API Reference

Beta

Threads

Messages

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List messages

Deprecated

GET/threads/{thread_id}/messages

Returns a list of messages for a given thread.

Path ParametersExpand Collapse

thread_id: string

Query ParametersExpand Collapse

after: optional string

A cursor for use in pagination. after is an object ID that defines your place in the list. For instance, if you make a list request and receive 100 objects, ending with obj_foo, your subsequent call can include after=obj_foo in order to fetch the next page of the list.

before: optional string

A cursor for use in pagination. before is an object ID that defines your place in the list. For instance, if you make a list request and receive 100 objects, starting with obj_foo, your subsequent call can include before=obj_foo in order to fetch the previous page of the list.

limit: optional number

A limit on the number of objects to be returned. Limit can range between 1 and 100, and the default is 20.

order: optional "asc" or "desc"

Sort order by the created_at timestamp of the objects. asc for ascending order and desc for descending order.

One of the following:

"asc"

"desc"

run_id: optional string

Filter messages by the run ID that generated them.

ReturnsExpand Collapse

data: array of Message { id, assistant_id, attachments, 11 more }

id: string

The identifier, which can be referenced in API endpoints.

assistant_id: string

If applicable, the ID of the assistant that authored this message.

attachments: array of object { file_id, tools }

A list of files attached to the message, and the tools they were added to.

file_id: optional string

The ID of the file to attach to the message.

tools: optional array of CodeInterpreterTool { type } or object { type }

The tools to add this file to.

One of the following:

CodeInterpreterTool = object { type }

type: "code_interpreter"

The type of tool being defined: code_interpreter

FileSearchTool = object { type }

type: "file_search"

The type of tool being defined: file_search

completed_at: number

The Unix timestamp (in seconds) for when the message was completed.

content: array of ImageFileContentBlock { image_file, type } or ImageURLContentBlock { image_url, type } or TextContentBlock { text, type } or RefusalContentBlock { refusal, type }

The content of the message in array of text and/or images.

One of the following:

ImageFileContentBlock = object { image_file, type }

References an image File in the content of a message.

image_file: ImageFile { file_id, detail }

file_id: string

The File ID of the image in the message content. Set purpose="vision" when uploading the File if you need to later display the file content.

detail: optional "auto" or "low" or "high"

Specifies the detail level of the image if specified by the user. low uses fewer tokens, you can opt in to high resolution using high.

One of the following:

"auto"

"low"

"high"

type: "image_file"

Always image_file.

ImageURLContentBlock = object { image_url, type }

References an image URL in the content of a message.

image_url: ImageURL { url, detail }

url: string

The external URL of the image, must be a supported image types: jpeg, jpg, png, gif, webp.

formaturi

detail: optional "auto" or "low" or "high"

Specifies the detail level of the image. low uses fewer tokens, you can opt in to high resolution using high. Default value is auto

One of the following:

"auto"

"low"

"high"

type: "image_url"

The type of the content part.

TextContentBlock = object { text, type }

The text content that is part of a message.

text: Text { annotations, value }

annotations: array of FileCitationAnnotation { end_index, file_citation, start_index, 2 more } or FilePathAnnotation { end_index, file_path, start_index, 2 more }

One of the following:

FileCitationAnnotation = object { end_index, file_citation, start_index, 2 more }

A citation within the message that points to a specific quote from a specific File associated with the assistant or the message. Generated when the assistant uses the "file_search" tool to search files.

end_index: number

minimum0

file_citation: object { file_id }

file_id: string

The ID of the specific File the citation is from.

start_index: number

minimum0

text: string

The text in the message content that needs to be replaced.

type: "file_citation"

Always file_citation.

FilePathAnnotation = object { end_index, file_path, start_index, 2 more }

A URL for the file that's generated when the assistant used the code_interpreter tool to generate a file.

end_index: number

minimum0

file_path: object { file_id }

file_id: string

The ID of the file that was generated.

start_index: number

minimum0

text: string

The text in the message content that needs to be replaced.

type: "file_path"

Always file_path.

value: string

The data that makes up the text.

type: "text"

Always text.

