Group Business Overview
Group chat is a common multi-user communication method in instant messaging applications, typically involving two or more users. RC's group business supports rich group member management, mute management, offline push notifications, and historical message roaming, which can be used for interest groups, office groups, and customer service communication.
Key points of the group business are as follows:
- The IM service is only responsible for delivering messages to all users in the group and does not maintain group member profiles (avatars, names, group member cards, etc.) by default. If you need to host group and group member profile information on RC, you can enable the service in the developer console under
IM Service - Information Hosting Service - Feature Settingsand use the group management functions provided in the hosting service to manage and maintain group profiles. - When the RC information hosting service is not used, group management operations such as creating, disbanding, joining, or leaving a group must be implemented by the App server requesting the IM server API. The IM client SDK does not provide corresponding methods. For details, see Group Management Functions.
- RC's information hosting service provides new group management capabilities, supporting group management through both server APIs and client SDKs.
- There is no limit to the number of groups that can be created under an App Key, and the maximum number of members in a single group is 3000.
- There is no limit to the number of groups a single user can join.
- After enabling the Cloud Storage for One-to-One and Group Messages service for the App Key from the Console [Chat pricing plans] page, you can use RC's message storage service to achieve message history roaming. This service can be activated with Chat Premium Plan or Chat Ultimate Plan. Specific features and fees are subject to the Billing Instructions document.
Service Configuration
Some basic features and value-added services of the group business can be enabled and configured in the Console's [Basic Features] and [Chat pricing plans] pages. If you need to host group and group member profile information on RC, you can enable it in the developer console under IM Service - Information Hosting Service - Feature Settings.
Client SDK Usage Notes
Note
Groups created through the information hosting service support group management functions via the client SDK. This functionality is supported starting from SDK version 5.12.0. Groups not created through the information hosting service do not provide group management APIs in the client. Group management must be performed by the App server calling the corresponding RC server API (Server API) interfaces. Alternatively, after importing an already created group into the information hosting service via the server API, group management functions can be accessed through the client SDK.
Group Management Functions
By default, RC does not host user information or manage group business logic, so all group business logic must be implemented on the App server. When the RC information hosting service is not enabled, group owner, group admin, group announcement, invitation to join, group number search, etc., are all group business logic that needs to be implemented on the App side. If you wish to host group and group member profile information on RC, please enable user information hosting.
tip
- When using the information hosting service, group members will receive operation status notification callbacks during group management operations, such as creation, active joining, invitation to join, kick-out, exit, disbanding, adding admins, removing admins, transferring group ownership, etc. Since notifications are implemented using messages, they will be counted in group message distribution and downstream data statistics.
- For groups created using non-hosting functions, if you need to use group hosting capabilities, you must call the "Import Group Hosting Data" interface to set the group owner (group leader) and default group permissions before use.
- Groups without User Information Hosting
- Groups with User Information Hosting
The table below lists the basic group management interfaces provided by the IM server for non-hosted capabilities. Note that group management must be performed by the App backend calling the corresponding IM server API (Server API) interfaces. After enabling the information hosting service, the client can provide management APIs for hosted groups.
| Function Category | Description | RC Server API |
|---|---|---|
| Create, Disband Group | Provide the creator's user ID, group ID, and group name to request group creation from the RC server. If disbanding a group, the group member relationships will no longer exist. | [Create Group], [Disband Group] |
| Join, Leave Group | After joining a group, new messages generated after joining can be viewed by default. After leaving a group, new messages from the group will no longer be received. | [Join Group], [Leave Group] |
| Modify Group Information on RC Server | Modify the group information used in RC's push service. | [Refresh Group Information] |
| Query Group Members | Query the user ID information of all members in a specified group. | [Query Group Members] |
| Query User's Groups | Query all groups a user has joined based on the user ID, returning group IDs and group names. RC does not store group profile information; group profiles and member information need to be maintained by the developer on the App server. If there are discrepancies in the user-group relationships maintained by the App server, this interface can be used to verify. | [Query User's Groups] |
