Group chats and multi-person chats

# Group chats and multi-person chats

LINE Official Accounts can interact with users in group chats or multi-person chats using the Messaging API. This page describes how you can use your LINE Official Account in a group chat or multi-person chat.

# Types of chat that talk to multiple users

LINE has two types of chats you can have with multiple users: group chats and multi-person chats. The users of a group chat or multi-person chat are called members.

Multi-person chat has been integrated into group chat

Starting with LINE version 10.17.0, multi-person chat has been integrated into group chat. You can continue to use the multi-person chat that you have been using before the integration, but if you create a new chat with multiple friends on LINE version 10.17.0 or later, it will always be a group chat. For more information, see Create and manage groups (opens new window) (only available in Japanese) in the LINE user's guide.

# Group chats

A group chat is a chat designed for continuous use by multiple people. The group ID is a value generated to identify group chats. LINE users can create groups with a specified name. Group chat supports features such as albums and notes.

Tip

When a user invites a third user to a one-to-one chat, a group chat will be created.

In group chat, user can set whether or not to have an approval flow for users invited to the group. For more information on how to set approval flow up, see Create and manage groups (opens new window) (only available in Japanese) in the LINE user's guide.

# Multi-person chats

A multi-person chat is a chat designed for temporary use by multiple people. The room ID is a value generated to identify multi-person chats. In a multi-person chat, the names of the participating members will be automatically set as the chat room name. Multi-person chat does not support features such as albums and notes.

Note that in version 10.17.0 and later, multi-person chat has been integrated into group chat.

# Adding the LINE Official Account to a group chat or multi-person chat

You can also invite a LINE Official Account to a group chat or multi-person chat. On the Messaging API tab of your channel in the LINE Developers Console, enable Allow bot to join group chats. This setting is disabled by default. Only one LINE Official Account can be in a group chat or multi-person chat at a time.

# Receiving webhook events

You can also receive webhook events for group chats or multi-person chats. For more information, see Webhook events for one-on-one chats or group chats and multi-person chats, or Webhook event objects in the Messaging API reference.

# Tip for using message events

Similarly to one-on-one chats, the LINE Platform sends a message event to the bot server when a user sends a message in a group chat or multi-person chat that your LINE Official Account has joined.

Group ID of the source group chat (groupId) and room ID of the source multi-person chat (roomId) are included in the source property of the Message event.

"source": {
    "type": "group",
    "groupId": "Ca56f94637c...",
    "userId": "U4af4980629..."
}

For more information on group IDs and room IDs, see What are the user ID, group ID, room ID, and one-on-one chat ID values?.

# Sending a request to an endpoint

The following operations are specific to group chats and multi-person chats. For more information, see Messaging API reference.

# Tip for sending messages

Similarly to one-on-one chat, you can send reply messages and push messages to a group chat or multi-person chat that your LINE Official Account has joined.

When sending push messages, specify the group ID or room ID in the to property. The recipient ID is found in webhook event objects. Messages are displayed to all members of the group chat or multi-person chat.

Tip

You cannot send multicast message with multiple users in group chat or multi-person chat.