Update a message

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.
- Updating a card message requires app authentication with the chat.bot authorization scope.

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 the spaces.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 the spaces.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 the spaces.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.