You can programmatically access hack.chat using the following commands via a websocket. To prevent getting disconnected, ping the server every 50 seconds. A list of wrappers written for accessing hack.chat can be found [here](https://github.com/hack-chat/3rd-party-software-list#libraries).

The commands are to be sent through a websocket to the URL `wss://hack.chat/chat-ws` (everything sent and received are `string`s). If you are sending messages locally or to another domain, replace 'hack.chat' with the respective domain. If you're running your own instance of hack.chat, you can retain backwards-compatibility in order to ensure that software created for the main server will work on yours too.

All commands sent must be JSON objects with the command specified in the `"cmd"` key. For example:
```json
{
    "cmd": "join",
    "channel": "programming",
    "nick": "johndoe#fag"
}
```

hack.chat has three permission levels. When you access a command, hack.chat automatically knows your permission level from your trip code. The lowest permission level is `core`. `mod` is above `core`, so it can access `core` commands in addition to `mod` commands. `admin` is similarly above `mod`.

# `core`

|Command|Parameters|Explanation|
|-------|----------|-----------|
|`changenick`|`nick`|Changes the current connection's nickname.|
|`chat`|`text`|This broadcasts `text` to the channel the user is connected to.|
|`disconnect`||An event handler or forced disconnect.|
|`invite`|`nick`|Generates a pseudo-unique channel name and passes it to both the calling user and `nick`.|
|`join`|`channel`, `nick`|Places the calling socket into the target channel with the target nick and broadcasts the event to the channel.|
|`morestats`||Sends back the current server's stats to the calling client.|
|`move`|`channel`|This will change the current channel to `channel`.|
|`stats`||Sends back legacy server stats to the calling client. Use `morestats` when possible.|
|`help`|`category` or `command`|Gives documentation programmatically. If `category` (the permission level, such as `mod`) is sent, a list of commands available to that permission level will be sent back (as a `string` and not an `array`). This list only includes what is unique to that category and not every command a user with that permission level could perform. If `command` (e.g., `chat`) is sent, a description of the command will be sent back.|

# `mod`

|Command|Parameters|Explanation|
|-------|----------|-----------|
|`ban`|`nick`|Disconnects the target nickname in the same channel as the calling socket and adds it to the rate limiter.|
|`kick`|`nick`|Silently forces target client(s) into another channel. `nick` may be `string` or `array` of `string`s.|
|`unban`|`ip` or `hash`|Removes the target ip from the rate limiter.|

# `admin`

|Command|Parameters|Explanation|
|-------|----------|-----------|
|`addmod`|`nick`|Adds the target trip to the config as a mod and upgrades the socket type.|
|`listusers`||Outputs all current channels and sockets in those channels.|
|`reload`||(Re)loads any new commands into memory and outputs errors, if any.|
|`saveconfig`||Saves the current config.|
|`shout`|`text`|Displays the passed text to each client connected.|