# External chat channels' data is returned by the API only when after the user posts a chat

**URL:** <https://devforum.zoom.us/t/external-chat-channels-data-is-returned-by-the-api-only-when-after-the-user-posts-a-chat/61260>\
**Category:** Feature Requests\
**Created:** [December 9, 2021, 3:35pm UTC](https://devforum.zoom.us/t/external-chat-channels-data-is-returned-by-the-api-only-when-after-the-user-posts-a-chat/61260 "2021-12-09T15:35:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![vivek.thetalake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/2bfe46/32.png) [@vivek.thetalake](https://devforum.zoom.us/u/vivek.thetalake)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2021, 3:35pm UTC](https://devforum.zoom.us/t/external-chat-channels-data-is-returned-by-the-api-only-when-after-the-user-posts-a-chat/61260/1 "2021-12-09T15:35:01Z")

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**Description**  
We have a ML based compliance platform. We fetch chats using the chats api. We observed that if a user is a part of an external channel (a channel that is not a part of this account, but some external account), then the zoom chat api does not return any information about that channel (e.g. the sessions report api does not include that channel, etc.) until the user posts a message on that channel and becomes an active participant. This is not ideal for us because the platform needs to ensure all the exposure the user gets is in within compliance policies (e.g. legal, insider trading, etc.).

**Error**  
There is no error. This is a question about the chat api behavior, and to check if this may be changed.

**Which App Type (OAuth / Chatbot / JWT / Webhook)?**  
OAuth

**Which Endpoint/s?**  
Sessions reports (/report/chat/sessions)  
Messages reports (/report/chat/sessions/{sessionId}

**How To Reproduce (If applicable)**  
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Create a channel in a separate account. Invite a user from your account in that channel. Have the user accept the invitation.
2. From external accounts (not from your account’s user), post any number of messages in that external channel. You can wait for any amount of time.
3. For your account, run the reports api (sessions, messages). You will see the channel and messages do not show up in the response.
4. From your user’s account, post some messages on the external channel.
5. For your account, run the reports api (sessions, messages). Now you will start seeing the external channel and messages show up in api responses.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/zoomdeveloper/original/3X/6/1/614bdd549b610bbaa46ff934617683a02bdaa03c.png) [@system](https://devforum.zoom.us/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2022, 1:35am UTC](https://devforum.zoom.us/t/external-chat-channels-data-is-returned-by-the-api-only-when-after-the-user-posts-a-chat/61260/2 "2022-01-09T01:35:06Z")

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Closed on January 9, 2022, 1:35am UTC

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