| Synchronize User's Groups | Synchronize all groups a specified user has joined with the RC server to prevent inconsistencies between the user's group information in the App and the user's group information on the RC server. If there are existing group and member data on the App Server before integrating RC services, this interface can be used to synchronize existing user-group relationships with RC when first connecting to the RC server. | [Synchronize User's Groups] |
| Mute a User in Group | Mute one or more users in a specified single group or all groups. Muted users can receive and view messages from other users in the group but cannot send messages through the client SDK. | [Mute a User] |
| Mute All in Group | Mute all members in a group. All members of the muted group cannot send messages. If certain users need to speak, they can be added to the group mute allowlist. | [Mute All] |
| Group Mute Allowlist | When a group is muted, users in the mute allowlist can send group messages. | [Mute Exceptions] |
The group hosting functions supported in the information hosting service are as follows:
| Function Category | Description | Client API | RC Server API |
|---|---|---|---|
| Create Group | Create a group, with the creator as the default group owner. | [Create Group (Client)-Hosted] | [Create Group (Server)-Hosted] |
| Group Profile Settings | Modify the group's name, avatar, introduction, and other built-in information, as well as custom group profile information. | [Group Profile Settings (Client)-Hosted] | [Group Profile Settings (Server)-Hosted] |
| Batch Get Group Profiles | Get the profile information of multiple specified groups. | [Batch Get Group Profiles (Client)-Hosted] | [Batch Get Group Profiles (Server)-Hosted] |
| Kick Out of Group | Kick a specified user out of the group. Only users with kick-out permissions can perform this operation. | [Kick Out of Group (Client)-Hosted] | [Kick Out of Group (Server)-Hosted] |
| Transfer Group Ownership | Transfer the group owner role to another member in the group. After the transfer, you can choose whether to stay in the group or leave. | [Transfer Group Ownership (Client)-Hosted] | [Transfer Group Ownership (Server)-Hosted] |
| Join Group | A user joins a specified group. There is no limit to the number of groups a user can join. | [Join Group (Client)-Hosted] | [Join Group (Server)-Hosted] |
| Leave Group | A user leaves a specified group. After leaving, the user will no longer receive new messages from the group. | [Leave Group (Client)-Hosted] | [Leave Group (Server)-Hosted] |
| Disband Group | Disband a specified group. Only users with the group owner role can perform the disband operation. After disbanding, group member relationships will no longer exist. | [Disband Group (Client)-Hosted] | [Disband Group (Server)-Hosted] |
| Kick User Out of All Groups | Kick a specified user out of all groups where the user is not the group owner. Groups where the user is the group owner must first transfer ownership before the user can leave. | None | [Kick User Out of All Groups (Server)-Hosted] |
| Set Group Admin | Set a specified member of a group as the group admin. | [Set Group Admin (Client)-Hosted] | [Set Group Admin (Server)-Hosted] |
| Remove Group Admin | Remove admin permissions, setting the group admin role back to a regular group member. | [Remove Group Admin (Client)-Hosted] | [Remove Group Admin (Server)-Hosted] |
| Paginate Group Member Information | Get the member information of a specified group in a paginated manner. | [Paginate Group Member Information (Client)-Hosted] | [Paginate Group Member Information (Server)-Hosted] |
| Get Specified Group Member Information | Get the profile information of specified members in a group. | [Get Specified Group Member Information (Client)-Hosted] | [Get Specified Group Member Information (Server)-Hosted] |
| Set Group Member Profile | Set a group member's remark name and custom additional information. | [Set Group Member Profile (Client)-Hosted] | [Set Group Member Profile (Server)-Hosted] |
| Set Group Name Remark | Set the group name remark for a specified group that the user is in. The remark is only visible to the user who set it and not to other group members. | [Set Group Name Remark (Client)-Hosted] | [Set Group Name Remark (Server)-Hosted] |
| Follow Group Member | After following a specified group member, messages sent by that member will not be affected by Do Not Disturb. | [Follow Group Member (Client)-Hosted] | [Follow Group Member (Server)-Hosted] |
| Paginate Groups in App | Get the list of groups under a specified AppKey in a paginated manner. | None | [Paginate Groups in App (Server)-Hosted] |
| Paginate User's Joined Groups | Get the list of all groups a user has joined in a paginated manner. | [Paginate User's Joined Groups (Client)-Hosted] | [Paginate User's Joined Groups (Server)-Hosted] |
| Import Group Hosting Function | For groups not created using the group hosting function, you must first set the group owner and group permissions through this interface before calling group hosting related functions. | None | [Import Group Hosting Function (Server)-Hosted] |
Group Chat Message Functions
Group chat message functions are similar to one-to-one chat functions, sharing some APIs and configurations.
