Talk
Real-time chat and messaging between agents and customers, with support for multiple participants and message history.
API Reference: Talk endpoints
Overview
Note
AI Context
Complexity: Low
Cost: Free – Talk messaging does not incur per-message charges.
Async: No.
POST /talksandPOST /talks/{id}/messagesreturn synchronously with the created resource. Real-time delivery to other participants is handled via WebSocket push events.
VoIPBIN’s Talk API provides a modern messaging platform for real-time communication between agents. With support for threading, reactions, and group conversations, Talk enables efficient team collaboration and internal communication.
With the Talk API you can:
Create one-on-one and group conversations
Send messages with threading support
Add emoji reactions to messages
Attach media files to messages
Manage participants dynamically
How Talk Works
Talk provides a real-time messaging system where agents communicate through conversations called “talks.”
Talk Architecture
+----------+ +----------------+ +-----------+
| Agent A |--API-->| VoIPBIN |--push->| Agent B |
+----------+ | Talk Hub | +-----------+
+----------------+
|
+------+------+
| WebSocket |
| (real-time)|
+-------------+
|
+----------------+----------------+
v v v
+---------+ +---------+ +---------+
| Agent C | | Agent D | | Agent E |
+---------+ +---------+ +---------+
Key Components
Talk: A conversation container with participants and messages
Participant: An agent who can send and receive messages in a talk
Message: Text, media, or system notifications within a talk
Thread: Messages grouped as replies to a parent message
Talk Types
VoIPBIN supports different talk types for various communication needs.
One-on-One Talk
Private conversation between two agents.
+-------------------------+
| Talk (1:1) |
+-------------------------+
| |
| +---------+ |
| | Agent A |<--------+ |
| +---------+ | |
| | | |
| v | |
| +---------+ | |
| | Agent B |---------+ |
| +---------+ |
| |
+-------------------------+
Group Talk
Multi-participant conversation for team discussions.
+---------------------------------------+
| Talk (Group) |
+---------------------------------------+
| |
| +---------+ +---------+ +-------+ |
| | Agent A | | Agent B | | Agent | |
| +---------+ +---------+ | C | |
| | | +-------+ |
| | | | |
| +-----+-----+------------+ |
| | |
| v |
| +-------------+ |
| | All receive | |
| | messages | |
| +-------------+ |
| |
+---------------------------------------+
Talk Lifecycle
Talks and participants move through predictable states.
Talk States
POST /talks
|
v
+------------+
| active |<-----------------+
+-----+------+ |
| |
| close or | reopen
| all leave |
v |
+------------+ |
| closed |------------------+
+------------+
Participant States
POST /talks/{id}/participants
|
v
+------------+
| active |
+-----+------+
|
| leave or removed
v
+------------+
| left |
+------------+
Creating and Managing Talks
Create talks and manage participants through the API.
Create a Talk
$ curl -X POST 'https://api.voipbin.net/v1.0/talks?token=<token>' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '{
"name": "Project Discussion",
"participant_ids": [
"agent-id-1",
"agent-id-2",
"agent-id-3"
]
}'
Note
AI Implementation Hint
Talk uses the /service_agents/talk_chats endpoint (not /talks) for agent-facing operations. The participant’s owner_id must be a valid agent UUID obtained from GET /agents. Only agents who are participants of a talk can send or view messages in that talk.
Add Participant
$ curl -X POST 'https://api.voipbin.net/v1.0/talks/<talk-id>/participants?token=<token>' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '{
"agent_id": "agent-id-4"
}'
Remove Participant
$ curl -X DELETE 'https://api.voipbin.net/v1.0/talks/<talk-id>/participants/<participant-id>?token=<token>'
Sending Messages
Send messages within talks with support for threading and media.
Send a Message
Agent VoIPBIN Other Participants
| | |
| POST /talks/{id}/messages | |
+-------------------------->| |
| | Broadcast to participants |
| +----------------------------->|
| message_id | |
|<--------------------------+ |
| | |
Basic Message Example:
$ curl -X POST 'https://api.voipbin.net/v1.0/talks/<talk-id>/messages?token=<token>' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '{
"text": "Hello team, let'\''s discuss the project status."
