email-threads

Update a thread

Applies label changes to a conversation, and links or unlinks a contact. Adding spam files the conversation, and its received messages, as spam. Adding archive files it away without deleting it. Adding inbox, or removing spam, blocked, or archive, returns it to the inbox, and its unread count recomputes to match. An archived conversation returns to the inbox by itself when a new message arrives that isn't spam or blocked; a junk reply or an outbound send leaves it archived. To block a sender going forward, add a receive rule instead. Any field you leave out stays unchanged.

patch/v1/email/threads/{thread_id}

Request

  • Base URL: https://us1.platform.bird.com
  • URL: https://us1.platform.bird.com/v1/email/threads/{thread_id}
  • Auth: one of:
    • HTTP bearer
    • API key in cookie bird_session

Headers

Idempotency-Keystring

Client-supplied key. On operations supporting request deduplication, a retained response is replayed for duplicate requests with the same key within the idempotency window (3 hours by default). This protection requires a workspace, organization, or staff-account scope. User-only and unscoped unauthenticated operations, streams, and operations with a separate replay contract do not use this response replay.

On a supported operation, if idempotency protection is unavailable before execution, the API returns 503 IdempotencyUnavailable (E01033) without executing this attempt. Retry with backoff using the same key and request. An operation that takes effect before its response is retained can still execute again on retry.

Two distinct 409 errors signal misuse:

  • request_in_progress (E01004): The same key is currently being processed by a concurrent request. Wait briefly and retry. The lock expires within 30 seconds.
  • idempotency_key_reuse (E01005): The same key has already completed against a different request body or method. Generate a new key.

Recommended key format is <event-type>/<entity-id> (for example welcome-user/usr_abc123).

X-Workspace-Idstring

Workspace context for the request. Required for dashboard authentication and master keys. Workspace keys and access tokens already identify their workspace; send that workspace or omit the header. A different one is rejected.

X-Organization-Idstring

Organization context for the request. Required for dashboard authentication. An API key or access token carries its own organization, so send either that organization or no header at all; a different one is rejected.

Request body

contact_idstring

Example request

{
  "labels": {
    "add": [
      "urgent"
    ],
    "remove": [
      "pending"
    ]
  },
  "contact_id": "con_01krdgeqcxet5s7t44vh8rt9mg"
}

Response

The updated thread.

idstring required
mailbox_idstring required
channelstring required

Channel this conversation lives on. Always email.

contact_idstring required
subjectstring nullable required

Subject of the conversation, taken from its first message. Null when that message had no subject.

participantsstring[] required

Addresses that appear on the retained messages in this conversation, including the mailbox's own address.

message_countinteger required

Number of retained messages in this conversation, both directions.

unread_countinteger required

Number of retained received messages that are still unread. Spam and blocked mail is not counted.

last_message_atstring date-time required

When the most recent retained message in this conversation was received or sent.

last_direction'inbound' | 'outbound' required

Direction of the most recent message: inbound for a received message, outbound for a sent one.

labelsstring[] required

Labels on this conversation. Exactly one system placement label is always present, set by the message that started the conversation:

  • inbox: The conversation is in the inbox.
  • archive: The conversation was filed away and is done for now.
  • spam: The conversation's opening message is filed in Spam.
  • blocked: The conversation's opening message was rejected by the mailbox's receive policy or rules.

Move a conversation by updating its labels. Add spam to file it as spam, add archive to clean it out of the inbox, and add inbox, or remove spam, blocked, or archive, to bring it back. An archived conversation returns to the inbox by itself when a new message arrives. Custom labels share the same list, and a conversation has at most 20 labels in total.

created_atstring date-time required

When the thread was created.

updated_atstring date-time required

When the thread last changed.

Example response

{
  "id": "thr_01krdgeqcxet5s7t44vh8rt9mg",
  "mailbox_id": "mbx_01krdgeqcxet5s7t44vh8rt9mg",
  "channel": "email",
  "contact_id": "con_01krdgeqcxet5s7t44vh8rt9mg",
  "subject": "Re: Your order",
  "labels": [
    "inbox",
    "urgent"
  ],
  "highlights": {
    "subject": [
      "Re: your **order** **4821**"
    ],
    "text": [
      "confirming your **order** **4821** shipped"
    ]
  }
}

Changes

No recorded changes to this operation across all 2 revisions of this API.