Send A Message - CometChat Docs

Using CometChat, you can send three types of messages:

Text Message is the most common and standard message type.
Media Message for sending photos, videos and files.
Custom Message, for sending completely custom data using JSON structures.
Interactive Messages, for sending end-user interactive messages of type form, card and custom Interactive

You can also send metadata along with a text, media or custom message. Think, for example, if you’d want to share the user’s location with every message, you can use the metadata field

Text Message

Send a text message using CometChat.sendMessage() with a TextMessage object.

TypeScript (User)
JavaScript (User)
TypeScript (Group)
JavaScript (Group)

let receiverID: string = "UID",
  messageText: string = "Hello world!",
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER,
  textMessage: CometChat.TextMessage = new CometChat.TextMessage(
    receiverID,
    messageText,
    receiverType
  );

CometChat.sendMessage(textMessage).then(
(message: CometChat.TextMessage) => {
console.log("Message sent successfully:", message);
},
(error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
console.log("Message sending failed with error:", error);
}
);

let receiverID = "UID";
let messageText = "Hello world!";
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER;
let textMessage = new CometChat.TextMessage(
  receiverID,
  messageText,
  receiverType
);

CometChat.sendMessage(textMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("Message sent successfully:", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Message sending failed with error:", error);
  }
);

Alternatively, you can use the async/await syntax:

try {
  const receiverID = "UID";
  const messageText = "Hello world!";
  const receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER;
  const textMessage = new CometChat.TextMessage(
    receiverID,
    messageText,
    receiverType
  );

  const message = await CometChat.sendMessage(textMessage);
  console.log("Message sent successfully:", message);
} catch (error) {
  console.log("Message sending failed with error:", error);
}

let receiverID: string = "GUID",
  messageText: string = "Hello world!",
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP,
  textMessage: CometChat.TextMessage = new CometChat.TextMessage(
    receiverID,
    messageText,
    receiverType
  );

CometChat.sendMessage(textMessage).then(
(message: CometChat.TextMessage) => {
console.log("Message sent successfully:", message);
},
(error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
console.log("Message sending failed with error:", error);
}
);

let receiverID = "GUID";
let messageText = "Hello world!";
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP;
let textMessage = new CometChat.TextMessage(
  receiverID,
  messageText,
  receiverType
);

CometChat.sendMessage(textMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("Message sent successfully:", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Message sending failed with error:", error);
  }
);

The TextMessage class constructor takes the following parameters:

Parameter	Description	Required
`receiverID`	UID of the user or GUID of the group receiving the message	Yes
`messageText`	The text message content	Yes
`receiverType`	`CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER` or `CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP`	Yes

On success, sendMessage() method returns a TextMessage | MediaMessage | CustomMessage | BaseMessage object depending on the input message type.

Media Message

Send images, videos, audio, or files using CometChat.sendMediaMessage(). There are two ways to send media messages:

Upload a file — Pass a file object and CometChat uploads it automatically
Send a URL — Provide a URL to media hosted on your server or cloud storage

Upload a File

Get the file from an input element and pass it to MediaMessage:

<input type="file" name="img_file" id="img_file" />

TypeScript (User)
JavaScript (User)
TypeScript (Group)
JavaScript (Group)

let receiverID: string = "UID",
  messageType: string = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE,
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER,
  file: File = (document.getElementById("img_file") as HTMLInputElement).files![0];

let mediaMessage: CometChat.MediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
receiverID,
file,
messageType,
receiverType
);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
(message: CometChat.MediaMessage) => {
console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
},
(error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
}
);

let receiverID = "UID";
let messageType = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE;
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER;
let file = document.getElementById("img_file").files[0];

let mediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
  receiverID,
  file,
  messageType,
  receiverType
);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

let receiverID: string = "GUID",
  messageType: string = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE,
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP,
  file: File = (document.getElementById("img_file") as HTMLInputElement).files![0];

let mediaMessage: CometChat.MediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
receiverID,
file,
messageType,
receiverType
);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
(message: CometChat.MediaMessage) => {
console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
},
(error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
}
);

let receiverID = "GUID";
let messageType = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE;
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP;
let file = document.getElementById("img_file").files[0];

let mediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
  receiverID,
  file,
  messageType,
  receiverType
);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

