chat-sdk▌
vercel/chat · updated Apr 8, 2026
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Write chat bots once, deploy across Slack, Teams, Google Chat, Discord, GitHub, and Linear.
- ›Unified TypeScript SDK with platform-agnostic event handlers (mentions, messages, reactions, slash commands, actions) and normalized message format across all platforms
- ›Built-in streaming support for AI responses via AI SDK integration, plus JSX-based interactive cards with buttons, dropdowns, and form modals
- ›Pluggable state adapters for Redis, PostgreSQL, or in-memory persistence; webhook han
Chat SDK
Unified TypeScript SDK for building chat bots across Slack, Teams, Google Chat, Discord, Telegram, GitHub, Linear, and WhatsApp. Write bot logic once, deploy everywhere.
Start with published sources
When Chat SDK is installed in a user project, inspect the published files that ship in node_modules:
node_modules/chat/docs/ # bundled docs
node_modules/chat/dist/index.d.ts # core API types
node_modules/chat/dist/jsx-runtime.d.ts # JSX runtime types
node_modules/chat/docs/contributing/ # adapter-authoring docs
node_modules/chat/docs/guides/ # framework/platform guides
If one of the paths below does not exist, that package is not installed in the project yet.
Read these before writing code:
node_modules/chat/docs/getting-started.mdx— install and setupnode_modules/chat/docs/usage.mdx—Chatconfig and lifecyclenode_modules/chat/docs/handling-events.mdx— event routing and handlersnode_modules/chat/docs/threads-messages-channels.mdx— thread/channel/message modelnode_modules/chat/docs/posting-messages.mdx— post, edit, delete, schedulenode_modules/chat/docs/streaming.mdx— AI SDK integration and streaming semanticsnode_modules/chat/docs/cards.mdx— JSX cardsnode_modules/chat/docs/actions.mdx— button/select interactionsnode_modules/chat/docs/modals.mdx— modal submit/close flowsnode_modules/chat/docs/slash-commands.mdx— slash command routingnode_modules/chat/docs/direct-messages.mdx— DM behavior andopenDM()node_modules/chat/docs/files.mdx— attachments/uploadsnode_modules/chat/docs/state.mdx— persistence, locking, dedupenode_modules/chat/docs/adapters.mdx— cross-platform feature matrixnode_modules/chat/docs/api/chat.mdx— exactChatAPInode_modules/chat/docs/api/thread.mdx— exactThreadAPInode_modules/chat/docs/api/message.mdx— exactMessageAPInode_modules/chat/docs/api/modals.mdx— modal element and event details
For the specific adapter or state package you are using, inspect that installed package's dist/index.d.ts export surface in node_modules.
Quick start
import { Chat } from "chat";
import { createSlackAdapter } from "@chat-adapter/slack";
import { createRedisState } from "@chat-adapter/state-redis";
const bot = new Chat({
userName: "mybot",
adapters: {
slack: createSlackAdapter(),
},
state: createRedisState(),
dedupeTtlMs: 600_000,
});
bot.onNewMention(async (thread) => {
await thread.subscribe();
await thread.post("Hello! I'm listening to this thread.");
});
bot.onSubscribedMessage(async (thread, message) => {
await thread.post(`You said: ${message.text}`);
});
Core concepts
- Chat — main entry point; coordinates adapters, routing, locks, and state
- Adapters — platform-specific integrations for Slack, Teams, Google Chat, Discord, Telegram, GitHub, Linear, and WhatsApp
- State adapters — persistence for subscriptions, locks, dedupe, and thread state
- Thread — conversation context with
post(),stream(),subscribe(),setState(),startTyping() - Message — normalized content with
text,formatted, attachments, author info, and platformraw - Channel — container for threads and top-level posts
Event handlers
| Handler | Trigger |
|---|---|
onNewMention |
Bot @-mentioned in an unsubscribed thread |
onDirectMessage |
New DM in an unsubscribed DM thread |
onSubscribedMessage |
Any message in a subscribed thread |
onNewMessage(regex) |
Regex match in an unsubscribed thread |
onReaction(emojis?) |
Emoji added or removed |
onAction(actionIds?) |
Button clicks and select/radio interactions |
onModalSubmit(callbackId?) |
Modal form submitted |
onModalClose(callbackId?) |
Modal dismissed/cancelled |
onSlashCommand(commands?) |
Slash command invocation |
onAssistantThreadStarted |
Slack assistant thread opened |
onAssistantContextChanged |
Slack assistant context changed |
onAppHomeOpened |
Slack App Home opened |
onMemberJoinedChannel |
Slack member joined channel event |
Read node_modules/chat/docs/handling-events.mdx, node_modules/chat/docs/actions.mdx, node_modules/chat/docs/modals.mdx, and node_modules/chat/docs/slash-commands.mdx before wiring handlers. onDirectMessage behavior is documented in node_modules/chat/docs/direct-messages.mdx.
