# Chatlayer messages specifications
Chatlayer.ai supports different types of chat messages, each with its own object structure. Chat messages can be sent:
* In the response from the API plugin
* From your [webhook](https://docs.chatlayer.ai/channels/all-channels/webhook-api) to Chatlayer.ai
Each message has two mandatory fields:
* **type**: the messages type (carousel, buttons, list, media, text, …)
* **config**: the message configuration
## Text
A text message includes a simple bot text message.
**Request format**:
```javascript
{
"senderId": "a7355930-fa92-11e7-8308-2f056e75d1ee",
"message": {
"text": "Hi, I'm a chatbot"
},
"messageCounter": 1,
"verifyToken": "8wMsLZkdDPT64nqh"
}
```
| **Property** | **Value** | **Description** |
| ------------ | --------- | ---------------------- |
| text | string | The user test message. |
## Button Template
A button template includes a simple bot text message and an array of button objects.
**Request format**:
```javascript
{
"senderId": "a7355930-fa92-11e7-8308-2f056e75d1ee",
"message": {
"attachment": {
"type": "template",
"payload": {
"template_type": "button",
"text": "Hello, in which language can I help you?",
"buttons": [
{
"type": "postback",
"title": "Nederlands",
"payload": "437a034cde170b50de1b6a87d1cba104e39b1f6e"
},
{
"type": "postback",
"title": "English",
"payload": "a6a318dd6afe997f282b3c7472e038a2e0f4046a"
},
]
}
}
},
"messageCounter": 1,
"verifyToken": "8wMsLZkdDPT64nqh"
}
```
**Message object for button template**:
| **Property** | **Value** | **Description** |
| ------------ | --------- | ---------------------- |
| attachment | object | The attachment object. |
**Attachment object**:
| **Property** | **Value** | **Description** |
| ------------ | --------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| type | string | The attachment type (template) |
| payload | object | The attachment payload object. The object structure depends of the attachment type |
**Attachment payload object**:
| **Property** | **Value** | **Description** |
| -------------- | ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| template\_type | string | The template type (button) |
| text | string (optional) | The text above the buttons ( only for a button template type) |
| buttons | array | An array of button objects |
**Button object**:
| **Property** | **Value** | **Description** |
| ------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| type | string | The button type (web\_url - postback - phone\_number - element\_share) |
| title | string | The button caption |
| payload | string (will contain the phone number when type is phone\_number) - optional | The button payload. Only for postback type buttons.
This is an Opaque identifier please don't try to change or extract meaning out of it.
|
| url | string - optional | The button url. Only for url type buttons |
## Quick replies
A quick reply message includes a simple bot text message and an array of quick reply objects.
**Request format**:
```javascript
{
"senderId": "a7355930-fa92-11e7-8308-2f056e75d1ee",
"message": {
"text": "Hello, in which language can I help you?",
"quick_replies": [
{
"content_type": "text",
"title": "Nederlands",
"payload": "c3e30be2f30687fea0ae419acaeb9d77261631a9",
"image_url": "https://domain/logo.png"
},
{
"content_type": "text",
"title": "English",
"payload": "2e29412e82c8eea8c8b0c170661070d28929a900",
"image_url": "https://domain/logo.png"
},
]
},
"messageCounter": 1,
"verifyToken": "8wMsLZkdDPT64nqh"
}
```
**Message object for quick replies**:
| **Property** | **Value** | **Description** |
| -------------- | --------- | ---------------------------------- |
| text | string | The text before the quick replies. |
| quick\_replies | array | An array of quick reply objects |
**Quick reply object**:
| **Property** | **Value** | **Description** |
| ------------- | --------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| content\_type | string | The quick reply content type (text) |
| title | string | The button caption |
| payload | string | The quick reply payload.
This is an Opaque identifier please don't try to change or extract meaning out of it.
|
## Generic template
A generic template (carousel) includes a list of generic template elements. The generic template element is a simple structured message that includes a title, subtitle, image, and up to three buttons
**Request format**:
```javascript
{
"senderId": "a7355930-fa92-11e7-8308-2f056e75d1ee",
"message": {
"attachment": {
"type": "template",
"payload": {
"template_type": "generic",
"elements": [
{
"title": "Language",
"subtitle": "Please set your language",
"image_url": "https://domain/lang.png",
"item_url": "https://domain/lang",
"buttons": [
{
"type": "postback",
"title": "Nederlands",
"payload": "f0512bd2fcddc53963056dc0d63b52b8caa902ff"
},
{
"type": "postback",
"title": "English",
"payload": "4562ae76c34a13647fab90425c68a486b8acf356"
},
]
}
]
}
}
},
"messageCounter": 1,
"verifyToken": "8wMsLZkdDPT64nqh"
}
```
**Message object for generic template**:
| **Property** | **Value** | **Description** |
| ------------ | --------- | ---------------------- |
| attachment | object | The attachment object. |
**Attachment object**:
| **Property** | **Value** | **Description** |
| ------------ | --------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| type | string | The attachment type (template) |
| payload | object | The attachment payload object. The object structure depends of the attachment type |
**Attachment payload object**:
| **Property** | **Value** | **Description** |
| -------------- | --------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| template\_type | string | The template type (generic) |
| elements | array | An array of generic template elements (carousel cards) |
**Generic template element object**:
| **Property** | **Value** | **Description** |
| ------------ | --------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| title | string | The carousel card title |
| subtitle | string | The carousel card subtitle |
| image\_url | string | The carousel card image |
| item\_url | string | The carousel card url. When the user clicks the image the web page opens in a new browser tab. |
| buttons | array | An array of button objects |
**Button object**:
| **Property** | **Value** | **Description** |
| ------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| type | string | The button type (web\_url - postback - phone\_number - element share) |
| title | string | The button caption |
| payload | string (will contain the phone number when type is phone\_number) - optional | The button payload. Only for postback type buttons.
