_move_messages_between_channels_group realm setting.

Prior to Zulip 7.0 (feature level 172), anyone could add a topic to channel messages without a topic, regardless of the organization's topic editing permissions. As of this feature level, messages without topics have the same restrictions for topic edits as messages with topics.

Before Zulip 7.0 (feature level 172), by using the change_all value for the propagate_mode parameter, users could move messages after the organization's configured time limits for changing a message's topic or channel had passed. As of this feature level, the server will return an error with "code": "MOVE_MESSAGES_TIME_LIMIT_EXCEEDED" if users, other than organization administrators or moderators, try to move messages after these time limits have passed.

Before Zulip 7.0 (feature level 162), users who were not administrators or moderators could only edit topics if the target message was sent within the last 3 days. As of this feature level, that time limit is now controlled by the realm setting move_messages_within_stream_limit_seconds. Also at this feature level, a similar time limit for moving messages between channels was added, controlled by the realm setting move_messages_between_streams_limit_seconds. Previously, all users who had permission to move messages between channels did not have any time limit restrictions when doing so.

Before Zulip 7.0 (feature level 159), editing channels and topics of messages was forbidden if the realm setting for allow_message_editing was false, regardless of an organization's configuration for the realm settings edit_topic_policy or move_messages_between_streams_policy.

Before Zulip 7.0 (feature level 159), message senders were allowed to edit the topic of their messages indefinitely.

In Zulip 5.0 (feature level 75), the edit_topic_policy realm setting was added, replacing the allow_community_topic_editing boolean.

In Zulip 4.0 (feature level 56), the move_messages_between_streams_policy realm setting was added.

Usage examples

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import zulip

# Pass the path to your zuliprc file here.
client = zulip.Client(config_file="~/zuliprc")

# Edit a message. Make sure that `message_id` is set to the ID of the
# message you wish to update.
request = {
    "message_id": message_id,
    "content": "New content",
}
result = client.update_message(request)
print(result)

const zulipInit = require("zulip-js");

// Pass the path to your zuliprc file here.
const config = { zuliprc: "zuliprc" };

(async () => {
    const client = await zulipInit(config);

    // Update a message with the given "message_id"
    const params = {
        message_id,
        content: "New Content",
    };

    console.log(await client.messages.update(params));
})();

curl -sSX PATCH https://balena.zulipchat.com/api/v1/messages/43 \
    -u BOT_EMAIL_ADDRESS:BOT_API_KEY \
    --data-urlencode topic=Castle \
    --data-urlencode propagate_mode=change_all \
    --data-urlencode send_notification_to_old_thread=true \
    --data-urlencode send_notification_to_new_thread=true \
    --data-urlencode content=Hello

Parameters

Response

Return values

• detached_uploads: (object)[]

  Details on all files uploaded by the acting user whose only references were removed when editing this message. Clients should ask the acting user if they wish to delete the uploaded files returned in this response, which might otherwise remain visible only in message edit history.

  Note that access to message edit history is configurable; this detail may be important in presenting the question clearly to users.

  New in Zulip 10.0 (feature level 285).

  • id: integer

    The unique ID for the attachment.

  • name: string

    Name of the uploaded file.

  • path_id: string

    A representation of the path of the file within the repository of user-uploaded files. If the path_id of a file is {realm_id}/ab/cdef/temp_file.py, its URL will be: {server_url}/user_uploads/{realm_id}/ab/cdef/temp_file.py.

  • size: integer

    Size of the file in bytes.

  • create_time: integer

    Time when the attachment was uploaded as a UNIX timestamp multiplied by 1000 (matching the format of getTime() in JavaScript).

    Changes: Changed in Zulip 3.0 (feature level 22). This field was previously a floating point number.

  • messages: (object)[]

    Contains basic details on any Zulip messages that have been sent referencing this uploaded file. This includes messages sent by any user in the Zulip organization who sent a message containing a link to the uploaded file.

    • date_sent: integer

      Time when the message was sent as a UNIX timestamp multiplied by 1000 (matching the format of getTime() in JavaScript).

