Messaging - CometChat Docs

Quick Reference - Core messaging methods:

// Send a text message
const textMessage = new CometChat.TextMessage("UID", "Hello!", CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER);
await CometChat.sendMessage(textMessage);

// Listen for incoming messages
CometChat.addMessageListener("listener-id", new CometChat.MessageListener({
  onTextMessageReceived: (msg) => console.log("Text:", msg),
  onMediaMessageReceived: (msg) => console.log("Media:", msg),
  onCustomMessageReceived: (msg) => console.log("Custom:", msg),
}));

Available via: SDK | REST API | UI Kits

Messaging is one of the core features of CometChat. We’ve thoughtfully created methods to help you send, receive and fetch message history. At the minimum, you must add code for sending messages and receiving messages. Once you’ve implemented that, you can proceed to more advanced features like typing indicators and delivery & read receipts.

Send a Message

Use CometChat.sendMessage() to send a text message to a user or group. The method returns a TextMessage object on success.

Sample Console Output — CometChat.sendMessage()

On Success — console.log("Message sent successfully:", message) returns:

{
  "reactions": [],
  "mentionedUsers": [],
  "mentionedMe": false,
  "receiverId": "cometchat-uid-3",
  "type": "text",
  "receiverType": "user",
  "category": "message",
  "data": {
    "text": "Hello",
    "resource": "REACT_NATIVE-4_0_13-398e7dd2-3481-44ed-8837-eadf1c9c6f5d-1771320626645",
    "entities": {
      "sender": {
        "entity": {
          "uid": "cometchat-uid-2",
          "name": "George Alan",
          "avatar": "https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-2.webp",
          "status": "online",
          "role": "default",
          "lastActiveAt": 1771320632,
          "tags": []
        },
        "entityType": "user"
      },
      "receiver": {
        "entity": {
          "uid": "cometchat-uid-3",
          "name": "Nancy Grace",
          "avatar": "https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-3.webp",
          "status": "online",
          "role": "default",
          "lastActiveAt": 1771320647,
          "conversationId": "cometchat-uid-2_user_cometchat-uid-3",
          "tags": []
        },
        "entityType": "user"
      }
    },
    "metadata": {
      "@injected": {
        "extensions": {
          "link-preview": {
            "links": []
          }
        }
      }
    },
    "moderation": {
      "status": "pending"
    }
  },
  "text": "Hello",
  "id": "25182",
  "conversationId": "cometchat-uid-2_user_cometchat-uid-3",
  "sender": {
    "hasBlockedMe": false,
    "blockedByMe": false,
    "deactivatedAt": 0,
    "uid": "cometchat-uid-2",
    "name": "George Alan",
    "avatar": "https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-2.webp",
    "lastActiveAt": 1771320632,
    "role": "default",
    "status": "online",
    "tags": []
  },
  "receiver": {
    "hasBlockedMe": false,
    "blockedByMe": false,
    "deactivatedAt": 0,
    "uid": "cometchat-uid-3",
    "name": "Nancy Grace",
    "avatar": "https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-3.webp",
    "lastActiveAt": 1771320647,
    "role": "default",
    "status": "online",
    "tags": []
  },
  "sentAt": 1771320772,
  "updatedAt": 1771320772,
  "metadata": {
    "@injected": {
      "extensions": {
        "link-preview": {
          "links": []
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

On Failure — console.log("Message sending failed with error:", error) returns:

{
  "code": "ERR_NOT_LOGGED_IN",
  "name": "Not logged in",
  "message": "No user is currently logged in. Please log in before sending a message.",
  "details": {}
}

Receive Messages in Real Time

Use CometChat.addMessageListener() to listen for incoming text, media, and custom messages while your app is running.

