---
title: "Get a Realtime channel"
method: GET
path: "/v1/realtime/apps/{realtime_app_id}/channels/{channel_name}"
tags: ["realtime-events"]
---

# Get a Realtime channel

`GET /v1/realtime/apps/{realtime_app_id}/channels/{channel_name}`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://us1.platform.bird.com`
- URL: `https://us1.platform.bird.com/v1/realtime/apps/{realtime_app_id}/channels/{channel_name}`
- Auth: one of:
  - HTTP bearer and API key in header `X-Realtime-Key` and API key in header `X-Realtime-Secret`
  - API key in cookie `bird_session` and API key in header `X-Realtime-Key` and API key in header `X-Realtime-Secret`

Returns a single channel's occupancy and optional counts. A channel appears when its first connection subscribes and disappears when its last connection leaves. An unknown or unused name returns `200 OK` with `occupied: false`.

## Query parameters

- `include` RealtimeChannelInclude[]

## Headers

- `X-Workspace-Id` string
- `X-Organization-Id` string

## Response `200`

The channel state.

- RealtimeChannelInfo: State of a single channel. Counts appear only when requested and applicable.
  - `member_count` integer: Distinct members (presence channels only; requires `include=member_count`).
  - `connection_count` integer: Connections currently subscribed to this channel (requires `include=connection_count` and the app's connection-counting flag). Channel-scoped: distinct from the app-wide peak connections metric.
  - `occupied` boolean, required: Whether at least one client is subscribed.

## Other responses

- `400`: Bad request
- `401`: Authentication required
- `403`: Insufficient permissions
- `404`: Resource not found
- `422`: The request has invalid field values, violates a business rule, or carries a query parameter the endpoint does not declare. Field validation errors use `type: validation_error` and include the affected fields in `details`. Business-rule errors identify the failed rule in `type`.
- `429`: Rate limit exceeded
- `500`: Internal server error

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/messagebird/apis/bird-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/messagebird/apis/bird-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/messagebird/apis/bird-api/revisions/3e2a50466454?raw)