ChannelImpl - Photon

Represents a channel/conversation container that holds threads. Extends Postable for message posting capabilities.

class ChannelImpl implements Channel<TState>

Constructor

ChannelImpl(config: ChannelImplConfig): ChannelImpl<TState>

Parameters

ChannelImplConfig

required

Returns

ChannelImpl

Properties

Adapter

required

The adapter this entity belongs to

ChannelVisibility

required

The visibility scope of this channel

string

required

Unique ID

boolean

required

Whether this is a direct message conversation

AsyncIterable<Message<unknown>>

required

Type: MessageIterate messages newest first (backward from most recent). Auto-paginates lazily — only fetches pages as consumed.

string | null

required

Channel name (e.g., “#general”). Null until fetchInfo() is called.

Promise<TState | null>

required

Get the current state. Returns null if no state has been set.

Methods

WORKFLOW_DESERIALIZE

[WORKFLOW_DESERIALIZE](data: SerializedChannel): ChannelImpl

Parameters

SerializedChannel

required

Returns

ChannelImpl

WORKFLOW_SERIALIZE

[WORKFLOW_SERIALIZE](instance: ChannelImpl): SerializedChannel

Parameters

ChannelImpl

required

Returns

SerializedChannel

fetchMetadata()

fetchMetadata(): Promise<ChannelInfo>

Fetch channel metadata from the platform

Returns

ChannelInfo

fromJSON()

fromJSON(json: SerializedChannel, adapter?: Adapter<unknown, unknown>, chat?: ChatSingleton): ChannelImpl<TState>

Parameters

SerializedChannel

required

Adapter<unknown, unknown>

Type: Adapter

ChatSingleton

Returns

ChannelImpl

mentionUser()

mentionUser(userId: string): string

Get a platform-specific mention string for a user.

Parameters

string

required

Returns

string

post()

post(message: T): Promise<T>

Post a message.

Parameters

required

Returns

Promise<T>

post(message: string | PostableRaw | PostableMarkdown | PostableAst | PostableCard | CardElement | TextElement | ImageElement | DividerElement | ActionsElement | SectionElement | FieldsElement | LinkElement | TableElement | ChartElement | ModalElement | CardJSXElement<CardJSXProps> | ButtonElement | LinkButtonElement | FieldElement | TextInputElement | DateInputElement | NumberInputElement | SelectElement | ExternalSelectElement | SelectOptionElement | RadioSelectElement | AsyncIterable<string, any, any>): Promise<SentMessage<unknown>>

Parameters

required

Type:

PostableRawPostableMarkdownPostableAstPostableCardCardElementTextElementImageElementDividerElementActionsElementSectionElementFieldsElementLinkElementTableElementChartElementModalElementCardJSXElementCardJSXPropsButtonElementLinkButtonElementFieldElementTextInputElementDateInputElementNumberInputElementSelectElementExternalSelectElementSelectOptionElementRadioSelectElement

Returns

SentMessage

postEphemeral()

postEphemeral(user: string | Author, message: string | PostableRaw | PostableMarkdown | PostableAst | PostableCard | CardElement | TextElement | ImageElement | DividerElement | ActionsElement | SectionElement | FieldsElement | LinkElement | TableElement | ChartElement | ModalElement | CardJSXElement<CardJSXProps> | ButtonElement | LinkButtonElement | FieldElement | TextInputElement | DateInputElement | NumberInputElement | SelectElement | ExternalSelectElement | SelectOptionElement | RadioSelectElement, options: PostEphemeralOptions): Promise<EphemeralMessage<unknown> | null>

Post an ephemeral message visible only to a specific user.

Parameters

string | Author

required

Type: Author

required

Type:

PostableRawPostableMarkdownPostableAstPostableCardCardElementTextElementImageElementDividerElementActionsElementSectionElementFieldsElementLinkElementTableElementChartElementModalElementCardJSXElementCardJSXPropsButtonElementLinkButtonElementFieldElementTextInputElementDateInputElementNumberInputElementSelectElementExternalSelectElementSelectOptionElementRadioSelectElement

PostEphemeralOptions

required

Returns

EphemeralMessage

schedule()

schedule(message: string | PostableRaw | PostableMarkdown | PostableAst | PostableCard | CardElement | TextElement | ImageElement | DividerElement | ActionsElement | SectionElement | FieldsElement | LinkElement | TableElement | ChartElement | ModalElement | CardJSXElement<CardJSXProps> | ButtonElement | LinkButtonElement | FieldElement | TextInputElement | DateInputElement | NumberInputElement | SelectElement | ExternalSelectElement | SelectOptionElement | RadioSelectElement, options: { postAt: Date }): Promise<ScheduledMessage<unknown>>

Schedule a message for future delivery. Currently only supported by the Slack adapter. Other adapters will throw NotImplementedError.

const scheduled = await thread.schedule("Reminder: standup!", {
  postAt: new Date("2026-03-09T09:00:00Z"),
});

// Cancel before it's sent
await scheduled.cancel();

Parameters

required

Type:

PostableRawPostableMarkdownPostableAstPostableCardCardElementTextElementImageElementDividerElementActionsElementSectionElementFieldsElementLinkElementTableElementChartElementModalElementCardJSXElementCardJSXPropsButtonElementLinkButtonElementFieldElementTextInputElementDateInputElementNumberInputElementSelectElementExternalSelectElementSelectOptionElementRadioSelectElement

The message content (streaming not supported)

{ postAt: Date }

required

Scheduling options including the target delivery time

Returns

ScheduledMessage A ScheduledMessage with cancel() capability

setState()

setState(newState: Partial<TState>, options?: { replace: boolean }): Promise<void>

Set the state. Merges with existing state by default.

Parameters

Partial<TState>

required

{ replace: boolean }

Returns

Promise<void>

startTyping()

startTyping(status?: string): Promise<void>

Show typing indicator

Parameters

string

Returns

Promise<void>

threads()

threads(): AsyncIterable<ThreadSummary<unknown>>

Iterate threads in this channel, most recently active first.

Returns

ThreadSummary

toJSON()

toJSON(): SerializedChannel

Serialize the channel to a plain JSON object. Use this to pass channel data to external systems like workflow engines.

Returns

SerializedChannel

​Constructor

​Parameters

​Returns

​Properties

​Methods

​WORKFLOW_DESERIALIZE

​Parameters

​Returns

​WORKFLOW_SERIALIZE

​Parameters

​Returns

​fetchMetadata()

​Returns

​fromJSON()

​Parameters

​Returns

​mentionUser()

​Parameters

​Returns

​post()

​Parameters

​Returns

​Parameters

​Returns

​postEphemeral()

​Parameters

​Returns

​schedule()

​Parameters

​Returns

​setState()

​Parameters

​Returns

​startTyping()

​Parameters

​Returns

​threads()

​Returns

​toJSON()

​Returns

Constructor

Parameters

Returns

Properties

Methods

WORKFLOW_DESERIALIZE

Parameters

Returns

WORKFLOW_SERIALIZE

Parameters

Returns

fetchMetadata()

Returns

fromJSON()

Parameters

Returns

mentionUser()

Parameters

Returns

post()

Parameters

Returns

Parameters

Returns

postEphemeral()

Parameters

Returns

schedule()

Parameters

Returns

setState()

Parameters

Returns

startTyping()

Parameters

Returns

threads()

Returns

toJSON()

Returns