| Function | Description | Client API | RC Server API |
|---|---|---|---|
| Send Message | Can send regular messages and media messages, such as text, images, GIFs, etc., or custom messages. Supports adding @ information when sending messages. | [Send Message] | [Send Group Chat Message] |
| Send Group Targeted Message | Can send regular messages and media messages to one or more specified members in the group. Other members will not receive the message. | [Send Group Targeted Message] | [Send Group Chat Targeted Message] |
| Receive Message | Listen and receive messages in real-time, or receive offline messages when the client comes online. | [Receive Message] | Not provided |
| Group Chat Message Read Receipt | If you need to check the read status of a group message after sending it, you need to send a receipt request first and get the read data through the recipient's response. | [Group Chat Message Receipt] | Not provided |
| Offline Message | Supports offline message storage, with the storage duration configurable (1 to 7 days). By default, all group messages within the last 7 days are stored. The storage duration and the number of stored group messages can be adjusted. | Not provided | Not provided |
| Control Offline Message Push Attributes | When the recipient is offline, group messages can trigger push notifications. By configuring message push attributes ([IPushConfig]), you can control the display effect and behavior of push notifications received on mobile devices. | [Send Message] | Not provided |
| Recall Message | A successfully sent message can be recalled. | [Recall Message][Recall Message-client] | [Recall Message][Recall Message-server-api] |
| Get Historical Messages | Get historical messages from the local database or remotely. Note that getting historical messages remotely requires enabling the Cloud Storage for One-to-One and Group Messages service, with a default storage duration of 6 months. | [Get Historical Messages] | Not provided |
| Get Historical Message Logs | The RC server can save all historical message records of conversations in the App. Historical message records are provided in log files and are compressed. You can use the server API to get or delete the historical message logs of a specified App. | Not provided | [Get Historical Message Logs] |
| Delete Remote Messages | Supports deleting specified messages, messages before a specified timestamp, or all historical messages in a conversation from the server. | [Delete Message][Delete Message] | [Message Clear] |
| One-to-One and Group Chat Message Extension | Add status identifiers (extension data as key-value pairs) to the original message, providing interfaces to add, delete, and query extension information. | [Message Extension] | [One-to-One/Group Chat Message Extension] |
| Custom Message Type | If the built-in message types do not meet your needs, you can customize message types. Supports custom regular message types and custom media message types. | [Custom Message] | Not provided |
| Local Message Search (Electron Only) | Messages are stored locally (on mobile devices), supporting keyword or user search for local specified conversation messages. | [Search Message (Electron)][Search Message-electron] | Not provided |
| Local Message Insert (Electron Only) | Insert messages into the local database. Locally inserted messages are not actually sent to the server or the other party. | [Insert Message (Electron)][Insert Message-electron] | Not provided |
| Local Message Delete (Electron Only) | Supports deleting specified messages, messages before a specified timestamp, or all historical messages in a conversation from the local database. | [Delete Message (Electron)][Delete Message-electron] | Not provided |
| Set Message Status (Electron Only) | Supports maintaining message receive, send, and read status in the client's local database. | [Set Message Status (Electron Only)][Set Message Status-electron] | Not provided |
By default, new group members can only receive messages generated after joining the group. If you need to view historical messages before joining, please enable the following two services for the App Key (please distinguish between development and production environments):
Enable the Cloud Storage for One-to-One and Group Messages service from the Console [Chat pricing plans] page. After enabling this service, you can use RC's message storage service to achieve message history roaming. This service can be activated with Chat Premium Plan or Chat Ultimate Plan. Specific features and fees are subject to the Billing Instructions document.
- Enable the New User Get Historical Messages Before Joining Group service from the Console [Basic Features] page.
Group Chat Conversation Functions
Group chat conversation functions are similar to one-to-one chat functions, sharing some APIs and configurations.
| Function | Description | Client API | RC Server API |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get Remote Conversation | Get the conversation list from the server, up to 1000 items. Supports getting specified conversations, conversations set as top, and unread conversations. | [Get Conversation] | Not provided |
| Handle Conversation Unread Count | Get or clear the unread message count in a conversation, which can be used for UI display. | [Conversation Unread Count] | Not provided |
| Delete Conversation | Delete a specified single conversation from the conversation list. | [Delete Conversation] | Not provided |
| Conversation Draft | Save a draft content to a specified conversation. | [Conversation Draft] | Not provided |
| Typing Status | Set whether to be reminded when receiving new messages in a specified group chat conversation. By default, new message reminders are enabled. | [Typing Status] | Not provided |
| Manage Conversation Tags | Create and manage tag information data, used to mark and group conversations. Each user can create up to 20 tags. Tag information data created by App users will be synchronized with the RC server. | [Manage Tag Information Data] | Not provided |
| Set and Use Conversation Tags | Use conversation tags to group conversations. | [Set and Use Conversation Tags] | Not provided |
| Conversation Top | Set a specified conversation to the top in the conversation list. | [Conversation Top][Conversation Top-client] | [Conversation Top][Conversation Top-server-api] |
| Conversation Do Not Disturb | Control whether users can receive push notifications for offline messages when the client device is offline. Supports setting Do Not Disturb by conversation or by conversation type. | [Do Not Disturb Function Overview][Do Not Disturb Function Overview-client] | [Do Not Disturb Function Overview][Do Not Disturb Function Overview-server-api] |
| Multi-End Sync Conversation Do Not Disturb/Top Status | The SDK provides a conversation status (top or Do Not Disturb) synchronization mechanism. By setting a conversation status synchronization listener, you can listen to conversation status changes in real-time when the status is modified on another end. | [Multi-End Sync Do Not Disturb/Top] | Not provided |
| Multi-End Sync Read Status | Actively synchronize conversation read status across multiple devices of the same user account. | [Multi-End Sync Read Status] | Not provided |
| Get Local Conversation (Electron Only) | The SDK generates corresponding conversations in the local database based on sent and received messages. You can get the conversation list |