Text Message

Essential Communication: Text messages form the foundation of chat communication, enabling users to send up to 10,000 characters of rich text content with support for mentions, tags, metadata, and real-time delivery across all platforms.

Text Messaging Overview

Text messages provide the core communication functionality in social.plus Chat, supporting plain text, rich formatting, and advanced features like mentions and threading.

Rich Text Support

Flexible content formatting

Up to 10,000 characters per message
Unicode and emoji support
Mention functionality
Custom metadata attachment

Real-Time Delivery

Instant communication

Immediate local display
Background synchronization
Delivery status tracking
Cross-platform compatibility

Implementation Guide

Simple text message sendingSend plain text messages with essential parameters for immediate communication.

Required Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
`text`	String	The text content to send (max 10,000 characters)
`subChannelId`	String	Identifier for the subchannel where the message will be sent

Optional Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
`tags`	Array<String>	Arbitrary strings for message categorization and querying
`metadata`	Object	Additional custom properties for extended functionality
`parentId`	String	Parent message ID for creating threaded replies

Code Examples

// Basic text message creation
let options = AmityTextMessageCreateOptions(
    subChannelId: "subChannel-123", 
    text: "Hi Amity!", 
    tags: nil, 
    parentId: nil, 
    metadata: nil, 
    mentioneesBuilder: nil
)

do {
    let message = try await messageRepository.createTextMessage(options: options)
    // Message sent successfully
    print("Message ID: \(message.messageId)")
} catch {
    // Handle error here
    print("Failed to send message: \(error)")
}

Character Limit: Text messages are limited to 10,000 characters. Messages exceeding this limit will return an error and will not be sent.

Text Message Features

Message Formatting & Content

Rich text capabilities and content handlingCharacter Support

Unicode Support: Full international character support including emojis
Special Characters: Support for symbols, mathematical notation, and special formatting
Line Breaks: Proper handling of multiline text content
Whitespace: Preserved spacing and formatting

Content Validation

Length Limits: 10,000 character maximum per message
Content Filtering: Automatic screening for prohibited content
Encoding: UTF-8 encoding for universal compatibility
Sanitization: Protection against malicious content injection

Example: Content Validation

function validateTextMessage(text: string): { valid: boolean; error?: string } {
  if (text.length === 0) {
    return { valid: false, error: 'Message cannot be empty' };
  }
  
  if (text.length > 10000) {
    return { valid: false, error: 'Message exceeds 10,000 character limit' };
  }
  
  // Additional validation logic
  return { valid: true };
}

Tags & Categorization

Message organization and filtering capabilitiesTag Usage Patterns

Content Categories: Organize messages by topic or type
Priority Levels: Mark urgent or important messages
Department/Team: Route messages to specific groups
Message Types: Distinguish between announcements, questions, updates

Tag Best Practices

Use consistent naming conventions across your application
Implement tag validation to prevent typos and inconsistencies
Create predefined tag sets for common use cases
Enable tag-based filtering and search functionality

Example Tag Strategies

Tag Categories

{
  "content_type": ["announcement", "question", "update", "reminder"],
  "priority": ["low", "normal", "high", "urgent"],
  "department": ["engineering", "marketing", "sales", "hr"],
  "project": ["proj_alpha", "proj_beta", "maintenance"]
}

Metadata & Custom Properties

Extended functionality through custom dataMetadata Applications

Message Context: Store additional information about message purpose
Workflow Integration: Connect messages to external systems and processes
Analytics Tracking: Capture data for usage analytics and insights
Custom Features: Enable application-specific functionality

Structured Metadata Examples

Common Metadata Patterns

{
  "ui_settings": {
    "background_color": "#f0f0f0",
    "text_style": "bold",
    "highlight": true
  },
  "integration_data": {
    "ticket_id": "TICKET-123",
    "external_reference": "EXT-456",
    "workflow_step": "approval_pending"
  },
  "analytics": {
    "message_source": "mobile_app",
    "user_action": "quick_reply",
    "engagement_context": "onboarding"
  }
}

Metadata Best Practices

Keep metadata focused and purposeful
Use consistent schema across your application
Consider metadata size impact on message payload
Implement metadata validation for data integrity

Performance & Optimization

Efficient text message handlingMessage Composition

Draft Management: Save and restore message drafts locally
Auto-Save: Implement periodic saving for longer messages
Validation: Perform client-side validation before sending
Compression: Consider text compression for very long messages

Network Optimization

Batching: Group multiple messages when appropriate
Retry Logic: Implement smart retry mechanisms for failed sends
Offline Queuing: Queue messages when connection is unavailable
Sync Status: Provide clear feedback on message delivery status

Memory Management

Message Caching: Implement efficient caching strategies
History Limits: Manage memory usage with message history limits
Cleanup: Remove old messages from local storage periodically
Lazy Loading: Load message content on demand for better performance

Example: Draft Management

class MessageDraftManager {
    private let userDefaults = UserDefaults.standard
    
    func saveDraft(for channelId: String, text: String) {
        userDefaults.set(text, forKey: "draft_\(channelId)")
    }
    
    func loadDraft(for channelId: String) -> String? {
        return userDefaults.string(forKey: "draft_\(channelId)")
    }
    
    func clearDraft(for channelId: String) {
        userDefaults.removeObject(forKey: "draft_\(channelId)")
    }
}

Send a Message

Message delivery Understanding the complete message sending process

Image Messages

Visual content Send images and visual media content

Message Management

Content control Edit, delete, and moderate message content

Implementation Strategy: Start with basic text messaging, then progressively add features like tags for organization, metadata for custom functionality, and threading for organized conversations. Always validate content length and implement proper error handling.

Powered by

Getting Started

Fundamentals

Social

Chat

Text Messaging Overview

Rich Text Support

Real-Time Delivery

Implementation Guide

Required Parameters

Optional Parameters

Code Examples

Text Message Features

Send a Message

Image Messages

Message Management

Powered by

Getting Started

Fundamentals

Social

Chat

​Text Messaging Overview

Rich Text Support

Real-Time Delivery

​Implementation Guide

​Required Parameters

​Optional Parameters

​Code Examples

​Text Message Features

​Related Features

Send a Message

Image Messages

Message Management

Text Messaging Overview

Implementation Guide

Required Parameters

Optional Parameters

Code Examples

Text Message Features

Related Features