Send a URL

Send media hosted on your server or cloud storage using the Attachment class:

TypeScript (User)
JavaScript (User)
TypeScript (Group)
JavaScript (Group)

let receiverID: string = "UID",
  messageType: string = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE,
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER,
  mediaMessage: CometChat.MediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
    receiverID,
    "",
    messageType,
    receiverType
  );

let file: Object = {
name: "mario",
extension: "png",
mimeType: "image/png",
url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/mario/mario_PNG125.png",
};

let attachment: CometChat.Attachment = new CometChat.Attachment(file);
mediaMessage.setAttachment(attachment);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
(message: CometChat.MediaMessage) => {
console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
},
(error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
}
);

let receiverID = "UID";
let messageType = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE;
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER;
let mediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
  receiverID,
  "",
  messageType,
  receiverType
);

let file = {
  name: "mario",
  extension: "png",
  mimeType: "image/png",
  url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/mario/mario_PNG125.png",
};

let attachment = new CometChat.Attachment(file);
mediaMessage.setAttachment(attachment);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

let receiverID: string = "GUID",
  messageType: string = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE,
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP,
  mediaMessage: CometChat.MediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
    receiverID,
    "",
    messageType,
    receiverType
  );

let file: Object = {
name: "mario",
extension: "png",
mimeType: "image/png",
url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/mario/mario_PNG125.png",
};

let attachment: CometChat.Attachment = new CometChat.Attachment(file);
mediaMessage.setAttachment(attachment);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
(message: CometChat.MediaMessage) => {
console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
},
(error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
}
);

let receiverID = "GUID";
let messageType = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE;
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP;
let mediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
  receiverID,
  "",
  messageType,
  receiverType
);

let file = {
  name: "mario",
  extension: "png",
  mimeType: "image/png",
  url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/mario/mario_PNG125.png",
};

let attachment = new CometChat.Attachment(file);
mediaMessage.setAttachment(attachment);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

The MediaMessage class constructor takes the following parameters:

Parameter	Description	Required
`receiverID`	UID of the user or GUID of the group	Yes
`file`	File object to upload, or empty string if using URL	Yes
`messageType`	`CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE`, `VIDEO`, `AUDIO`, or `FILE`	Yes
`receiverType`	`CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER` or `GROUP`	Yes

On success, sendMediaMessage() returns a MediaMessage object.

Add Caption

Add text along with the media:

TypeScript
JavaScript

typescript mediaMessage.setCaption("Check out this photo!");

javascript mediaMessage.setCaption("Check out this photo!");

Add Metadata and Tags

Same as text messages:

mediaMessage.setMetadata({ location: "Paris" });
mediaMessage.setTags(["vacation"]);
mediaMessage.setQuotedMessageId(10);

The sendMediaMessage() method returns a MediaMessage object.

Multiple Attachments in a Media Message

The SDK supports sending multiple attachments in a single media message. A media message can carry up to a configurable maximum number of attachments (default 10, controlled by the file.count.max app setting). sendMediaMessage() rejects with ERR_FILE_COUNT_EXCEEDED if you exceed it — read the current limit at runtime with CometChat.getMaxAttachmentCount().

Recommended: upload first, then send. For a real composer — where you want a progress bar per file, and the ability to cancel or retry individual files — upload the files with CometChat.uploadFiles(), collect the resulting Attachments, and attach them here with setAttachments(). This decouples the (slow, cancellable) upload from the (instant) send. See Upload Files & Send Attachments for the full flow.

There are two ways to send a multi-attachment media message using the CometChat SDK:

By providing an array of files: You can share an array of files while creating an object of the MediaMessage class. When the media message is sent using the sendMediaMessage() method, the files are uploaded to the CometChat servers & the URL of the files is sent in the success response of the sendMediaMessage() method. This is the simplest path, but it gives no upload progress and no per-file cancel/retry — for that, upload first.