RefusalContentBlock = object { refusal, type }

The refusal content generated by the assistant.

refusal: string

type: "refusal"

Always refusal.

created_at: number

The Unix timestamp (in seconds) for when the message was created.

incomplete_at: number

The Unix timestamp (in seconds) for when the message was marked as incomplete.

incomplete_details: object { reason }

On an incomplete message, details about why the message is incomplete.

reason: "content_filter" or "max_tokens" or "run_cancelled" or 2 more

The reason the message is incomplete.

One of the following:

"content_filter"

"max_tokens"

"run_cancelled"

"run_expired"

"run_failed"

metadata: Metadata

Set of 16 key-value pairs that can be attached to an object. This can be useful for storing additional information about the object in a structured format, and querying for objects via API or the dashboard.

Keys are strings with a maximum length of 64 characters. Values are strings with a maximum length of 512 characters.

object: "thread.message"

The object type, which is always thread.message.

role: "user" or "assistant"

The entity that produced the message. One of user or assistant.

One of the following:

"user"

"assistant"

run_id: string

The ID of the run associated with the creation of this message. Value is null when messages are created manually using the create message or create thread endpoints.

status: "in_progress" or "incomplete" or "completed"

The status of the message, which can be either in_progress, incomplete, or completed.

One of the following:

"in_progress"

"incomplete"

"completed"

thread_id: string

The thread ID that this message belongs to.

first_id: string

has_more: boolean

last_id: string

object: string

List messages

HTTP

HTTP

TypeScript

Python

Java

Go

Ruby

curl https://api.openai.com/v1/threads/thread_abc123/messages \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $OPENAI_API_KEY" \
  -H "OpenAI-Beta: assistants=v2"

{
  "object": "list",
  "data": [
    {
      "id": "msg_abc123",
      "object": "thread.message",
      "created_at": 1699016383,
      "assistant_id": null,
      "thread_id": "thread_abc123",
      "run_id": null,
      "role": "user",
      "content": [
        {
          "type": "text",
          "text": {
            "value": "How does AI work? Explain it in simple terms.",
            "annotations": []
          }
        }
      ],
      "attachments": [],
      "metadata": {}
    },
    {
      "id": "msg_abc456",
      "object": "thread.message",
      "created_at": 1699016383,
      "assistant_id": null,
      "thread_id": "thread_abc123",
      "run_id": null,
      "role": "user",
      "content": [
        {
          "type": "text",
          "text": {
            "value": "Hello, what is AI?",
            "annotations": []
          }
        }
      ],
      "attachments": [],
      "metadata": {}
    }
  ],
  "first_id": "msg_abc123",
  "last_id": "msg_abc456",
  "has_more": false
}

Returns Examples

{
  "object": "list",
  "data": [
    {
      "id": "msg_abc123",
      "object": "thread.message",
      "created_at": 1699016383,
      "assistant_id": null,
      "thread_id": "thread_abc123",
      "run_id": null,
      "role": "user",
      "content": [
        {
          "type": "text",
          "text": {
            "value": "How does AI work? Explain it in simple terms.",
            "annotations": []
          }
        }
      ],
      "attachments": [],
      "metadata": {}
    },
    {
      "id": "msg_abc456",
      "object": "thread.message",
      "created_at": 1699016383,
      "assistant_id": null,
      "thread_id": "thread_abc123",
      "run_id": null,
      "role": "user",
      "content": [
        {
          "type": "text",
          "text": {
            "value": "Hello, what is AI?",
            "annotations": []
          }
        }
      ],
      "attachments": [],
      "metadata": {}
    }
  ],
  "first_id": "msg_abc123",
  "last_id": "msg_abc456",
  "has_more": false
}