Update a space

This guide explains how to use the patch() method on the Space resource of the Google Chat API to update a space. Update a space to change attributes about a space, like its user-visible display name, description, and guidelines.

If you're a Google Workspace administrator, you can call the patch() method to update any existing space in your Google Workspace organization.

The Space resource represents a place where people and Chat apps can send messages, share files, and collaborate. There are several types of spaces:

  • Direct messages (DMs) are conversations between two users or a user and a Chat app.
  • Group chats are conversations between three or more users and Chat apps.
  • Named spaces are persistent places where people send messages, share files, and collaborate.

Prerequisites

Node.js

Python

Java

Apps Script

Update a space as a user

To update an existing space in Google Chat with user authentication, pass the following in your request:

  • Specify the chat.spaces authorization scope.
  • Call the UpdateSpace() method. In your request, you specify the space name field, the updateMask field with one or more fields to update, and a body with the updated space information.

You can update things like the display name, space type, history state, and more. To see all the fields you can update, see the reference documentation.

Here's how to update the displayName field of an existing space:

Node.js

chat/client-libraries/cloud/update-space-user-cred.js
import {createClientWithUserCredentials} from './authentication-utils.js';

const USER_AUTH_OAUTH_SCOPES = ['https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.spaces'];

// This sample shows how to update a space with user credential
async function main() {
  // Create a client
  const chatClient = await createClientWithUserCredentials(USER_AUTH_OAUTH_SCOPES);

  // Initialize request argument(s)
  const request = {
    space: {
      // Replace SPACE_NAME here
      name: 'spaces/SPACE_NAME',
      displayName: 'New space display name'
    },
    // The field paths to update. Separate multiple values with commas or use
    // `*` to update all field paths.
    updateMask: {
      // The field paths to update.
      paths: ['display_name']
    }
  };

  // Make the request
  const response = await chatClient.updateSpace(request);

  // Handle the response
  console.log(response);
}

main().catch(console.error);

Python

chat/client-libraries/cloud/update_space_user_cred.py
from authentication_utils import create_client_with_user_credentials
from google.apps import chat_v1 as google_chat

SCOPES = ["https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.spaces"]

# This sample shows how to update a space with user credential
def update_space_with_user_cred():
    # Create a client
    client = create_client_with_user_credentials(SCOPES)

    # Initialize request argument(s)
    request = google_chat.UpdateSpaceRequest(
        space = {
            # Replace SPACE_NAME here
            'name': 'spaces/SPACE_NAME',
            'display_name': 'New space display name'
        },
        # The field paths to update. Separate multiple values with commas.
        update_mask = 'displayName'
    )

    # Make the request
    response = client.update_space(request)

    # Handle the response
    print(response)

update_space_with_user_cred()

Java

chat/client-libraries/cloud/src/main/java/com/google/workspace/api/chat/samples/UpdateSpaceUserCred.java
import com.google.chat.v1.ChatServiceClient;
import com.google.chat.v1.UpdateSpaceRequest;
import com.google.chat.v1.Space;
import com.google.protobuf.FieldMask;

// This sample shows how to update space with user credential.
public class UpdateSpaceUserCred {

  private static final String SCOPE =
    "https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.spaces";

  public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
    try (ChatServiceClient chatServiceClient =
        AuthenticationUtils.createClientWithUserCredentials(
          ImmutableList.of(SCOPE))) {
      UpdateSpaceRequest.Builder request = UpdateSpaceRequest.newBuilder()
        .setSpace(Space.newBuilder()
          // Replace SPACE_NAME here.
          .setName("spaces/SPACE_NAME")
          .setDisplayName("New space display name"))
        .setUpdateMask(FieldMask.newBuilder()
          // The field paths to update.
          .addPaths("display_name"));
      Space response = chatServiceClient.updateSpace(request.build());