}'
Reply to Message (Threading):
$ curl -X POST 'https://api.voipbin.net/v1.0/talks/<talk-id>/messages?token=<token>' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '{
"text": "I agree, we should prioritize the API work.",
"parent_id": "parent-message-id"
}'
Message with Media:
$ curl -X POST 'https://api.voipbin.net/v1.0/talks/<talk-id>/messages?token=<token>' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '{
"text": "Here is the design document.",
"medias": [
{
"type": "application/pdf",
"url": "https://storage.example.com/design-doc.pdf",
"name": "design-document.pdf"
}
]
}'
Message Threading
Threading organizes conversations by grouping related messages.
Thread Structure
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| Talk: "Project Discussion" |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| [Message 1] "What's the status of the API integration?" |
| | |
| +-- [Reply 1.1] "Working on authentication now" |
| | |
| +-- [Reply 1.2] "Should be done by Friday" |
| | |
| +-- [Reply 1.3] "Great, let me know if you need help" |
| |
| [Message 2] "Meeting tomorrow at 2pm" |
| | |
| +-- [Reply 2.1] "I'll be there" |
| |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
Thread Benefits
Keeps related discussions organized
Easy to follow conversation context
Reduces noise in main talk view
Message Reactions
Add emoji reactions to messages for quick feedback.
Add Reaction
$ curl -X POST 'https://api.voipbin.net/v1.0/messages/<message-id>/reactions?token=<token>' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '{
"emoji": "thumbsup"
}'
Reaction Display
+-----------------------------------------------+
| [Agent A] "The deployment was successful!" |
| |
| 👍 3 🎉 2 ❤️ 1 |
+-----------------------------------------------+
Common Reactions
Emoji |
Common Use |
|---|---|
👍 |
Agreement, acknowledgment |
👎 |
Disagreement |
❤️ |
Appreciation, love |
🎉 |
Celebration, success |
👀 |
Looking into it |
✅ |
Done, completed |
Message Types
Messages can be different types based on their origin.
Normal Messages
Regular messages sent by agents.
{
"type": "normal",
"agent_id": "agent-123",
"text": "Let's schedule a call tomorrow."
}
System Messages
Automated notifications about talk events.
{
"type": "system",
"text": "Agent B joined the conversation."
}
{
"type": "system",
"text": "Agent C left the conversation."
}
Real-Time Updates
Receive real-time message updates via WebSocket.
WebSocket Connection
Agent VoIPBIN
| |
| WebSocket connect |
+----------------------------->|
| |
| Subscribe to talk events |
+----------------------------->|
| |
|<==== message_created ========|
|<==== message_updated ========|
|<==== participant_joined =====|
|<==== reaction_added =========|
| |
Event Types
Event |
When it fires |
|---|---|
message_created |
New message sent to talk |
message_updated |
Message edited |
message_deleted |
Message removed |
reaction_added |
Reaction added to message |
reaction_removed |
Reaction removed from message |
participant_joined |
Agent joined the talk |
participant_left |
Agent left the talk |
Common Scenarios
Scenario 1: Team Project Discussion
Create a group talk for project collaboration.
1. Create talk with team members
POST /talks
{ "name": "Q1 Project", "participant_ids": [...] }
2. Send updates as messages
POST /talks/{id}/messages
{ "text": "Sprint 1 completed!" }
3. Team reacts and replies in threads
- Reactions: 🎉 👍
- Thread: "Great work! What's next?"
Scenario 2: Quick Decision
Use reactions for quick polls.
[Agent A] "Should we deploy today? 👍 for yes, 👎 for no"
|
+-- 👍 Agent B
+-- 👍 Agent C
+-- 👍 Agent D
+-- 👎 Agent E
|
Result: 3-1, deploy approved
Scenario 3: Support Escalation
Internal discussion about customer issue.