Getting files:

html

<html>
  <body>
    <input type="file" name="img_file" id="img_file" />
    <script>
      const UID = "UID";
      const files = document.getElementById("img_file").files;
      const fileType = MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE;
      const userType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER;
      const mediaMessage = new MediaMessage(UID, files, fileType, userType);
    </script>
  </body>
</html>

TypeScript (User)
JavaScript (User)
TypeScript (Group)
JavaScript (Group)

let receiverID: string = "UID",
  messageType: string = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.FILE,
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER,
  files: FileList = (document.getElementById("img_file") as HTMLInputElement).files!;

let mediaMessage: CometChat.MediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
receiverID,
files,
messageType,
receiverType
);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
(message: CometChat.MediaMessage) => {
console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
},
(error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
}
);

let receiverID = "UID";
let messageType = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.FILE;
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER;
let mediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
  receiverID,
  files,
  messageType,
  receiverType
);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

let receiverID: string = "GUID",
  messageType: string = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.FILE,
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP,
  files: FileList = (document.getElementById("img_file") as HTMLInputElement).files!;

let mediaMessage: CometChat.MediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
receiverID,
files,
messageType,
receiverType
);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
(message: CometChat.MediaMessage) => {
console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
},
(error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
}
);

let receiverID = "GUID";
let messageType = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.FILE;
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP;
let files = document.getElementById("img_file").files;

let mediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
  receiverID,
  files,
  messageType,
  receiverType
);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

Send Multiple URLs

Provide an array of Attachment objects that already point at hosted URLs. This is also the path the upload-then-send flow uses — the Attachments returned by uploadFiles() are ready to pass straight to setAttachments().

TypeScript (User)
JavaScript (User)
TypeScript (Group)
JavaScript (Group)

let receiverID: string = "UID",
  messageType: string = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE,
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER,
  mediaMessage: CometChat.MediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
    receiverID,
    "",
    messageType,
    receiverType
  );

let attachment1: Object = {
name: "mario",
extension: "png",
mimeType: "image/png",
url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/mario/mario_PNG125.png",
};

let attachment2: Object = {
name: "jaguar",
extension: "png",
mimeType: "image/png",
url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/jaguar/jaguar_PNG20759.png",
};

let attachments: Array<CometChat.Attachment> = [];
attachments.push(new CometChat.Attachment(attachment1));
attachments.push(new CometChat.Attachment(attachment2));

mediaMessage.setAttachments(attachments);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
(message: CometChat.MediaMessage) => {
console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
},
(error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
}
);

let receiverID = "UID";
let messageType = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE;
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER;
let mediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
  receiverID,
  "",
  messageType,
  receiverType
);

let attachment1 = {
  name: "mario",
  extension: "png",
  mimeType: "image/png",
  url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/mario/mario_PNG125.png",
};

let attachment2 = {
  name: "jaguar",
  extension: "png",
  mimeType: "image/png",
  url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/jaguar/jaguar_PNG20759.png",
};

let attachments = [];
attachments.push(new CometChat.Attachment(attachment1));
attachments.push(new CometChat.Attachment(attachment2));

mediaMessage.setAttachments(attachments);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

let receiverID: string = "GUID",
  messageType: string = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE,
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP,
  mediaMessage: CometChat.MediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
    receiverID,
    "",
    messageType,
    receiverType
  );

let attachment1: Object = {
name: "mario",
extension: "png",
mimeType: "image/png",
url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/mario/mario_PNG125.png",
};

let attachment2: Object = {
name: "jaguar",
extension: "png",
mimeType: "image/png",
url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/jaguar/jaguar_PNG20759.png",
};

let attachments: Array<CometChat.Attachment> = [];
attachments.push(new CometChat.Attachment(attachment1));
attachments.push(new CometChat.Attachment(attachment2));

mediaMessage.setAttachments(attachments);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
(message: CometChat.MediaMessage) => {
console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
},
(error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
}
);

let receiverID = "GUID";
let messageType = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE;
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP;
let mediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
  receiverID,
  "",
  messageType,
  receiverType
);

let attachment1 = {
  name: "mario",
  extension: "png",
  mimeType: "image/png",
  url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/mario/mario_PNG125.png",
};

let attachment2 = {
  name: "jaguar",
  extension: "png",
  mimeType: "image/png",
  url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/jaguar/jaguar_PNG20759.png",
};

let attachments = [];
attachments.push(new CometChat.Attachment(attachment1));
attachments.push(new CometChat.Attachment(attachment2));

mediaMessage.setAttachments(attachments);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

Custom Message

Send structured data that doesn’t fit text or media categories — like location coordinates, polls, or game moves.