Streaming
Pass any AsyncIterable<string> to thread.post() or thread.stream(). For AI SDK, prefer result.fullStream over result.textStream when available so step boundaries are preserved.
import { ToolLoopAgent } from "ai";
const agent = new ToolLoopAgent({ model: "anthropic/claude-4.5-sonnet" });
bot.onNewMention(async (thread, message) => {
const result = await agent.stream({ prompt: message.text });
await thread.post(result.fullStream);
});
Key details:
streamingUpdateIntervalMscontrols post+edit fallback cadencefallbackStreamingPlaceholderTextdefaults to"..."; setnullto disable- Structured
StreamChunksupport is Slack-only; other adapters ignore non-text chunks
Cards and modals (JSX)
Set jsxImportSource: "chat" in tsconfig.json.
Card components:
Card,CardText,Section,Fields,Field,Button,CardLink,LinkButton,Actions,Select,SelectOption,RadioSelect,Table,Image,Divider
Modal components:
Modal,TextInput,Select,SelectOption,RadioSelect
await thread.post(
<Card title="Order #1234">
<CardText>Your order has been received.</CardText>
<Actions>
<Button id="approve" style="primary">Approve</Button>
<Button id="reject" style="danger">Reject</Button>
</Actions>
</Card>
);
Adapter inventory
Official platform adapters
| Platform | Package | Factory |
|---|---|---|
| Slack | @chat-adapter/slack |
createSlackAdapter |
| Microsoft Teams | @chat-adapter/teams |
createTeamsAdapter |
| Google Chat | @chat-adapter/gchat |
createGoogleChatAdapter |
| Discord | @chat-adapter/discord |
createDiscordAdapter |
| GitHub | @chat-adapter/github |
createGitHubAdapter |
| Linear | @chat-adapter/linear |
createLinearAdapter |
| Telegram | @chat-adapter/telegram |
createTelegramAdapter |
| WhatsApp Business Cloud | @chat-adapter/whatsapp |
createWhatsAppAdapter |
Official state adapters
| State backend | Package | Factory |
|---|---|---|
| Redis | @chat-adapter/state-redis |
createRedisState |
| ioredis | @chat-adapter/state-ioredis |
createIoRedisState |
| PostgreSQL | @chat-adapter/state-pg |
createPostgresState |
| Memory | @chat-adapter/state-memory |
createMemoryState |
Community adapters
chat-state-cloudflare-do@beeper/chat-adapter-matrixchat-adapter-imessage@bitbasti/chat-adapter-webex@resend/chat-sdk-adapter@zernio/chat-sdk-adapterchat-adapter-baileys@liveblocks/chat-sdk-adapterchat-adapter-sendbluechat-adapter-zalo
Coming-soon platform entries
- Signal
- X
- Messenger
Building a custom adapter
Read these published docs first:
node_modules/chat/docs/contributing/building.mdxnode_modules/chat/docs/contributing/testing.mdxnode_modules/chat/docs/contributing/publishing.mdx
Also inspect:
node_modules/chat/dist/index.d.ts—Adapterand related interfacesnode_modules/@chat-adapter/shared/dist/index.d.ts— shared errors and utilities- Installed official adapter
dist/index.d.tsfiles — reference implementations for config and APIs
A custom adapter needs request verification, webhook parsing, message/thread/channel operations, ID encoding/decoding, and a format converter. Use BaseFormatConverter from chat and shared utilities from @chat-adapter/shared.
Webhook setup
Each registered adapter exposes bot.webhooks.<name>. Wire those directly to your HTTP framework routes. See node_modules/chat/docs/guides/slack-nextjs.mdx and node_modules/chat/docs/guides/discord-nuxt.mdx for framework-specific route patterns.
How to use chat-sdk on Cursor
AI-first code editor with Composer
Prerequisites
Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:
- ›Cursor installed and configured on your development machine
- ›Node.js version 16.0+ with npm package manager (verify with
node --version) - ›Active project directory or workspace where you want to add chat-sdk
Execute installation command
Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:
The skills CLI fetches chat-sdk from GitHub repository vercel/chat and configures it for Cursor.
Select Cursor when prompted
The CLI will show a list of available agents. Use arrow keys to navigate and space to select Cursor:
Verify installation
Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:
Reload or restart Cursor to activate chat-sdk. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g., /chat-sdk) or your agent's skill management interface.
Security & Verification Notice
We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use.
Skills execute code in your development environment. Always verify the publisher's identity, review recent commits, and test in isolated environments before production deployment.