+------------------------------------------------+
| Talk: "Customer Issue #12345" |
+------------------------------------------------+
| |
| [Agent A] "Customer reporting payment failure" |
| |
| [Agent B] "Let me check the logs" |
| | |
| +-- [Reply] "Found it - gateway timeout" |
| +-- [Reply] "Retrying the transaction" |
| |
| [Agent A] "Customer confirmed it works now" |
| 👍 Agent B |
| |
+------------------------------------------------+
Best Practices
1. Talk Organization
Use descriptive talk names
Create separate talks for different topics
Archive inactive talks
2. Threading
Reply in threads to keep discussions organized
Use threads for detailed discussions
Keep main talk for announcements and new topics
3. Reactions
Use reactions for quick acknowledgments
Avoid over-reacting to every message
Use consistent reaction meanings in your team
4. Media Sharing
Use descriptive filenames
Keep file sizes reasonable
Reference shared files in message text
Troubleshooting
Message Issues
Symptom |
Solution |
|---|---|
Message not delivered |
Check agent is participant in talk; verify WebSocket connection |
Thread not showing |
Verify parent_id is correct; check message exists |
Media not loading |
Check URL accessibility; verify file format |
Participant Issues
Symptom |
Solution |
|---|---|
Can’t add participant |
Verify agent exists; check talk is active |
Not receiving messages |
Check participant status; verify WebSocket subscription |
Talk
Talk
{
"id": "<string>",
"customer_id": "<string>",
"type": "<string>",
"tm_create": "<string>",
"tm_update": "<string>",
"tm_delete": "<string>"
}
id(UUID): The talk’s unique identifier. Returned when creating viaPOST /service_agents/talk_chatsor listing viaGET /service_agents/talk_chats.customer_id(UUID): The customer’s unique identifier. Obtained fromGET /customers.type(enum string): The talk’s type. See Type.tm_create(string, ISO 8601): Timestamp when the talk was created.tm_update(string, ISO 8601): Timestamp when the talk was last updated.tm_delete(string, ISO 8601): Timestamp when the talk was deleted (soft delete).
Note
AI Implementation Hint
A tm_delete value of 9999-01-01 00:00:00.000000 means the talk has not been deleted. An empty string "" also indicates the talk is active.
Example
{
"id": "e8b2e976-f043-44c8-bb89-e214e225e813",
"customer_id": "5e4a0680-804e-11ec-8477-2fea5968d85b",
"type": "normal",
"tm_create": "2024-01-17 10:30:00.000000",
"tm_update": "2024-01-17 10:30:00.000000",
"tm_delete": ""
}
Type
Talk’s type determines whether it’s a one-on-one or group conversation.
Type |
Description |
|---|---|
normal |
1:1 talk between two agents. Private direct conversation. |
group |
Group talk with multiple participants. Team discussions. |
Message
Message
{
"id": "<string>",
"customer_id": "<string>",
"owner_type": "<string>",
"owner_id": "<string>",
"chat_id": "<string>",
"parent_id": "<string>",
"type": "<string>",
"text": "<string>",
"medias": [
{
"type": "<string>"
}
],
"metadata": {
"reactions": [
{
"emoji": "<string>",
"owner_type": "<string>",
"owner_id": "<string>",
"tm_create": "<string>"
}
]
},
"tm_create": "<string>",
"tm_update": "<string>",
"tm_delete": "<string>"
}
id(UUID): The message’s unique identifier. Returned when creating viaPOST /service_agents/talk_messagesor listing viaGET /service_agents/talk_messages.customer_id(UUID): The customer’s unique identifier. Obtained fromGET /customers.owner_type(enum string): Type of the message owner. Currently only"agent"for user-sent messages, or"system"for system-generated messages.owner_id(UUID): The agent’s unique identifier who sent the message. Obtained fromGET /agents.chat_id(UUID): The talk’s unique identifier that this message belongs to. Obtained fromGET /service_agents/talk_chats.parent_id(UUID, optional): Parent message ID for threaded replies. Must be theidof an existing message in the same talk. Omit or set to empty string for top-level messages.type(enum string): Message type. See Type.text(String): Message text content.medias(Array of Object): Array of media attachments. Each object containstype(MIME type string),url(String), andname(String).metadata(Object): Message metadata including reactions. Contains areactionsarray.tm_create(string, ISO 8601): Timestamp when the message was created.tm_update(string, ISO 8601): Timestamp when the message was last updated.tm_delete(string, ISO 8601): Timestamp when the message was deleted (soft delete).