TypeScript (User)
JavaScript (User)
TypeScript (Group)
JavaScript (Group)

let receiverID: string = "UID",
  customData: Object = {
    latitude: "50.6192171633316",
    longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
  },
  customType: string = "location",
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER,
  customMessage: CometChat.CustomMessage = new CometChat.CustomMessage(
    receiverID,
    receiverType,
    customType,
    customData
  );

CometChat.sendCustomMessage(customMessage).then(
(message: CometChat.CustomMessage) => {
console.log("Custom message sent successfully", message);
},
(error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
console.log("Custom message sending failed with error", error);
}
);

let receiverID = "UID";
let customData = {
  latitude: "50.6192171633316",
  longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
};
let customType = "location";
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER;

let customMessage = new CometChat.CustomMessage(
  receiverID,
  receiverType,
  customType,
  customData
);

CometChat.sendCustomMessage(customMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("Custom message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Custom message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

let receiverID: string = "GUID",
  customData: Object = {
    latitude: "50.6192171633316",
    longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
  },
  customType: string = "location",
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP,
  customMessage: CometChat.CustomMessage = new CometChat.CustomMessage(
    receiverID,
    receiverType,
    customType,
    customData
  );

CometChat.sendCustomMessage(customMessage).then(
(message: CometChat.CustomMessage) => {
console.log("Custom message sent successfully", message);
},
(error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
console.log("Custom message sending failed with error", error);
}
);

let receiverID = "GUID";
let customData = {
  latitude: "50.6192171633316",
  longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
};
let customType = "location";
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP;

let customMessage = new CometChat.CustomMessage(
  receiverID,
  receiverType,
  customType,
  customData
);

CometChat.sendCustomMessage(customMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("Custom message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Custom message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

The CustomMessage class constructor takes the following parameters:

Parameter	Description	Required
`receiverID`	UID of the user or GUID of the group	Yes
`receiverType`	`CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER` or `GROUP`	Yes
`customType`	Your custom type string (e.g., `"location"`, `"poll"`)	Yes
`customData`	JSON object with your custom data	Yes

On success, sendCustomMessage() returns a CustomMessage object.

Add Tags

customMessage.setTags(["starredMessage"]);

Quote a Message

customMessage.setQuotedMessageId(10);

Control Conversation Update

By default, custom messages update the conversation’s last message. To prevent this:

customMessage.shouldUpdateConversation(false);

Custom Notification Text

Set custom text for push, email, and SMS notifications:

customMessage.setConversationText("Shared a location");

The sendCustomMessage() method returns a CustomMessage object.

Card Message

A CardMessage (category card) is a rich, structured card rendered from Card Schema JSON.

Card messages cannot be sent through the SDK. CardMessage is receive-only — there is no sendCardMessage() method. Cards are created server-side via the Platform (REST) API or the Dashboard Bubble Builder, and delivered to clients through the onCardMessageReceived callback of the MessageListener.

To receive and render cards, see the Card Messages guide.

Next Steps

Receive Messages

Listen for incoming messages in real-time

Edit Message

Edit previously sent messages

Delete Message

Delete sent messages

​Text Message

​Media Message

​Upload a File

​Send a URL

​Add Caption

​Add Metadata and Tags

​Multiple Attachments in a Media Message

​Send Multiple URLs

​Custom Message

​Add Tags

​Quote a Message

​Control Conversation Update

​Custom Notification Text

​Card Message

​Next Steps

Receive Messages

Edit Message

Delete Message

Text Message

Media Message

Upload a File

Send a URL

Add Caption

Add Metadata and Tags

Multiple Attachments in a Media Message

Send Multiple URLs

Custom Message

Add Tags

Quote a Message

Control Conversation Update

Custom Notification Text

Card Message

Next Steps