> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rovax.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Messages Reference

> Endpoints to access and delete individual messages by ID

## Concept

The **Messages** group provides direct access to individual messages by their unique identifier — without needing to know which conversation they belong to. These endpoints are useful in scenarios where you already have the `message_id` at hand (for example, received via webhook) and need to fetch the full details or remove the message.

To list messages within the context of a specific conversation, use the endpoints from the [Conversations](/en/api-reference/conversations/referencia) or [Chats](/en/api-reference/chats/referencia) groups, which offer pagination and conversation-based filters.

## Message Structure

A message in Timely.ai represents any unit of communication exchanged in a conversation: text, image, audio, video, document, or interactive message (buttons, lists). Each message records the sender (contact, AI agent, or human), the source channel, delivery status, and platform metadata (such as the WhatsApp `wamid` or Telegram `message_id`).

## Main Fields

| Field             | Type          | Description                                                            |
| ----------------- | ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `id`              | string (UUID) | Unique message ID in Timely                                            |
| `conversation_id` | string (UUID) | Conversation it belongs to                                             |
| `channel_id`      | string (UUID) | Channel through which it was sent/received                             |
| `content`         | string        | Text content of the message                                            |
| `type`            | enum          | `text` \| `image` \| `audio` \| `video` \| `document` \| `interactive` |
| `direction`       | enum          | `inbound` (customer → agent) \| `outbound` (agent → customer)          |
| `sender_type`     | enum          | `contact` \| `agent` \| `human`                                        |
| `sender_id`       | string (UUID) | Sender ID                                                              |
| `status`          | enum          | `sent` \| `delivered` \| `read` \| `failed`                            |
| `media_url`       | string        | Media URL (for messages with attachments)                              |
| `external_id`     | string        | External message ID from the source platform                           |
| `metadata`        | object        | Additional platform data (wamid, etc.)                                 |
| `created_at`      | string        | ISO 8601 creation timestamp                                            |

## When to Use Messages vs Conversations vs Chats

| Scenario                                    | Recommended group |
| ------------------------------------------- | ----------------- |
| Fetch a specific message by ID              | **Messages**      |
| List the full history of a conversation     | **Conversations** |
| Send a message as a human agent             | **Chats**         |
| Analyze conversations in bulk               | **Conversations** |
| React to a webhook event with a message\_id | **Messages**      |

## Available Endpoints

<Note>
  See the left sidebar for the full list of endpoints in this group. Each endpoint has its own page with request/response schema, cURL/JS/Python examples, and an interactive playground.
</Note>

## Next Steps

<Card title="Your first request" href="/en/start/quickstart-api">
  If you haven't made your first call yet, start here.
</Card>