Note
AI Implementation Hint
A tm_delete value of empty string "" means the message has not been deleted. To create a threaded reply, set parent_id to the id of the message you want to reply to. The parent message must exist in the same talk.
Example
{
"id": "a3c5e8f2-4d3a-4b5c-9e7f-1a2b3c4d5e6f",
"customer_id": "5e4a0680-804e-11ec-8477-2fea5968d85b",
"owner_type": "agent",
"owner_id": "eb1ac5c0-ff63-47e2-bcdb-5da9c336eb4b",
"chat_id": "e8b2e976-f043-44c8-bb89-e214e225e813",
"parent_id": "b2d4f7a1-3c2e-4f5a-8d9c-2e3f4a5b6c7d",
"type": "normal",
"text": "That's a great idea! Let's proceed with that approach.",
"medias": [],
"metadata": {
"reactions": [
{
"emoji": "👍",
"owner_type": "agent",
"owner_id": "47fe0b7c-7333-46cf-8b23-61e14e62490a",
"tm_create": "2024-01-17 10:35:00.000000"
}
]
},
"tm_create": "2024-01-17 10:32:00.000000",
"tm_update": "2024-01-17 10:32:00.000000",
"tm_delete": ""
}
Type
Message type indicates whether it’s a regular message or system notification.
Type |
Description |
|---|---|
normal |
Regular message sent by an agent. Contains user-authored text and optional media attachments. |
system |
System-generated notification message. Automatically created when participants join or leave the talk. |
Threading
Messages can form conversation threads by specifying a parent message ID. When a message includes a parent_id, it appears as a reply to the parent message, creating a nested conversation structure within the talk.
Threading Rules:
Parent message must exist in the same talk.
Parent message can be deleted (soft delete) - the thread structure is preserved.
Replies can have their own replies, creating multi-level threads.
Reactions
Agents can add emoji reactions to messages. Reactions are stored in the message metadata and include:
emoji(String): The emoji character (e.g., “thumbsup”, “heart”).owner_type(enum string): Type of the reactor. Currently only"agent".owner_id(UUID): Unique identifier of the agent who reacted. Obtained fromGET /agents.tm_create(string, ISO 8601): Timestamp when the reaction was added.
Multiple agents can react to the same message, and the same agent can add multiple different emoji reactions. Reactions provide quick feedback without sending a full message response.
Participant
Participant
{
"id": "<string>",
"customer_id": "<string>",
"owner_type": "<string>",
"owner_id": "<string>",
"chat_id": "<string>",
"tm_joined": "<string>"
}
id(UUID): The participant’s unique identifier. Returned when adding a participant viaPOST /service_agents/talk_chats/{id}/participants.customer_id(UUID): The customer’s unique identifier. Obtained fromGET /customers.owner_type(enum string): Type of the participant. Currently only"agent"is supported.owner_id(UUID): The agent’s unique identifier. Obtained fromGET /agents.chat_id(UUID): The talk’s unique identifier that this participant belongs to. Obtained fromGET /service_agents/talk_chats.tm_joined(string, ISO 8601): Timestamp when the participant joined the talk.
Note
AI Implementation Hint
When a participant is removed and later re-added, a new participant record is created with a new id and updated tm_joined timestamp. The previous participant record is hard-deleted from the database.
Example
{
"id": "f4d6e9b3-5c4a-4d5e-9f8a-2b3c4d5e6f7g",
"customer_id": "5e4a0680-804e-11ec-8477-2fea5968d85b",
"owner_type": "agent",
"owner_id": "eb1ac5c0-ff63-47e2-bcdb-5da9c336eb4b",
"chat_id": "e8b2e976-f043-44c8-bb89-e214e225e813",
"tm_joined": "2024-01-17 10:30:00.000000"
}
Participant Management
Participants can be added to or removed from talks dynamically. When a participant is removed and later re-added, their join timestamp is updated to reflect the most recent join time.
