> Source: https://builder-docs.ema.ai/api-reference/chat/data-model
> Title: Chat Data Model

# Chat Data Model

This page defines the data structures used in the Chat API for messages, conversations, and response types.

## ChatbotMessage

The top-level message object in a conversation.

Field

Type

Description

`message_id`

string

Unique identifier for the message

`conversation_id`

string

ID of the conversation this message belongs to

`message_type`

MessageType

Type of message content

`content`

object

Message content (varies by message type)

`sender`

string

Sender identifier (`user` or `ai`)

`timestamp`

string

ISO 8601 timestamp

`snippets`

list of Snippet

Structured content blocks

`sources`

list of Source

Source attributions

## MessageType

Value

Description

`TEXT`

Plain text or markdown message

`BUTTONS`

Message with clickable buttons

`FORM`

Message with form fields

`FEEDBACK`

Feedback request (rating/thumbs)

`URL`

URL/link message

Complete list of MessageType values.

## TextMessage

A plain text or markdown-formatted message.

Field

Type

Description

`text`

string

The message content (supports markdown)

## ButtonsMessage

A message presenting clickable options to the user.

Field

Type

Description

`text`

string

Prompt text above the buttons

`buttons`

list of Button

List of button options

### Button

Field

Type

Description

`label`

string

Display text for the button

`value`

string

Value sent when the button is clicked

## FormMessage

A message presenting form fields for structured input.

Field

Type

Description

`text`

string

Prompt text above the form

`fields`

list of FormField

List of form fields

### FormField

Field

Type

Description

`name`

string

Field identifier

`label`

string

Display label

`type`

FormFieldType

Field type (text, number, select, etc.)

`required`

boolean

Whether the field is required

`options`

list of strings

Options for select/dropdown fields

`default_value`

string

Default value

### FormFieldType

Value

Description

`TEXT`

Single-line text input

`TEXTAREA`

Multi-line text input

`NUMBER`

Numeric input

`SELECT`

Dropdown selection

`CHECKBOX`

Boolean checkbox

`DATE`

Date picker

Complete list of FormFieldType values.

## FeedbackMessage

A message requesting user feedback on the AI response.

Field

Type

Description

`text`

string

Prompt text for the feedback request

`feedback_type`

string

Type of feedback (`thumbs`, `rating`, `text`)

## Snippet Types

Snippets are structured data blocks within messages. The platform supports the following snippet types:

Snippet Type

Description

`TextSnippet`

Formatted text block

`CodeSnippet`

Code with syntax highlighting

`TableSnippet`

Tabular data

`ImageSnippet`

Inline image

`FileSnippet`

Downloadable file attachment

`LinkSnippet`

Hyperlink with preview

`ListSnippet`

Ordered or unordered list

`ChartSnippet`

Data visualization

`SourceSnippet`

Knowledge source citation

`ActionResultSnippet`

Output from a workflow action

`ErrorSnippet`

Error message with details

`ProgressSnippet`

Progress indicator

`SuggestionSnippet`

Suggested follow-up questions

`JSONSnippet`

Formatted JSON data

`MarkdownSnippet`

Rich markdown content

Complete list of snippet types.

## Source

A source attribution linking a response to its knowledge origin.

Field

Type

Description

`title`

string

Title of the source document

`url`

string

URL to the source document

`snippet`

string

Relevant excerpt from the source

`source_type`

string

Type of source (e.g., `confluence`, `gdrive`)

## ConversationChatMessageHistory

The full message history for a conversation.

Field

Type

Description

`messages`

list of ChatbotMessage

All messages in the conversation

`metadata`

ConversationMetadata

Conversation metadata

## ConversationMetadata

Field

Type

Description

`conversation_id`

string

Unique conversation identifier

`persona_id`

string

AI Employee ID

`created_at`

string

ISO 8601 creation timestamp

`updated_at`

string

ISO 8601 last update timestamp

## Related

-   [Chat Overview](/legacy-docs/api-reference/chat/overview) -- Concepts and architecture
-   [Chat API](/legacy-docs/api-reference/chat/chat-api) -- API endpoints