Skip to main content
Hazel Chat provides a powerful real-time messaging system with instant delivery, rich text formatting, and advanced conversation features.

​
Overview

Messages are the core of Hazel Chat. Every message is delivered in real-time to all channel members with support for:
  • Rich text formatting with Plate.js editor
  • Message replies and threads
  • File attachments and embeds
  • Message reactions
  • Pin important messages
  • Edit and delete capabilities

Real-Time Delivery

Messages sync instantly using Electric SQL’s local-first architecture with automatic conflict resolution

Offline Support

Compose messages offline and they’ll automatically sync when you reconnect

Rate Limited

Protected with 60 requests per minute per user to prevent abuse

Rich Formatting

Full rich text editor with formatting, links, code blocks, and more

​
Sending Messages

​
Basic Messages

To send a message in any channel:
  1. Click into the message input field at the bottom of the channel
  2. Type your message using the rich text editor
  3. Press Enter to send (or Shift+Enter for a new line)
Messages are delivered instantly to all channel members who are online.
Messages support full Markdown-style formatting including bold, italic, code, and more through the Plate.js editor.

​
Message Attachments

Attach files to your messages by:
  1. Click the attachment icon in the message composer
  2. Select files from your computer (stored in Cloudflare R2)
  3. Files are uploaded with a presigned URL for security
  4. Add your message text and send
The system automatically creates an attachment record with “uploading” status, generates a presigned URL for direct upload, and marks it complete when finished.
Attachments support all common file types including images, videos, documents, and archives. Files are stored securely in Cloudflare R2 with public-read access.

​
Message Replies

Reply to any message to create a threaded conversation:
  1. Hover over a message and click the Reply button
  2. The original message appears as context in your composer
  3. Type your reply and send
Replies maintain the conversation context and make it easy to follow specific discussion threads within a channel.

​
Message Threads

For longer conversations, create a dedicated thread channel:
  1. Hover over a message and click Create Thread
  2. A new thread channel is automatically created
  3. The original message is linked to the thread
  4. All thread participants are added as channel members
Thread channels work exactly like regular channels but are organized under the parent message. The system ensures:
  • Threads cannot be nested (no threads within threads)
  • Thread creators are automatically added as members
  • AI-powered thread naming generates descriptive 3-6 word titles
You cannot create threads within thread channels. This prevents deeply nested conversation structures that are difficult to navigate.

​
AI-Powered Thread Naming

Thread channels can automatically generate descriptive names:
  1. Open a thread channel with several messages
  2. Click Generate Name in the channel header
  3. AI analyzes the conversation context
  4. A descriptive 3-6 word name is generated
The system uses the ThreadNamingWorkflow which:
  • Queries the original message and thread context
  • Sends conversation data to the AI provider
  • Generates a concise, descriptive name
  • Updates the channel name automatically

​
Editing Messages

Edit your messages after sending:
  1. Hover over your message and click Edit
  2. Make your changes in the editor
  3. Press Enter to save or Escape to cancel
Only message authors can edit their own messages. Edited messages show an “(edited)” indicator.
Message edits preserve the original creation timestamp but add an updatedAt field to track when changes were made.

​
Deleting Messages

Remove messages from channels:
  1. Hover over a message and click the Delete button
  2. Confirm the deletion
Deleted messages are soft-deleted (marked with deletedAt timestamp) rather than permanently removed from the database. This allows for:
  • Audit trails and compliance
  • Potential message recovery
  • Maintaining conversation integrity

​
Message Embeds

Webhooks and bots can send messages with rich embeds: 
{
  "content": "Deployment completed",
  "embeds": [{
    "title": "Production Deploy",
    "description": "Successfully deployed to production",
    "color": 5763719,
    "author": {
      "name": "Deploy Bot",
      "iconUrl": "https://example.com/icon.png"
    },
    "fields": [
      {"name": "Environment", "value": "Production", "inline": true},
      {"name": "Duration", "value": "2m 34s", "inline": true}
    ],
    "badge": {
      "text": "Success",
      "color": 3066993
    },
    "timestamp": "2024-03-04T12:00:00Z"
  }]
}
Embeds support:
  • Title, description, and URL
  • Custom colors (hex as integer)
  • Author information with icon
  • Footer text and icon
  • Image and thumbnail
  • Custom fields (inline or full-width)
  • Status badges
  • Timestamps

​
Live State Updates

Messages can include real-time updates for long-running operations: 
{
  "embeds": [{
    "title": "Deployment in Progress",
    "liveState": {
      "enabled": true,
      "cached": {
        "status": "active",
        "progress": 45,
        "text": "Building application...",
        "data": {}
      }
    }
  }]
}
Live state enables:
  • Real-time progress indicators
  • Status updates for deployments or builds
  • Streaming AI responses
  • Dynamic message content
The cached field provides a snapshot for non-realtime clients.

​
Search and Navigation

Find messages quickly:
  • Use the command palette (Cmd/Ctrl+K) to search messages
  • Jump to specific messages via direct links
  • Navigate threads from parent messages
  • View pinned messages in the channel sidebar

​
Message Notifications

Stay informed about new messages:
  • Receive notifications for mentions and replies
  • Notification count shown on channel members
  • Automatically clear notifications when messages are viewed
  • Mute channels to suppress notifications
See the Notifications documentation for more details.

​
Technical Details

​
Rate Limiting

Message operations are rate-limited to 60 requests per minute per user to prevent spam and abuse.

​
Data Model

Each message includes:
  • id - Unique message identifier
  • channelId - Parent channel
  • authorId - Message author
  • content - Rich text content
  • replyToMessageId - Optional reply reference
  • threadChannelId - Optional thread channel link
  • embeds - Rich embed data (for webhooks/bots)
  • createdAt - Creation timestamp
  • updatedAt - Last edit timestamp
  • deletedAt - Soft delete timestamp

​
Transaction Support

All message operations return a transaction ID for optimistic updates, enabling instant UI feedback before server confirmation.

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us