This is an Opaque identifier please don't try to change or extract meaning out of it.
|
| url | string - optional | The button url. Only for url type buttons |
## List template
The list template is a list of 2-4 structured items with an optional global button rendered at the bottom. Each item may contain a thumbnail image, title, subtitle, and one button. You may also specify a default\_action object that sets a URL that will be opened when the item is tapped.
**Request format**:
```javascript
{
"senderId": "a7355930-fa92-11e7-8308-2f056e75d1ee",
"message": {
"attachment": {
"type": "template",
"payload": {
"template_type": "list",
"elements": [
{
"title": "Language",
"subtitle": "Select your language",
"image_url": "https://domain/lang.png",
"default_action": {
"type": "web_url",
"url": "default_url"
}
"buttons": [
{
"type": "postback",
"title": "Nederlands",
"payload": "76601d56d0619ef87552bbfbbfcd714c4fda513b"
}
]
}
],
"buttons": []
}
}
},
"messageCounter": 1,
"verifyToken": "8wMsLZkdDPT64nqh"
}
```
**Message object for list template**:
| **Property** | **Value** | **Description** |
| ------------ | --------- | ---------------------- |
| attachment | object | The attachment object. |
**Attachment object**:
| **Property** | **Value** | **Description** |
| ------------ | --------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| type | string | The attachment type (template) |
| payload | object | The attachment payload object. The object structure depends of the attachment type |
**Attachment payload object**:
| **Property** | **Value** | **Description** |
| -------------- | --------- | --------------------------------------- |
| template\_type | string | The template type (list) |
| elements | array | An array of list elements |
| buttons | array | An array of general list button objects |
**List template element object**:
| **Property** | **Value** | **Description** |
| --------------- | --------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| title | string | The carousel card title |
| subtitle | string | The carousel card subtitle |
| image\_url | string | The carousel card image |
| default\_action | object | The default action when the user taps the list item. |
| buttons | array | An array of list item button objects |
**Default action object**:
| **Property** | **Value** | **Description** |
| ------------ | --------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| type | string | The action type (web\_url) |
| url | string | The action ur. When the user taps the list element this web page will open in a new browser tab. |
**Button object**:
| **Property** | **Value** | **Description** |
| ------------ | ---------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| type | string | The button type (web\_url - postback - phone\_numberl - element share) |
| title | string | The button caption |
| payload | string (type phone\_number) - optional
| The button payload. Only for postback type buttons.
This is an Opaque identifier please don't try to change or extract meaning out of it.
|
| url | string - optional | The button url. Only for url type buttons |
## Attachment
An attachment represents a file such as images and video.
**Request format**:
```javascript
{
"senderId": "a7355930-fa92-11e7-8308-2f056e75d1ee",
"message": {
"attachment": {
"type": "image"
"payload": {
"url": "image_url",
}
}
},
"messageCounter": 1,
"verifyToken": "8wMsLZkdDPT64nqh"
}
```
**Message object for attachment**:
| **Property** | **Value** | **Description** |
| ------------ | --------- | ---------------------- |
| attachment | object | The attachment object. |
**Attachment object**:
| **Property** | **Value** | **Description** |
| ------------ | --------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| type | string | The attachment type (image-video) |
| payload | object | The attachment payload object. The object structure depends of the attachment type |
**Attachment payload object**:
| **Property** | **Value** | **Description** |
| ------------ | --------- | ------------------ |
| url | string | The attachment url |
## Rich text
Rich text is text to which formatting is applied. Possible formatting is bold, italic, underlined, hyperlink to URL, hyperlink to block, heading (1-4), bulleted list and ordered list.
**Request format**:
```javascript
{
senderId: 'a7355930-fa92-11e7-8308-2f056e75d1ee',
verifyToken: 'e63131e1-459f-45aa-be42-666e1e4ef197',
message: {
template: {
__typename: 'RichTextMessageTemplate',
order: 1,
configTranslations: [Object]
},
richText: 'Paragraph
\n' +
'Bold
\n' +
'Italic
\n' +
'Underlined
\n' +
'Hyperlink
\n' +
'Go to bot dialog
\n' +
'Heading 1
\n' +
'Heading 2
\n' +
'Heading 3
\n' +
'Heading 4
\n' +
'\n' +
'- Bulleted list
\n' +
'
\n' +
'\n' +
'- Ordered list
\n' +
'
',
type: 'richText'
},
messageCounter: 2,
nlp: { intent: { name: null, score: null } },
dialogstate: {
id: 'f444b20b-370a-434d-af00-822cbce056ec',
name: 'Introduction',
label: null
}
}
```
**Message object for attachment**:
| **Property** | **Value** | **Description** |
| ------------ | --------- | --------------------- |
| richText | string | The rich text message |