This guide explains how to update a message with the Google Chat API. Update a message to change message attributes, such as what it says, or the content of a card. You can also prepend a text message to a card message, or append a card to a text message.
To asynchronously update an existing message in Google Chat, call the
patch
method
on the
Message
resource,
and pass the name
of the message to update, as well as an updateMask
and a
body
that specifies the updated message. Chat API also supports the
update
method
on the
Message
resource, but we
strongly recommend calling the
patch
method because it
uses a PATCH
HTTP request while
update
uses a PUT
HTTP request. To learn more, see the
AIP-134's PATCH
and PUT
section.
Prerequisites
Python
- Python 3.6 or greater
- The pip package management tool
The Google client libraries for Python. To install them, run the following command in your command-line interface:
pip3 install --upgrade google-api-python-client google-auth-httplib2 google-auth-oauthlib oauth2client
A published Chat app. To create and publish a Chat app, see Build a Google Chat app.
Authorization configured for the Chat app:
- Updating a
text message
supports both of the following authentication methods:
- User authentication,
with the
chat.messages
authorization scope, can update messages created by that user. - App authentication
with the
chat.bot
authorization scope, can update messages created by that app.
- User authentication,
with the
- Updating a
card message
requires
app authentication
with the
chat.bot
authorization scope.
- Updating a
text message
supports both of the following authentication methods:
Update a text message, or prepend a text message to a card message, with user authentication
To update a text message with user authentication, pass the following in your request:
- Specify the
chat.messages
authorization scope. - The
name
of the message to update. updateMask='text'
- A
body
that specifies the updated message.
If the updated message is a card message, then the text message prepends to the card message (which continues to display).
Here's how to update a text message, or prepend a text message to a card message with user authentication:
Python
- In your working directory, create a file named
chat_update_text_message_user.py
. Include the following code in
chat_update_text_message_user.py
:import os.path from google.auth.transport.requests import Request from google.oauth2.credentials import Credentials from google_auth_oauthlib.flow import InstalledAppFlow from googleapiclient.discovery import build from googleapiclient.errors import HttpError # Define your app's authorization scopes. # When modifying these scopes, delete the file token.json, if it exists. SCOPES = ["https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.messages"] def main(): ''' Authenticates with Chat API via user credentials, then updates a message. ''' # Authenticate with Google Workspace # and get user authorization. flow = InstalledAppFlow.from_client_secrets_file( 'client_secrets.json', SCOPES) creds = flow.run_local_server() # Build a service endpoint for Chat API. chat = build('chat', 'v1', credentials=creds) # Update a Chat message. result = chat.spaces().messages().patch( # The message to update, and the updated message. # # Replace SPACE with a space name. # Obtain the space name from the spaces resource of Chat API, # or from a space's URL. # # Replace MESSAGE with a message name. # Obtain the message name from the response body returned # after creating a message asynchronously with Chat REST API. name='spaces/SPACE/messages/MESSAGE', updateMask='text', body={'text': 'Updated message!'} ).execute() # Prints details about the created membership. print(result) if __name__ == '__main__': main()
In the code, replace the following:
SPACE
: a space name, which you can obtain from thespaces.list
method in the Chat API, or from a space's URL.MESSAGE
: a message name, which you can obtain from the response body returned after creating a message asynchronously with the Chat API, or with the custom name assigned to the message at creation.
In your working directory, build and run the sample:
python3 chat_update_text_message_user.py
Update a text message, or prepend a text message to a card message, with app authentication
To update a text message with app authentication, pass the following in your request:
- Specify the
chat.bot
authorization scope. - The
name
of the message to update. updateMask='text'
- A
body
that specifies the updated message.
If the updated message is a card message, then the text message prepends to the card message (which continues to display).
Here's how to update a text message to a text message, or prepend a text message to a card message with app authentication:
Python
- In your working directory, create a file named
chat_update_text_message_app.py
. Include the following code in
chat_update_text_message_app.py
:from httplib2 import Http from oauth2client.service_account import ServiceAccountCredentials from apiclient.discovery import build # Specify required scopes. SCOPES = ['https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.bot'] # Specify service account details. CREDENTIALS = ServiceAccountCredentials.from_json_keyfile_name( 'service_account.json', SCOPES) # Build the URI and authenticate with the service account. chat = build('chat', 'v1', http=CREDENTIALS.authorize(Http())) # Update a Chat message. result = chat.spaces().messages().patch( # The message to update, and the updated message. # # Replace SPACE with a space name. # Obtain the space name from the spaces resource of Chat API, # or from a space's URL. # # Replace MESSAGE with a message name. # Obtain the message name from the response body returned # after creating a message asynchronously with Chat REST API. name='spaces/SPACE/messages/MESSAGE', updateMask='text', body={'text': 'Updated message!'} ).execute() # Print Chat API's response in your command line interface. print(result)
In the code, replace the following:
SPACE
: a space name, which you can obtain from thespaces.list
method in the Chat API, or from a space's URL.MESSAGE
: a message name, which you can obtain from the response body returned after creating a message asynchronously with the Chat API, or with the custom name assigned to the message at creation.
In your working directory, build and run the sample:
python3 chat_update_text_message_app.py
Update a card message, or append a card message to a text message
To update a card message, pass the following in your request:
- The
chat.bot
authorization scope. Updating a card message requires app authentication. - The
name
of the message to update. updateMask='cardsV2'
- A
body
that specifies the updated message.
If the updated message is a text message, then a card appends to the text message (which continues to display). If the updated message is itself a card, then the displayed card is updated.
Here's how to update a message to a card message:
Python
- In your working directory, create a file named
chat_update_card_message.py
. Include the following code in
chat_update_card_message.py
:from httplib2 import Http from oauth2client.service_account import ServiceAccountCredentials from apiclient.discovery import build # Specify required scopes. SCOPES = ['https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.bot'] # Specify service account details. CREDENTIALS = ServiceAccountCredentials.from_json_keyfile_name( 'service_account.json', SCOPES) # Build the URI and authenticate with the service account. chat = build('chat', 'v1', http=CREDENTIALS.authorize(Http())) # Update a Chat message. result = chat.spaces().messages().patch( # The message to update, and the updated message. # # Replace SPACE with a space name. # Obtain the space name from the spaces resource of Chat API, # or from a space's URL. # # Replace MESSAGE with a message name. # Obtain the message name from the response body returned # after creating a message asynchronously with Chat REST API. name='spaces/SPACE/messages/MESSAGE', updateMask='cardsV2', body= { 'cardsV2': [{ 'cardId': 'updateCardMessage', 'card': { 'header': { 'title': 'An Updated Card Message!', 'subtitle': 'Updated with Chat REST API', 'imageUrl': 'https://developers.google.com/chat/images/chat-product-icon.png', 'imageType': 'CIRCLE' }, 'sections': [ { 'widgets': [ { 'buttonList': { 'buttons': [ { 'text': 'Read the docs!', 'onClick': { 'openLink': { 'url': 'https://developers.google.com/chat' } } } ] } } ] } ] } }] } ).execute() # Print Chat API's response in your command line interface. print(result)
In the code, replace the following:
SPACE
: a space name, which you can obtain from thespaces.list
method in the Chat API, or from a space's URL.MESSAGE
: a message name, which you can obtain from the response body returned after creating a message asynchronously with the Chat API, or with the custom name assigned to the message at creation.
In your working directory, build and run the sample:
python3 chat_update_card_message.py
The Chat API returns an instance of
Message
that details the message that's updated.