Participant Rules:
Each talk can have multiple participants.
The same agent cannot be added as a participant twice (enforced by unique constraint).
When a participant is removed, they are hard-deleted from the database.
Re-adding a participant creates a new record with a new join timestamp.
Only participants of a talk can view messages and send new messages.
Permissions:
Participants can view all messages in the talk.
Participants can send messages to the talk.
Participants can add reactions to any message in the talk.
Non-participants cannot access talk messages or send messages.
Tutorial
This tutorial demonstrates how to use the Talk API to create conversations, manage participants, send messages with threading and reactions.
Before using the Talk API, you need:
An authentication token. Obtain one via
POST /auth/loginor use an access key fromGET /accesskeys.Agent IDs (UUIDs) for the participants you want to add. Obtain agent IDs via
GET /agents.(For threading) An existing message ID to reply to. Obtain message IDs via
GET /service_agents/talk_messages.
Note
AI Implementation Hint
Talk API uses the /service_agents/talk_chats and /service_agents/talk_messages endpoints. The agent making the request must be authenticated and will automatically become a participant. When adding other participants, use their agent id from GET /agents as the owner_id.
Create a Talk
Create a new talk conversation:
POST /service_agents/talk_chats
{
"type": "normal"
}
Response:
{
"id": "e8b2e976-f043-44c8-bb89-e214e225e813",
"customer_id": "5e4a0680-804e-11ec-8477-2fea5968d85b",
"type": "normal",
"tm_create": "2024-01-17 10:30:00.000000",
"tm_update": "2024-01-17 10:30:00.000000",
"tm_delete": ""
}
Add Participants
Add agents to the talk:
POST /service_agents/talk_chats/e8b2e976-f043-44c8-bb89-e214e225e813/participants
{
"owner_type": "agent",
"owner_id": "47fe0b7c-7333-46cf-8b23-61e14e62490a"
}
Response:
{
"id": "f4d6e9b3-5c4a-4d5e-9f8a-2b3c4d5e6f7g",
"customer_id": "5e4a0680-804e-11ec-8477-2fea5968d85b",
"owner_type": "agent",
"owner_id": "47fe0b7c-7333-46cf-8b23-61e14e62490a",
"chat_id": "e8b2e976-f043-44c8-bb89-e214e225e813",
"tm_joined": "2024-01-17 10:31:00.000000"
}
Send a Message
Send a message to the talk:
POST /service_agents/talk_messages
{
"chat_id": "e8b2e976-f043-44c8-bb89-e214e225e813",
"type": "normal",
"text": "Hello team! Let's discuss the new feature."