List & Monetize Your Skill
Submit your Claude Code skill and start earning
Use Cases▌
User Story & Requirements Generation
Create detailed user stories, acceptance criteria, and feature specs
Example
Generate user stories for 'password reset feature' with acceptance criteria, edge cases, and test scenarios
Reduce spec writing time by 50%, ensure comprehensive coverage
Competitive Analysis
Research competitors, compare features, identify gaps
Example
Analyze 5 competitor products, create feature comparison matrix, suggest differentiation opportunities
Complete competitive research in 2 hours instead of 2 days
Roadmap Prioritization
Evaluate features using frameworks (RICE, ICE, Kano) and create prioritized backlogs
Example
Score 20 feature ideas using RICE framework, generate prioritized roadmap with rationale
Make data-driven prioritization decisions faster
Stakeholder Communication
Draft PRDs, status updates, and stakeholder presentations
Example
Create executive summary of Q3 roadmap, monthly progress report, feature launch announcement
Save 3-5 hours/week on communication overhead
Implementation Guide▌
Prerequisites
- ›Claude Desktop or compatible AI client
- ›Access to product documentation and roadmap tools (Jira, Notion, etc.)
- ›Understanding of product management frameworks (RICE, Jobs-to-be-Done, etc.)
- ›Stakeholder contact information and communication channels
Time Estimate
30-60 minutes to see productivity improvements
Installation Steps
- 1.Install product management skill
- 2.Start with user story generation for known feature
- 3.Progress to competitive analysis: research 2-3 competitors
- 4.Use for roadmap prioritization: apply RICE/ICE scoring
- 5.Draft stakeholder communications and refine based on feedback
- 6.Build template library for recurring PM tasks
- 7.Share effective prompts with product team
Common Pitfalls
- ⚠Not validating competitive research—verify facts before sharing
- ⚠Accepting user stories without involving engineering team
- ⚠Over-relying on frameworks without qualitative judgment
- ⚠Not customizing outputs to company culture and communication style
- ⚠Skipping stakeholder validation of generated requirements
Best Practices▌
✓ Do
- +Validate research and competitive analysis with real data
- +Collaborate with engineering when generating technical requirements
- +Customize frameworks and templates to your company context
- +Use skill for first drafts, refine with stakeholder input
- +Document successful prompt patterns for PM tasks
- +Combine AI efficiency with human judgment and intuition
✗ Don't
- −Don't publish competitive analysis without fact-checking
- −Don't finalize user stories without engineering review
- −Don't make prioritization decisions solely on AI scoring
- −Don't skip customer validation of generated requirements
- −Don't ignore company-specific context and culture
💡 Pro Tips
- ★Provide context: company goals, constraints, customer feedback
- ★Ask for alternatives: 'Show 3 ways to prioritize this roadmap'
- ★Request stakeholder-specific formatting: 'Executive summary vs. engineering spec'
- ★Use skill for 70% generation + 30% customization to company needs
When to Use This▌
✓ Use When
Use for user story writing, competitive research, roadmap prioritization, stakeholder communication, and PRD drafting. Best for reducing repetitive documentation and research work.
✗ Avoid When
Avoid for strategic product vision (requires deep customer empathy), pricing decisions (needs market and financial expertise), or when face-to-face customer discovery is more valuable than speed.
Learning Path▌
- 1Basic: user stories, feature specs, status updates
- 2Intermediate: competitive analysis, prioritization frameworks, PRDs
- 3Advanced: product strategy, go-to-market planning, OKR setting
- 4Expert: product vision, market positioning, business model innovation
Discussion
Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)- No comments yet — start the thread.
Ratings
4.7★★★★★73 reviews- ★★★★★Olivia Haddad· Dec 28, 2024
I recommend chat-sdk for anyone iterating fast on agent tooling; clear intent and a small, reviewable surface area.
- ★★★★★Henry Yang· Dec 28, 2024
chat-sdk has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.
- ★★★★★Tariq Thompson· Dec 24, 2024
Useful defaults in chat-sdk — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.
- ★★★★★Charlotte Mehta· Dec 16, 2024
We added chat-sdk from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.
- ★★★★★Kaira Robinson· Dec 4, 2024
Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: chat-sdk is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.
- ★★★★★Luis Gonzalez· Dec 4, 2024
chat-sdk reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.
- ★★★★★Jin Martinez· Nov 23, 2024
chat-sdk has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.
- ★★★★★Ishan Agarwal· Nov 23, 2024
Registry listing for chat-sdk matched our evaluation — installs cleanly and behaves as described in the markdown.
- ★★★★★Jin Li· Nov 19, 2024
chat-sdk fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos.
- ★★★★★Charlotte Menon· Nov 19, 2024
Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: chat-sdk is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.
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