---
title: "Create Work Chat"
method: POST
path: "/work/chats"
tags: ["Work"]
---

# Create Work Chat

`POST /work/chats`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://be.graph8.com/api/v1`
- URL: `https://be.graph8.com/api/v1/work/chats`
- Auth: HTTP bearer

Open a new chat with the caller's Chief of Staff and the operator bench. PERSONAL KEY ONLY.

`201` with `directMessage` (a chat IS a direct-message conversation; its payload carries `workChat`) and `duplicate`.
With `initialMessage` the first message is posted in the same request and the Chief's turn STARTS, which SPENDS
credits; the body then also carries `message`. A replayed `Idempotency-Key` returns the same chat; a new key opens a
new one. 503 while chats are switched off.

## Headers

- `Idempotency-Key` string, nullable: Retry-safety key. Replaying one returns the ORIGINAL result with `duplicate: true` instead of writing twice. Omit it and the server mints a single-use key, which means a retried request writes again: send your own for anything you may retry.
- `Authorization` string, nullable
- `X-Target-Org-Id` string, nullable

## Request body

- WorkChatCreateBody: A new chat. It names nothing but an optional title, a first message and a subject.
  - `title` string, nullable: What the chat is about. Trimmed to one sidebar line.
  - `initialMessage` object, nullable: The chat's first message, posted in the same request: the body of `POST /work/messages` without `channel` or a thread. THIS STARTS THE CHIEF OF STAFF'S TURN, which spends credits.
  - `subject` WorkChatSubjectBody: The record a chat is about.
    - `kind` 'deal' | 'company' | 'desk_card', required
    - `id` string, required

## Response `201`

Successful Response

- ApiResponseWorkChannelPayload
  - `data` WorkChannelPayload, required: A Work channel, chat, output, task, decision or activity document, as the app returns it.
  - `pagination` PaginationMeta
    - `page` integer, required: Current page number (1-indexed)
    - `limit` integer, required: Items per page
    - `total` integer, required: Total number of items
    - `has_next` boolean, required: Whether there are more pages
    - `next_cursor` string, nullable: Opaque cursor for the next page; null when there are no more items. Pass it back as the `cursor` query param to fetch the following page without computing page numbers.
    - `total_available` integer, nullable: Search endpoints only: how many records really match, when known. Can be larger than `total`, which is capped at the 10,000 results that can be paged. For company search this is a distinct-company estimate. Null when unknown; absent outside search.
    - `total_is_lower_bound` boolean, nullable: Search endpoints only: true when more records match than `total` shows (the result set is larger than the 10,000 results that can be paged). Absent outside search.
    - `notes` string[], nullable: Search endpoints only: plain-language notes about the result, e.g. that more records match than can be paged, or that a reversed `between` range was put in order.

## Other responses

- `422`: Validation Error

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/graph8/apis/graph8-developer-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/graph8/apis/graph8-developer-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/graph8/apis/graph8-developer-api/revisions/2e7cfa0ca921?raw)