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rtm.connect method

Facts​

DescriptionStarts a Real Time Messaging session.
Method Access
GET https://slack.com/api/rtm.connect
ScopesNo scopes required
Content types
application/x-www-form-urlencoded
application/json
Rate LimitsTier 1: 1+ per minute

Arguments​

Required arguments

tokenstringRequired

Authentication token bearing required scopes. Tokens should be passed as an HTTP Authorization header or alternatively, as a POST parameter.

Example: xxxx-xxxxxxxxx-xxxx

Optional arguments

batch_presence_awarebooleanOptional

Batch presence deliveries via subscription. Enabling changes the shape of presence_change events. See batch presence.

Example: 1
presence_subbooleanOptional

Only deliver presence events when requested by subscription. See presence subscriptions.

Default:

Usage info​

This method begins a Real Time Messaging API session and reserves your application a specific URL with which to connect via websocket.

Unlike rtm.start, this method is focused only on connecting to the RTM API.

Use this method in conjunction with other Web API methods like conversations.list, users.list, and team.info to build a full picture of the team or workspace you're connecting on behalf of.

Please consult the RTM API documentation for full details on using the RTM API.

New Slack apps may not use any Real Time Messaging API method.

For most applications, Socket Mode is a better way to communicate with Slack anyway.

Response​

Typical success response

{
  "ok": true,
  "self": {
    "id": "U4X318ZMZ",
    "name": "robotoverlord"
  },
  "team": {
    "domain": "slackdemo",
    "id": "T2U81E2FP",
    "name": "SlackDemo"
  },
  "url": "wss://..."
}

Typical error response

{
  "ok": false,
  "error": "invalid_auth"
}

This method returns a WebSocket Message Server URL and limited information about the team: The url property contains a WebSocket Message Server URL. Connecting to this URL will initiate a Real Time Messaging session. These URLs are only valid for 30 seconds, so connect quickly!

The self property contains a small amount of information concerning the connecting user — an id and their name.

The team attribute also houses brief information about the team, including its id, name, domain, and if it's part of an Enterprise organization, the corresponding enterprise_id.

Errors​

This table lists the expected errors that this method could return. However, other errors can be returned in the case where the service is down or other unexpected factors affect processing. Callers should always check the value of the ok parameter in the response.

Error
Description
access_denied

Access to a resource specified in the request is denied.

accesslimited

Access to this method is limited on the current network

account_inactive

Authentication token is for a deleted user or workspace when using a bot token.

deprecated_endpoint

The endpoint has been deprecated.

ekm_access_denied

Administrators have suspended the ability to post a message.

enterprise_is_restricted

The method cannot be called from an Enterprise.

fatal_error

The server could not complete your operation(s) without encountering a catastrophic error. It's possible some aspect of the operation succeeded before the error was raised.

internal_error

The server could not complete your operation(s) without encountering an error, likely due to a transient issue on our end. It's possible some aspect of the operation succeeded before the error was raised.

invalid_arg_name

The method was passed an argument whose name falls outside the bounds of accepted or expected values. This includes very long names and names with non-alphanumeric characters other than _. If you get this error, it is typically an indication that you have made a very malformed API call.

invalid_arguments

The method was called with invalid arguments.

invalid_array_arg

The method was passed an array as an argument. Please only input valid strings.

invalid_auth

Some aspect of authentication cannot be validated. Either the provided token is invalid or the request originates from an IP address disallowed from making the request.

invalid_charset

The method was called via a POST request, but the charset specified in the Content-Type header was invalid. Valid charset names are: utf-8 iso-8859-1.

invalid_form_data

The method was called via a POST request with Content-Type application/x-www-form-urlencoded or multipart/form-data, but the form data was either missing or syntactically invalid.

invalid_post_type

The method was called via a POST request, but the specified Content-Type was invalid. Valid types are: application/json application/x-www-form-urlencoded multipart/form-data text/plain.

method_deprecated

The method has been deprecated.

migration_in_progress

Team is being migrated between servers. See the team_migration_started event documentation for details.

missing_post_type

The method was called via a POST request and included a data payload, but the request did not include a Content-Type header.

missing_scope

The token used is not granted the specific scope permissions required to complete this request.

no_permission

The workspace token used in this request does not have the permissions necessary to complete the request. Make sure your app is a member of the conversation it's attempting to post a message to.

not_allowed_token_type

The token type used in this request is not allowed.

not_authed

No authentication token provided.

org_login_required

The workspace is undergoing an enterprise migration and will not be available until migration is complete.

ratelimited

The request has been ratelimited. Refer to the Retry-After header for when to retry the request.

request_timeout

The method was called via a POST request, but the POST data was either missing or truncated.

service_unavailable

The service is temporarily unavailable

team_access_not_granted

The token used is not granted the specific workspace access required to complete this request.

team_added_to_org

The workspace associated with your request is currently undergoing migration to an Enterprise Organization. Web API and other platform operations will be intermittently unavailable until the transition is complete.

token_expired

Authentication token has expired

token_revoked

Authentication token is for a deleted user or workspace or the app has been removed when using a user token.

two_factor_setup_required

Two factor setup is required.