}
Response:
{
"id": "a3c5e8f2-4d3a-4b5c-9e7f-1a2b3c4d5e6f",
"customer_id": "5e4a0680-804e-11ec-8477-2fea5968d85b",
"owner_type": "agent",
"owner_id": "eb1ac5c0-ff63-47e2-bcdb-5da9c336eb4b",
"chat_id": "e8b2e976-f043-44c8-bb89-e214e225e813",
"type": "normal",
"text": "Hello team! Let's discuss the new feature.",
"medias": [],
"metadata": {
"reactions": []
},
"tm_create": "2024-01-17 10:32:00.000000",
"tm_update": "2024-01-17 10:32:00.000000",
"tm_delete": ""
}
Add a Reaction
Add an emoji reaction to a message:
POST /service_agents/talk_messages/b2d4f7a1-3c2e-4f5a-8d9c-2e3f4a5b6c7d/reactions
{
"emoji": "👍"
}
Response:
{
"id": "b2d4f7a1-3c2e-4f5a-8d9c-2e3f4a5b6c7d",
"customer_id": "5e4a0680-804e-11ec-8477-2fea5968d85b",
"owner_type": "agent",
"owner_id": "47fe0b7c-7333-46cf-8b23-61e14e62490a",
"chat_id": "e8b2e976-f043-44c8-bb89-e214e225e813",
"parent_id": "a3c5e8f2-4d3a-4b5c-9e7f-1a2b3c4d5e6f",
"type": "normal",
"text": "Great idea! I'll start working on the requirements.",
"medias": [],
"metadata": {
"reactions": [
{
"emoji": "👍",
"owner_type": "agent",
"owner_id": "eb1ac5c0-ff63-47e2-bcdb-5da9c336eb4b",
"tm_create": "2024-01-17 10:34:00.000000"
}
]
},
"tm_create": "2024-01-17 10:33:00.000000",
"tm_update": "2024-01-17 10:34:00.000000",
"tm_delete": ""
}
List Messages
Retrieve messages from a talk with pagination:
GET /service_agents/talk_messages?page_size=50
Response:
{
"result": [
{
"id": "a3c5e8f2-4d3a-4b5c-9e7f-1a2b3c4d5e6f",
"customer_id": "5e4a0680-804e-11ec-8477-2fea5968d85b",
"owner_type": "agent",
"owner_id": "eb1ac5c0-ff63-47e2-bcdb-5da9c336eb4b",
"chat_id": "e8b2e976-f043-44c8-bb89-e214e225e813",
"type": "normal",
"text": "Hello team! Let's discuss the new feature.",
"medias": [],
"metadata": {
"reactions": []
},
"tm_create": "2024-01-17 10:32:00.000000",
"tm_update": "2024-01-17 10:32:00.000000",
"tm_delete": ""
},
{
"id": "b2d4f7a1-3c2e-4f5a-8d9c-2e3f4a5b6c7d",
"customer_id": "5e4a0680-804e-11ec-8477-2fea5968d85b",
"owner_type": "agent",
"owner_id": "47fe0b7c-7333-46cf-8b23-61e14e62490a",
"chat_id": "e8b2e976-f043-44c8-bb89-e214e225e813",
"parent_id": "a3c5e8f2-4d3a-4b5c-9e7f-1a2b3c4d5e6f",
"type": "normal",
"text": "Great idea! I'll start working on the requirements.",
"medias": [],
"metadata": {
"reactions": [
{
"emoji": "👍",
"owner_type": "agent",
"owner_id": "eb1ac5c0-ff63-47e2-bcdb-5da9c336eb4b",
"tm_create": "2024-01-17 10:34:00.000000"
}
]
},
"tm_create": "2024-01-17 10:33:00.000000",
"tm_update": "2024-01-17 10:34:00.000000",
"tm_delete": ""
}
],
"next_page_token": "2024-01-17 10:33:00.000000"
}
Remove a Participant
Remove a participant from the talk:
DELETE /service_agents/talk_chats/e8b2e976-f043-44c8-bb89-e214e225e813/participants/f4d6e9b3-5c4a-4d5e-9f8a-2b3c4d5e6f7g
Response:
{
"id": "f4d6e9b3-5c4a-4d5e-9f8a-2b3c4d5e6f7g",
"customer_id": "5e4a0680-804e-11ec-8477-2fea5968d85b",
"owner_type": "agent",
"owner_id": "47fe0b7c-7333-46cf-8b23-61e14e62490a",
"chat_id": "e8b2e976-f043-44c8-bb89-e214e225e813",
"tm_joined": "2024-01-17 10:31:00.000000"
}
Delete a Talk
Delete a talk (soft delete):
DELETE /service_agents/talk_chats/e8b2e976-f043-44c8-bb89-e214e225e813
Response:
{
"id": "e8b2e976-f043-44c8-bb89-e214e225e813",
"customer_id": "5e4a0680-804e-11ec-8477-2fea5968d85b",
"type": "normal",
"tm_create": "2024-01-17 10:30:00.000000",
"tm_update": "2024-01-17 10:35:00.000000",
"tm_delete": "2024-01-17 10:35:00.000000"
}