---
title: "Push events into a running session with channels"
description: "> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://code.claude.com/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further."
type: skill
canonical_url: https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com/skills/channels
source: "Claudary"
difficulty: intermediate
author: "Claude Code Knowledge Pack"
date: 2026-07-10T11:13:51.195Z
license: CC-BY-4.0
attribution: "Push events into a running session with channels — Claudary (https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com/skills/channels)"
---
# Push events into a running session with channels
> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://code.claude.com/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
## Overview
> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://code.claude.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Push events into a running session with channels
> Use channels to push messages, alerts, and webhooks into your Claude Code session from an MCP server. Forward CI results, chat messages, and monitoring events so Claude can react while you're away.
Channels are in [research preview](#research-preview) and require Claude Code v2.1.80 or later. They require claude.ai login. Console and API key authentication is not supported. Team and Enterprise organizations must [explicitly enable them](#enterprise-controls).
A channel is an MCP server that pushes events into your running Claude Code session, so Claude can react to things that happen while you're not at the terminal. Channels can be two-way: Claude reads the event and replies back through the same channel, like a chat bridge. Events only arrive while the session is open, so for an always-on setup you run Claude in a background process or persistent terminal.
Unlike integrations that spawn a fresh cloud session or wait to be polled, the event arrives in the session you already have open: see [how channels compare](#how-channels-compare).
You install a channel as a plugin and configure it with your own credentials. Telegram, Discord, and iMessage are included in the research preview.
When Claude replies through a channel, you see the inbound message in your terminal but not the reply text. The terminal shows the tool call and a confirmation (like "sent"), and the actual reply appears on the other platform.
This page covers:
* [Supported channels](#supported-channels): Telegram, Discord, and iMessage setup
* [Install and run a channel](#quickstart) with fakechat, a localhost demo
* [Who can push messages](#security): sender allowlists and how you pair
* [Enable channels for your organization](#enterprise-controls) on Team and Enterprise
* [How channels compare](#how-channels-compare) to web sessions, Slack, MCP, and Remote Control
To build your own channel, see the [Channels reference](/en/channels-reference).
## Supported channels
Each supported channel is a plugin that requires [Bun](https://bun.sh). For a hands-on demo of the plugin flow before connecting a real platform, try the [fakechat quickstart](#quickstart).
View the full [Telegram plugin source](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-official/tree/main/external_plugins/telegram).
Open [BotFather](https://t.me/BotFather) in Telegram and send `/newbot`. Give it a display name and a unique username ending in `bot`. Copy the token BotFather returns.
In Claude Code, run:
```
/plugin install telegram@claude-plugins-official
```
If Claude Code reports that the plugin is not found in any marketplace, your marketplace is either missing or outdated. Run `/plugin marketplace update claude-plugins-official` to refresh it, or `/plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-official` if you haven't added it before. Then retry the install.
After installing, run `/reload-plugins` to activate the plugin's configure command.
Run the configure command with the token from BotFather:
```
/telegram:configure
```
This saves it to `~/.claude/channels/telegram/.env`. You can also set `TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN` in your shell environment before launching Claude Code.
Exit Claude Code and restart with the channel flag. This starts the Telegram plugin, which begins polling for messages from your bot:
```bash theme={null}
claude --channels plugin:telegram@claude-plugins-official
```
Open Telegram and send any message to your bot. The bot replies with a pairing code.
If your bot doesn't respond, make sure Claude Code is running with `--channels` from the previous step. The bot can only reply while the channel is active.
Back in Claude Code, run:
```
/telegram:access pair
```
Then lock down access so only your account can send messages:
```
/telegram:access policy allowlist
```
View the full [Discord plugin source](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-official/tree/main/external_plugins/discord).
Go to the [Discord Developer Portal](https://discord.com/developers/applications), click **New Application**, and name it. In the **Bot** section, create a username, then click **Reset Token** and copy the token.
In your bot's settings, scroll to **Privileged Gateway Intents** and enable **Message Content Intent**.
Go to **OAuth2 > URL Generator**. Select the `bot` scope and enable these permissions:
* View Channels
* Send Messages
* Send Messages in Threads
* Read Message History
* Attach Files
* Add Reactions
Open the generated URL to add the bot to your server.
In Claude Code, run:
```
/plugin install discord@claude-plugins-official
```
If Claude Code reports that the plugin is not found in any marketplace, your marketplace is either missing or outdated. Run `/plugin marketplace update claude-plugins-official` to refresh it, or `/plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-official` if you haven't added it before. Then retry the install.
After installing, run `/reload-plugins` to activate the plugin's configure command.
Run the configure command with the bot token you copied:
```
/discord:configure
```
This saves it to `~/.claude/channels/discord/.env`. You can also set `DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN` in your shell environment before launching Claude Code.
Exit Claude Code and restart with the channel flag. This connects the Discord plugin so your bot can receive and respond to messages:
```bash theme={null}
claude --channels plugin:discord@claude-plugins-official
```
DM your bot on Discord. The bot replies with a pairing code.
If your bot doesn't respond, make sure Claude Code is running with `--channels` from the previous step. The bot can only reply while the channel is active.