      Changes: Changed in Zulip 3.0 (feature level 22). This field was previously strangely called name and was a floating point number.

    • id: integer

      The unique message ID. Messages should always be displayed sorted by ID.

Example response(s)

Changes: As of Zulip 7.0 (feature level 167), if any parameters sent in the request are not supported by this endpoint, a successful JSON response will include an ignored_parameters_unsupported array.

A typical successful JSON response may look like:

{
    "detached_uploads": [
        {
            "create_time": 1687984706000,
            "id": 3,
            "messages": [],
            "name": "1253601-1.jpg",
            "path_id": "2/5d/BD5NRptFxPDKY3RUKwhhup8r/1253601-1.jpg",
            "size": 1339060
        }
    ],
    "msg": "",
    "result": "success"
}

A typical JSON response for when one doesn't have the permission to edit a particular message:

{
    "code": "BAD_REQUEST",
    "msg": "You don't have permission to edit this message",
    "result": "error"
}

A special failed JSON response ("code": "MOVE_MESSAGES_TIME_LIMIT_EXCEEDED") for when the user has permission to move the target message, but asked to move all messages in a topic ("propagate_mode": "change_all") and the user does not have permission to move the entire topic.

This happens when the topic contains some messages that are older than an applicable time limit for the requested topic move (see move_messages_within_stream_limit_seconds and/or move_messages_between_streams_limit_seconds in the POST /register response).

The error response contains data on which portion of this topic the user has permission to move. first_message_id_allowed_to_move is the oldest message ID in this topic that the user has permission to move. There are total_messages_in_topic in the topic, but the user only has permission to move the (most recent) total_messages_allowed_to_move messages.

Clients should support this error code with "first_message_id_allowed_to_move": null for forward compatibility with future server versions that may use this error code with other propagation modes where the user does not have permission to move any messages, or where the server did not calculate the total message counts noted above.

Clients can either only present the error to the user or, if first_message_id_allowed_to_move is not null, prompt the user to adjust their query with the above information.

If clients choose to present a prompt for this error code, they should recommend the option of cancelling and (manually) asking a moderator to move the entire topic, since that's often a better experience than partially moving a topic. This API supports a client that wishes to allow the user to repeat the request with a change_later propagation mode and a target message ID of first_message_id_allowed_to_move, if the user desires to move only the portion of the topic that they can.

Note that in a channel with protected history, the Zulip security model requires that the above calculations only include messages the acting user has access to. So in the rare case of a user attempting to move a topic that started before the user joined a private channel with protected history, this API endpoint might move only the portion of a topic that they have access to, without this error or any confirmation dialog.

Changes: New in Zulip 7.0 (feature level 172).

{
    "code": "MOVE_MESSAGES_TIME_LIMIT_EXCEEDED",
    "first_message_id_allowed_to_move": 123,
    "msg": "You only have permission to move the 2/5 most recent messages in this topic.",
    "result": "error",
    "total_messages_allowed_to_move": 2,
    "total_messages_in_topic": 5
}

An example JSON error response for when the message was rejected because of the organization's wildcard_mention_policy and large number of subscribers to the channel.

Changes: New in Zulip 8.0 (feature level 229). Previously, this error returned the "BAD_REQUEST" code.

{
    "code": "STREAM_WILDCARD_MENTION_NOT_ALLOWED",
    "msg": "You do not have permission to use channel wildcard mentions in this channel.",
    "result": "error"
}

An example JSON error response for when the message was rejected because the message contains a topic wildcard mention, but the user doesn't have permission to use such a mention in this topic due to the wildcard_mention_policy (and large number of participants in this specific topic).

Changes: New in Zulip 8.0 (feature level 229). Previously, wildcard_mention_policy was not enforced for topic mentions.

{
    "code": "TOPIC_WILDCARD_MENTION_NOT_ALLOWED",
    "msg": "You do not have permission to use topic wildcard mentions in this topic.",
    "result": "error"
}