      System.out.println(JsonFormat.printer().print(response));
    }
  }
}

Apps Script

chat/advanced-service/Main.gs
/**
 * This sample shows how to update a space with user credential
 * 
 * It relies on the OAuth2 scope 'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.spaces'
 * referenced in the manifest file (appsscript.json).
 */
function updateSpaceUserCred() {
  // Initialize request argument(s)
  // TODO(developer): Replace SPACE_NAME here
  const name = 'spaces/SPACE_NAME';
  const space = {
    displayName: 'New space display name'
  };
  // The field paths to update. Separate multiple values with commas or use
  // `*` to update all field paths.
  const updateMask = 'displayName';

  // Make the request
  const response = Chat.Spaces.patch(space, name, {
    updateMask: updateMask
  });

  // Handle the response
  console.log(response);
}

To run this sample, replace SPACE_NAME with the ID from the space's name field. You can obtain the ID by calling the ListSpaces() method or from the space's URL.

The Google Chat API returns an instance of the Space reflecting the updates.

Update a space as a Google Workspace administrator

If you're a Google Workspace administrator, you can call the UpdateSpace() method to update any space in your Google Workspace organization.

To call this method as a Google Workspace administrator, do the following:

For more information and examples, see Manage Google Chat spaces as a Google Workspace administrator.

Update a space as a Chat app

App authentication requires one-time administrator approval.

To update an existing space in Google Chat with app authentication, pass the following in your request:

  • Specify the chat.app.spaces authorization scope. With app authentication, you can only update spaces created by Chat apps.
  • Call the patch method on the Space resource. In your request, you specify the space name field, the updateMask field with one or more fields to update, and a body with the updated space information.

You can update things like the display name, space type, history state, permission settings, and more. To see all the fields you can update, see the reference documentation.

Create an API key

To call a Developer Preview API method, you must use a non-public developer preview version of the API discovery document. To authenticate the request, you must pass an API key.

To create the API Key, open your app's Google Cloud project and do the following:

  1. In the Google Cloud console, go to Menu > APIs & Services > Credentials.

    Go to Credentials

  2. Click Create credentials > API key.
  3. Your new API key is displayed.
    • Click Copy to copy your API key for use in your app's code. The API key can also be found in the "API keys" section of your project's credentials.
    • Click Restrict key to update advanced settings and limit use of your API key. For more details, see Applying API key restrictions.

Write a script that calls Chat API

Here's how to update the spaceDetails field of an existing space:

Python

  1. In your working directory, create a file named chat_space_update_app.py.

  2. Include the following code in chat_space_update_app.py:

    from google.oauth2 import service_account
from apiclient.discovery import build

# Define your app's authorization scopes.
# When modifying these scopes, delete the file token.json, if it exists.
SCOPES = ["https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.app.spaces"]

def main():
    '''
    Authenticates with Chat API using app authentication,
    then updates the specified space description and guidelines.
    '''

    # Specify service account details.
    creds = (
        service_account.Credentials.from_service_account_file('credentials.json')
        .with_scopes(SCOPES)
    )

    # Build a service endpoint for Chat API.
    chat = build('chat', 'v1', credentials=creds, discoveryServiceUrl='https://chat.googleapis.com/$discovery/rest?version=v1&labels=DEVELOPER_PREVIEW&key=API_KEY')

    # Use the service endpoint to call Chat API.
    result = chat.spaces().patch(

      # The space to update, and the updated space details.
      #
      # Replace {space} with a space name.
      # Obtain the space name from the spaces resource of Chat API,
      # or from a space's URL.
      name='spaces/SPACE',
      updateMask='spaceDetails',
      body={

        'spaceDetails': {
          'description': 'This description was updated with Chat API!',
          'guidelines': 'These guidelines were updated with Chat API!'
        }

      }

    ).execute()

    # Prints details about the updated space.
    print(result)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

  3. In the code, replace the following:

    • API_KEY: the API key you created to build the service endpoint for Chat API.
    • SPACE with a space name, which you can obtain from the spaces.list method in the Chat API, or from a space's URL.

  4. In your working directory, build and run the sample:

    python3 chat_space_update_app.py

The Google Chat API returns an instance of the Space resource reflecting the updates.