Chat

Reference Chat API

Reference REST API shape for chat platforms covering conversation lifecycle (create/list/get), message send and history, participant management, and typing indicator events. Intended as a vocabulary and OpenAPI baseline for cataloguing concrete chat platform APIs.

GitHub OpenAPI

Specifications

⚙
OpenAPI
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/chat/refs/heads/main/openapi/chat-reference-openapi.yml

Other Resources

🔗
Spectral
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/chat/refs/heads/main/spectral/chat-spectral.yml

OpenAPI Specification

chat-reference-openapi.yml Raw ↑ 
openapi: 3.1.0
info:
  title: Reference Chat API
  description: >-
    Reference OpenAPI definition describing the typical shape of a chat
    platform API. Captures the vocabulary used for conversations, messages,
    and participants and serves as a profiling baseline for cataloguing
    concrete chat platform APIs.
  version: '1.0'
  contact:
    name: API Evangelist
    url: https://apievangelist.com/
servers:
  - url: https://api.example.com/v1/chat
    description: Reference Production
tags:
  - name: Conversations
  - name: Messages
  - name: Participants
security:
  - bearerAuth: []
paths:
  /conversations:
    get:
      operationId: listConversations
      summary: List conversations
      tags: [Conversations]
      parameters:
        - name: cursor
          in: query
          schema:
            type: string
        - name: limit
          in: query
          schema:
            type: integer
            default: 50
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Conversations page
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                type: object
                properties:
                  conversations:
                    type: array
                    items:
                      $ref: '#/components/schemas/Conversation'
                  nextCursor:
                    type: string
    post:
      operationId: createConversation
      summary: Create a conversation
      tags: [Conversations]
      requestBody:
        required: true
        content:
          application/json:
            schema:
              type: object
              required: [participants]
              properties:
                title:
                  type: string
                participants:
                  type: array
                  items:
                    type: string
      responses:
        '201':
          description: Conversation created
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Conversation'
  /conversations/{conversationId}:
    get:
      operationId: getConversation
      summary: Get a conversation
      tags: [Conversations]
      parameters:
        - $ref: '#/components/parameters/conversationId'
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Conversation
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Conversation'
  /conversations/{conversationId}/messages:
    get:
      operationId: listMessages
      summary: List messages in a conversation
      tags: [Messages]
      parameters:
        - $ref: '#/components/parameters/conversationId'
        - name: cursor
          in: query
          schema:
            type: string
        - name: limit
          in: query
          schema:
            type: integer
            default: 50
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Messages page
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                type: object
                properties:
                  messages:
                    type: array
                    items:
                      $ref: '#/components/schemas/Message'
                  nextCursor:
                    type: string
    post:
      operationId: sendMessage
      summary: Send a message
      tags: [Messages]
      parameters:
        - $ref: '#/components/parameters/conversationId'
      requestBody:
        required: true
        content:
          application/json:
            schema:
              type: object
              required: [content]
              properties:
                content:
                  type: string
                contentType:
                  type: string
                  enum: [text, markdown, html]
                metadata:
                  type: object
      responses:
        '201':
          description: Message sent
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Message'
  /conversations/{conversationId}/participants:
    get:
      operationId: listParticipants
      summary: List participants
      tags: [Participants]
      parameters:
        - $ref: '#/components/parameters/conversationId'
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Participants list
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                type: array
                items:
                  $ref: '#/components/schemas/Participant'
    post:
      operationId: addParticipant
      summary: Add a participant
      tags: [Participants]
      parameters:
        - $ref: '#/components/parameters/conversationId'
      requestBody:
        required: true
        content:
          application/json:
            schema:
              type: object
              required: [userId]
              properties:
                userId:
                  type: string
      responses:
        '201':
          description: Participant added
components:
  parameters:
    conversationId:
      name: conversationId
      in: path
      required: true
      schema:
        type: string
  securitySchemes:
    bearerAuth:
      type: http
      scheme: bearer
      bearerFormat: JWT
  schemas:
    Conversation:
      type: object
      required: [id]
      properties:
        id:
          type: string
        title:
          type: string
        createdAt:
          type: string
          format: date-time
        updatedAt:
          type: string
          format: date-time
        participantIds:
          type: array
          items:
            type: string
    Message:
      type: object
      required: [id, content]
      properties:
        id:
          type: string
        conversationId:
          type: string
        senderId:
          type: string
        content:
          type: string
        contentType:
          type: string
          enum: [text, markdown, html]
        sentAt:
          type: string
          format: date-time
        editedAt:
          type: string
          format: date-time
        metadata:
          type: object
    Participant:
      type: object
      required: [userId]
      properties:
        userId:
          type: string
        role:
          type: string
          enum: [member, admin, guest]
        joinedAt:
          type: string
          format: date-time