Sample Console Output — CometChat.addMessageListener()

onTextMessageReceived — console.log("Text message received successfully", textMessage) returns:

{
  "reactions": [],
  "mentionedUsers": [],
  "mentionedMe": false,
  "receiverId": "cometchat-uid-2",
  "type": "text",
  "receiverType": "user",
  "category": "message",
  "data": {
    "entities": {
      "receiver": {
        "entity": {
          "avatar": "https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-2.webp",
          "conversationId": "cometchat-uid-2_user_cometchat-uid-3",
          "lastActiveAt": 1771320632,
          "name": "George Alan",
          "role": "default",
          "status": "online",
          "tags": [],
          "uid": "cometchat-uid-2"
        },
        "entityType": "user"
      },
      "sender": {
        "entity": {
          "avatar": "https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-3.webp",
          "lastActiveAt": 1771320647,
          "name": "Nancy Grace",
          "role": "default",
          "status": "online",
          "tags": [],
          "uid": "cometchat-uid-3"
        },
        "entityType": "user"
      }
    },
    "metadata": {
      "@injected": {
        "extensions": {
          "link-preview": {
            "links": []
          }
        }
      }
    },
    "moderation": {
      "status": "approved"
    },
    "resource": "REACT_NATIVE-4_0_13-6cfc6ba5-feae-42a0-a773-000d4e41a333-1771320636087",
    "text": "Hello"
  },
  "text": "Hello",
  "id": "25180",
  "conversationId": "cometchat-uid-2_user_cometchat-uid-3",
  "sender": {
    "hasBlockedMe": false,
    "blockedByMe": false,
    "deactivatedAt": 0,
    "uid": "cometchat-uid-3",
    "name": "Nancy Grace",
    "avatar": "https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-3.webp",
    "lastActiveAt": 1771320647,
    "role": "default",
    "status": "online",
    "tags": []
  },
  "receiver": {
    "hasBlockedMe": false,
    "blockedByMe": false,
    "deactivatedAt": 0,
    "uid": "cometchat-uid-2",
    "name": "George Alan",
    "avatar": "https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-2.webp",
    "lastActiveAt": 1771320632,
    "role": "default",
    "status": "online",
    "tags": []
  },
  "sentAt": 1771320657,
  "updatedAt": 1771320657,
  "metadata": {
    "@injected": {
      "extensions": {
        "link-preview": {
          "links": []
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

onMediaMessageReceived — console.log("Media message received successfully", mediaMessage) returns:

{
  "reactions": [],
  "mentionedUsers": [],
  "mentionedMe": false,
  "receiverId": "cometchat-uid-2",
  "type": "image",
  "receiverType": "user",
  "category": "message",
  "data": {
    "attachments": [
      {
        "extension": "jpg",
        "mimeType": "image/jpeg",
        "name": "44.jpg",
        "size": 142099,
        "url": "https://data-in.cometchat.io/2748663902141719/media/1771320861_514214897_9876c9a3f300f29c8ee619765c1ad768.jpg"
      }
    ],
    "category": "message",
    "entities": {
      "receiver": {
        "entity": {
          "avatar": "https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-2.webp",
          "conversationId": "cometchat-uid-2_user_cometchat-uid-3",
          "lastActiveAt": 1771320632,
          "name": "George Alan",
          "role": "default",
          "status": "online",
          "tags": [],
          "uid": "cometchat-uid-2"
        },
        "entityType": "user"
      },
      "sender": {
        "entity": {
          "avatar": "https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-3.webp",
          "lastActiveAt": 1771320859,
          "name": "Nancy Grace",
          "role": "default",
          "status": "offline",
          "tags": [],
          "uid": "cometchat-uid-3"
        },
        "entityType": "user"
      }
    },
    "moderation": {
      "status": "approved"
    },
    "resource": "REACT_NATIVE-4_0_13-6cfc6ba5-feae-42a0-a773-000d4e41a333-1771320636087",
    "type": "image",
    "url": "https://data-in.cometchat.io/2748663902141719/media/1771320861_514214897_9876c9a3f300f29c8ee619765c1ad768.jpg"
  },
  "id": "25183",
  "conversationId": "cometchat-uid-2_user_cometchat-uid-3",
  "sender": {
    "hasBlockedMe": false,
    "blockedByMe": false,
    "deactivatedAt": 0,
    "uid": "cometchat-uid-3",
    "name": "Nancy Grace",
    "avatar": "https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-3.webp",
    "lastActiveAt": 1771320859,
    "role": "default",
    "status": "offline",
    "tags": []
  },
  "receiver": {
    "hasBlockedMe": false,
    "blockedByMe": false,
    "deactivatedAt": 0,
    "uid": "cometchat-uid-2",
    "name": "George Alan",
    "avatar": "https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-2.webp",
    "lastActiveAt": 1771320632,
    "role": "default",
    "status": "online",
    "tags": []
  },
  "sentAt": 1771320862,
  "updatedAt": 1771320862
}

