Attachments

When sending messages in groups or DM channels, users (or bots) can add any number of attachments, as noted in the relevant sections of Group Messages, Direct Messages, and Bots. In each of these instances, you add an attachment by including a corresponding object in the "attachments" array. This section will list all the different types of attachments possible (That we know of and can find documentation for) and how to send them.

All parameters are required unless otherwise specified.

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Images

{
  "type": "image",
  "url": "https://i.groupme.com/123456789"
}

Parameters

• type

  string - must be "image" for an image attachment

• url

  string - the URL of the image to send. This image must first be processed by GroupMe's Image Service

---

Video

{
  "type": "video",
  "url": "https://v.groupme.com/123456/2021-12-11T16:33:43Z/9999a999.1280x720r90.mp4",
  "preview_url": "https://v.groupme.com/123456/2021-12-11T16:33:43Z/9999a999.1280x720r90.jpg"
}

Parameters

• type

  string - must be "video" for a video attachment

• url

  string - URL to video file, needs to be a v.groupme.com link.

• preview_url

  string - URL to video file thumbnail, again it does need to v.groupme.com link. Note that thumbnail images produced by the video service are not i.groupme.com links.

---

File

{
  "type":"file",
  "file_id":"abcdabcd-dead-beef-2222-111122223333"
}

Parameters

• type

  string - must be "file" for a file attachment

• url

  file_id - valid file id from the file service

---

Location

{
  "type": "location",
  "name": "Heaven?",
  "lat": "64.148430",
  "lng": "-21.9355508"
}

Parameters

• type

  string - must be "location" for a location attachment

• name

  string - the name of the location you're sending

• lat

  string - the latitude of the location

• lng

  string - the longitude of the location.

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Emoji

Only for GroupMe-specific emoji. Standard Unicode emoji (e.g. 💩) do not use this feature.

{
  "type": "emoji",
  "placeholder": "�",
  "charmap": [[1, 62]]
}

Parameters

• type

  string - must be "emoji" for an emoji attachment

• placeholder

  string - a placeholder character in the text which is meant to be replaced by the actual emoji.

  • This can technically be more than one character, but different platforms are inconsistent about how they display the resulting message - some will delete the entire placeholder string, others will only delete the first character

• charmap

  array - an array of arrays of two integers. That is, an array of the form [[1, 62], [2, 0]].

  • Each number pair represents one emoji, in the order the placeholder character appears.

  • The first number is the number of the emoji pack the emoji is found in (starting at one), and the second number is the position of the emoji in the array (starting at zero)

  • The first placeholder will be replaced by the emoji indicated by the first charmap, the second placeholder will be replaced by the second, and so on.

  • If there are more placeholder characters than there are charmaps, platforms are inconsistent on how they handle it. Some will render the placeholder, some will render a random emoji.

  • If there are fewer placeholder characters than there are charmaps, the extra charmaps will simply be discarded.

---

Replies

Designates a message as a reply to a previous message

{
  "type": "reply",
  "reply_id": "123456789",
  "base_reply_id": "123456789"
}

Parameters

• type

  string - must be "reply" for a reply attachment

• reply_id

  string - the ID of the message you're responding to. Must be greater than or equal to base_reply_id.

  • This can be omitted, but will result in some clients being inconsistent of if they recognize it as a reply or not.

  • If this is included, and reply_id and base_reply_id differ, this takes precedence

• base_reply_id

  string - the ID of the message you're responding to.

---

Mentions

This is how you @mention someone.

{
  "type": "mentions",
  "user_ids": ["123456789", "1234567890"],
  "loci": [[0, 6], [8, 6]]
}

Parameters

• type

  string - must be "mentions" for a mention attachment

• user_ids

  array - an array of the user IDs being mentioned.

• loci

  array - an array of arrays of two integers. That is, an array of the form [[0, 6], [8, 6]]

  • Each number pair represents a mention to the person specified in the associated user_ids element

  • The first number represents the position in the text where the mention begins, and the second represents how long it is.

    So, for example, in the message "Hi @Lowes", the first number would be 3, and the second number would be 6.

Interestingly, because of this system, you don't have to actually type someone's name, or even type @, for someone to be mentioned. There's also no limit on how many people you can @mention at once. My bot, Lowes, has a function which simply says "@all" and everyone in the chat gets the notification that they've been mentioned.

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Read Only Attachments

Note

These attachment types cannot be sent in a message's attachments array and can only be observed through reading messages that have been sent in groups or direct messages. Most are added by the backend automatically.

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Poll

This is a read-only attachment type, as it is not sent in one of your messages. Rather, when you create a poll, a message with this attachment is sent for you.

Read more about polls here

{
  "type": "poll",
  "poll_id": "1747858596203713"
}

Parameters

• type

  string - must be "poll" for a poll attachment

• pool_id

  string - the ID of the poll attached to the message

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Calendar Event

This is a read-only attachment type, as it is not sent in one of your messages. Rather, when you create an event, a message with this attachment is sent for you.

Read more about calendar events here

{
  "type": "event"
  "event_id": "912fea48717643eda831e72306557100",
  "view": "full",
}

• type

  string - must be "event" for a callendar event attachment

• event_id

  string - the ID of the event attached to the message

• view

  string - describes the way the event should be rendered in chat. This value has not been observed to be anything other than "full" so far.

Copilot

This attachment type is read-only and used exclusively by Copilot in its messages to attach extra information about the Copilot interaction and the user that requested it.

{
  "type": "copilot"
  "message_id": "u6Us5bXBSQERTNfc6vWGB",
  "part_id": "0",
  "prompt_sender": "93645911",
}

Parameters

• type

  string - must be "copilot" for a Copilot attachment

• message_id

  string - Copilot specific internal message ID, not the same as the GroupMe message ID

• part_id

  string - the index of the message in the Coplilot response. Copilot can respond to a single query using multiple messages, this allows you to order them if there are more than one.

• prompt_sender

  string - the GroupMe user ID of the user who initiated the Copilot interaction

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