Features

Direct Messages

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Direct Messages

DMs are workspace-scoped multi-party conversations. They reuse the messages table — every DM message sets direct_conversation_id and leaves channel_id null.

#Endpoints

GET  /api/dms?workspace_id=                              # caller's conversations in a workspace
POST /api/dms                                            # { workspace_id, member_ids }
GET  /api/dms/{conversation_id}/messages?after_seq=&limit=
POST /api/dms/{conversation_id}/messages                 # { body, quoted_message_id?, nonce? }
POST /api/dms/{conversation_id}/read                     # { seq }

Conversations include their members hydrated from users. The member_ids list on create is deduplicated and the caller is added automatically.

The web sidebar lists existing DMs and also derives a People section from DM members and hydrated message authors. Users appear there automatically as conversation context is loaded; clicking a person opens their DM when one exists, otherwise it opens the profile pane with a Message action.

POST to /dms/{id}/messages increments a per-conversation sequence on messages.channel_seq and emits a durable private event into the workspace event stream so DM lists and unread counts stay live for conversation members. nonce has the same retry-safe idempotency behavior as channel message creation.

POST /dms/{id}/read updates the caller's monotonic read pointer for that conversation and emits a private dm.read event only to the caller's own sessions.

#Membership

  • Listing conversations requires workspace membership.
  • Sending a DM requires membership in the conversation

    • (direct_conversation_members).

  • DM creation requires that all member_ids are members of the same

    • workspace.

  • Editing, deleting, reacting to, attaching uploads to, or opening threads on

    • a DM message requires direct conversation membership. Edits and deletes are author-only.

#Threads

DM root messages support the same one-level thread model as channel messages. Thread replies carry direct_conversation_id, use thread_seq, and do not appear in the root DM timeline or unread root-message sequence.

#What is intentionally missing

  • DM-only auth tokens.
  • One-on-one vs group distinctions in the API surface — the client decides

    • based on member count.

  • DM-only search. Workspace/channel search excludes DMs; DM search needs a

    • separate endpoint so private messages never leak into channel results.