channelsread

tnez's avatarfrom tnez

Read messages from a channel. Use this to check for new messages, review issue history, or catch up on session logs.

⭐1stars🔀0forks📁View on GitHub🕐Updated Jan 1, 2026
[Communication Tools]

When & Why to Use This Skill

This Claude skill enables the automated retrieval and monitoring of messages from public channels, direct messages, and session logs. It allows users to efficiently track issue history, review recent activity, and filter communications using specific tags or timeframes, significantly improving workflow visibility and information management for teams and agents.

Use Cases

  • Monitoring Issue Channels: Automatically check for new blockers or reported problems in dedicated channels like #issues to ensure timely resolution and incident tracking.
  • Session Log Review: Retrieve and analyze recent session summaries or logs to stay updated on agent activities, system status, and task progress.
  • Direct Message Management: Read and process incoming DMs to specific personas to streamline communication, task handoffs, and personalized notifications.
  • Targeted Information Retrieval: Use time-based and tag-based filters to extract high-priority messages or specific topics from high-volume communication streams.
namechannels/read
descriptionRead messages from a channel. Use this to check for new messages, review issue history, or catch up on session logs.
licenseMIT

Read Channel Messages

Retrieve and display messages from a public channel or DM inbox.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

  • Checking for new issues or blockers in #issues
  • Reviewing recent session logs in #sessions
  • Reading your DM inbox (@your-persona-name)
  • Catching up on channel activity
  • Looking for messages with specific tags

Process

Step 1: Identify Channel

Determine which channel to read:

  • #sessions - Session summaries
  • #issues - Reported problems
  • @persona-name - DMs sent to a persona
  • Any custom channel

Step 2: Read Messages

npx dot-agents channels read "<channel>"

Optional flags:

  • --since <duration> - Only messages from last N hours/days (e.g., 24h, 7d)
  • --limit <n> - Maximum number of messages to return
  • --tags <tag1,tag2> - Filter by tags

Step 3: Process Results

Messages are returned in chronological order with metadata:

  • Message ID
  • Timestamp
  • Sender (from)
  • Content
  • Reply count (if any)

Examples

Example 1: Read Recent Issues

npx dot-agents channels read "#issues" --since 24h

Output:

#issues (2 messages)

[2025-12-15T10:30:00Z] from: morning-paper
**Issue:** Calendar API timeout
**Impact:** No events in morning paper
...
(1 reply)

[2025-12-15T14:45:00Z] from: inbox-processor
**Issue:** Missing attachment in email
...

Example 2: Check Your DM Inbox

npx dot-agents channels read "@channel-manager"

Example 3: Filter by Tags

npx dot-agents channels read "#issues" --tags "urgent"

Example 4: Limit Results

npx dot-agents channels read "#sessions" --limit 5

Example 5: Read All Messages from Last Week

npx dot-agents channels read "#sessions" --since 7d

Best Practices

  • Use --since to avoid processing old, irrelevant messages
  • Check #issues regularly for unresolved blockers
  • Look for reply counts to see if issues have been addressed
  • Use tags to filter for specific categories of messages

Output Format

Messages are displayed with:

  • Timestamp in ISO 8601 format
  • Sender name
  • Full message content
  • Reply count indicator

Empty channels return a message indicating no messages found.

Error Handling

Channel not found: Returns empty result (channel may not exist yet).

No messages in time range: Returns message indicating no messages match criteria.