Back in Claude Code, run:
```
/discord:access pair
```
Then lock down access so only your account can send messages:
```
/discord:access policy allowlist
```
View the full [iMessage plugin source](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-official/tree/main/external_plugins/imessage).
The iMessage channel reads your Messages database directly and sends replies through AppleScript. It requires macOS and needs no bot token or external service.
The Messages database at `~/Library/Messages/chat.db` is protected by macOS. The first time the server reads it, macOS prompts for access: click **Allow**. The prompt names whichever app launched Bun, such as Terminal, iTerm, or your IDE.
If the prompt doesn't appear or you clicked Don't Allow, grant access manually under **System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access** and add your terminal. Without this, the server exits immediately with `authorization denied`.
In Claude Code, run:
```
/plugin install imessage@claude-plugins-official
```
If Claude Code reports that the plugin is not found in any marketplace, your marketplace is either missing or outdated. Run `/plugin marketplace update claude-plugins-official` to refresh it, or `/plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-official` if you haven't added it before. Then retry the install.
Exit Claude Code and restart with the channel flag:
```bash theme={null}
claude --channels plugin:imessage@claude-plugins-official
```
Open Messages on any device signed into your Apple ID and send a message to yourself. It reaches Claude immediately: self-chat bypasses access control with no setup.
The first reply Claude sends triggers a macOS Automation prompt asking if your terminal can control Messages. Click **OK**.
By default, only your own messages pass through. To let another contact reach Claude, add their handle:
```
/imessage:access allow +15551234567
```
Handles are phone numbers in `+country` format or Apple ID emails like `user@example.com`.
You can also [build your own channel](/en/channels-reference) for systems that don't have a plugin yet.
## Quickstart
Fakechat is an officially supported demo channel that runs a chat UI on localhost, with nothing to authenticate and no external service to configure.
Once you install and enable fakechat, you can type in the browser and the message arrives in your Claude Code session. Claude replies, and the reply shows up back in the browser. After you've tested the fakechat interface, try out [Telegram](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-official/tree/main/external_plugins/telegram), [Discord](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-official/tree/main/external_plugins/discord), or [iMessage](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-official/tree/main/external_plugins/imessage).
To try the fakechat demo, you'll need:
* Claude Code [installed and authenticated](/en/quickstart#step-1-install-claude-code) with a claude.ai account
* [Bun](https://bun.sh) installed. The pre-built channel plugins are Bun scripts. Check with `bun --version`; if that fails, [install Bun](https://bun.sh/docs/installation).
* **Team/Enterprise users**: your organization admin must [enable channels](#enterprise-controls) in managed settings
Start a Claude Code session and run the install command:
```text theme={null}
/plugin install fakechat@claude-plugins-official
```
If Claude Code reports that the plugin is not found in any marketplace, your marketplace is either missing or outdated. Run `/plugin marketplace update claude-plugins-official` to refresh it, or `/plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-official` if you haven't added it before. Then retry the install.
Exit Claude Code, then restart with `--channels` and pass the fakechat plugin you installed:
```bash theme={null}
claude --channels plugin:fakechat@claude-plugins-official
```
The fakechat server starts automatically.
You can pass several plugins to `--channels`, space-separated.
Open the fakechat UI at [http://localhost:8787](http://localhost:8787) and type a message:
```text theme={null}
hey, what's in my working directory?
```
The message arrives in your Claude Code session as a `` event. Claude reads it, does the work, and calls fakechat's `reply` tool. The answer shows up in the chat UI.
If Claude hits a permission prompt while you're away from the terminal, the session pauses until you respond. Channel servers that declare the [permission relay capability](/en/channels-reference#relay-permission-prompts) can forward these prompts to you so you can approve or deny remotely. For unattended use, [`--dangerously-skip-permissions`](/en/permission-modes#skip-all-checks-with-bypasspermissions-mode) bypasses prompts entirely, but only use it in environments you trust.
## Security
Every approved channel plugin maintains a sender allowlist: only IDs you've added can push messages, and everyone else is silently dropped.
Telegram and Discord bootstrap the list by pairing:
1. Find your bot in Telegram or Discord and send it any message
2. The bot replies with a pairing code
3. In your Claude Code session, approve the code when prompted
4. Your sender ID is added to the allowlist
iMessage works differently: texting yourself bypasses the gate automatically, and you add other contacts by handle with `/imessage:access allow`.
On top of that, you control which servers are enabled each session with `--channels`, and on Team and Enterprise plans your organization controls availability with [`channelsEnabled`](#enterprise-controls).
Being in `.mcp.json` isn't enough to push messages: a server also has to be named in `--channels`.
The allowlist also gates [permission relay](/en/channels-reference#relay-permission-prompts) if the channel declares it. Anyone who can reply through the channel can approve or deny tool use in your session, so only allowlist senders you trust with that authority.
## Enterprise controls
On Team and Enterprise plans, channels are off by default. Admins control availability through two [managed settings](/en/settings) that users cannot override:
| Setting | Purpose | When not configured |
| :---------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :----------------------------- |
| `channelsEnabled` | Master switch. Must be `true` for any channel to deliver messages. Set via the [claude.ai Admin console](https://claude.ai/ad
---
Source: [Claudary](https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com/skills/channels) · https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com