onCustomMessageReceived — console.log("Custom message received successfully", customMessage) returns:

{
  "reactions": [],
  "mentionedUsers": [],
  "mentionedMe": false,
  "receiverId": "cometchat-uid-2",
  "type": "test-custom",
  "receiverType": "user",
  "category": "custom",
  "customData": {
    "greeting": "Hello from custom message!",
    "timestamp": 1771324022864
  },
  "data": {
    "customData": {
      "greeting": "Hello from custom message!",
      "timestamp": 1771324022864
    },
    "entities": {
      "receiver": {
        "entity": {
          "avatar": "https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-2.webp",
          "conversationId": "cometchat-uid-2_user_cometchat-uid-3",
          "lastActiveAt": 1771323089,
          "name": "George Alan",
          "role": "default",
          "status": "online",
          "tags": [],
          "uid": "cometchat-uid-2"
        },
        "entityType": "user"
      },
      "sender": {
        "entity": {
          "avatar": "https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-3.webp",
          "lastActiveAt": 1771323567,
          "name": "Nancy Grace",
          "role": "default",
          "status": "offline",
          "tags": [],
          "uid": "cometchat-uid-3"
        },
        "entityType": "user"
      }
    },
    "metadata": {
      "@injected": {
        "extensions": {
          "link-preview": {
            "links": []
          }
        }
      }
    },
    "moderation": {
      "status": "approved"
    },
    "resource": "REACT_NATIVE-4_0_14-5cebfc4b-80f7-44df-8a0a-5a760ffe5239-1771321973734",
    "text": "Sent a custom message"
  },
  "id": "25191",
  "conversationId": "cometchat-uid-2_user_cometchat-uid-3",
  "sender": {
    "hasBlockedMe": false,
    "blockedByMe": false,
    "deactivatedAt": 0,
    "uid": "cometchat-uid-3",
    "name": "Nancy Grace",
    "avatar": "https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-3.webp",
    "lastActiveAt": 1771323567,
    "role": "default",
    "status": "offline",
    "tags": []
  },
  "receiver": {
    "hasBlockedMe": false,
    "blockedByMe": false,
    "deactivatedAt": 0,
    "uid": "cometchat-uid-2",
    "name": "George Alan",
    "avatar": "https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-2.webp",
    "lastActiveAt": 1771323089,
    "role": "default",
    "status": "online",
    "tags": []
  },
  "sentAt": 1771324025,
  "updatedAt": 1771324025,
  "metadata": {
    "@injected": {
      "extensions": {
        "link-preview": {
          "links": []
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Next Steps

Send a Message

Send text, media, and custom messages to users and groups

Receive Messages

Listen for real-time messages and fetch missed messages

Typing Indicators

Show real-time typing status in conversations

Delivery & Read Receipts

Track when messages are delivered and read

​Send a Message

​Receive Messages in Real Time

​Next Steps

Send a Message

Receive Messages

Typing Indicators

Delivery & Read Receipts

Send a Message

Receive Messages in Real Time

Next Steps