haystack/docs-website/versioned_docs/version-2.19/concepts/data-classes/chatmessage.mdx

---
title: "ChatMessage"
id: chatmessage
slug: "/chatmessage"
description: "`ChatMessage` is the central abstraction to represent a message for a LLM. It contains role, metadata and several types of content, including text, images, tool calls and tool calls results."
---

# ChatMessage

`ChatMessage` is the central abstraction to represent a message for a LLM. It contains role, metadata and several types of content, including text, images, tool calls and tool calls results.

To create a `ChatMessage` instance, use `from_user`, `from_system`, `from_assistant`, and `from_tool` class methods.

The [content](#types-of-content) of the `ChatMessage` can then be inspected using the `text`, `texts`, `image`, `images`, `tool_call`, `tool_calls`, `tool_call_result`, and `tool_call_results` properties.

If you are looking for the details of this data class methods and parameters, head over to our [API documentation](/reference/data-classes-api#chatmessage).

## Types of Content

`ChatMessage` currently supports `TextContent`, `ImageContent`, `ToolCall` and `ToolCallResult` types of content:

```python
@dataclass
class TextContent:
    """
    The textual content of a chat message.

    :param text: The text content of the message.
    """

    text: str

@dataclass
class ToolCall:
    """
    Represents a Tool call prepared by the model, usually contained in an assistant message.

    :param tool_name: The name of the Tool to call.
    :param arguments: The arguments to call the Tool with.
    :param id: The ID of the Tool call.
    """

    tool_name: str
    arguments: Dict[str, Any]
    id: Optional[str] = None  # noqa: A003

@dataclass
class ToolCallResult:
    """
    Represents the result of a Tool invocation.

    :param result: The result of the Tool invocation.
    :param origin: The Tool call that produced this result.
    :param error: Whether the Tool invocation resulted in an error.
    """

    result: str
    origin: ToolCall
    error: bool

@dataclass
class ImageContent:
    """
    The image content of a chat message.

    :param base64_image: A base64 string representing the image.
    :param mime_type: The MIME type of the image (e.g. "image/png", "image/jpeg").
        Providing this value is recommended, as most LLM providers require it.
        If not provided, the MIME type is guessed from the base64 string, which can be slow and not always reliable.
    :param detail: Optional detail level of the image (only supported by OpenAI). One of "auto", "high", or "low".
    :param meta: Optional metadata for the image.
    :param validation: If True (default), a validation process is performed:
        - Check whether the base64 string is valid;
        - Guess the MIME type if not provided;
        - Check if the MIME type is a valid image MIME type.
        Set to False to skip validation and speed up initialization.
    """

    base64_image: str
    mime_type: Optional[str] = None
    detail: Optional[Literal["auto", "high", "low"]] = None
    meta: Dict[str, Any] = field(default_factory=dict)
    validation: bool = True

```

The `ImageContent` dataclass also provides two convenience class methods: `from_file_path` and `from_url`. For more details, refer to our [API documentation](/reference/data-classes-api#imagecontent).

## Working with a ChatMessage

The following examples demonstrate how to create a `ChatMessage` and inspect its properties.

### from_user with TextContent

```python
from haystack.dataclasses import ChatMessage

user_message = ChatMessage.from_user("What is the capital of Australia?")

print(user_message)

print(user_message.text)

print(user_message.texts)
```

### from_user with TextContent and ImageContent

```python
from haystack.dataclasses import ChatMessage, ImageContent

capybara_image_url = (
    "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e1/"
    "Cattle_tyrant_%28Machetornis_rixosa%29_on_Capybara.jpg/"
    "960px-Cattle_tyrant_%28Machetornis_rixosa%29_on_Capybara.jpg?download"
)

image_content = ImageContent.from_url(capybara_image_url, detail="low")

user_message = ChatMessage.from_user(
	content_parts=[
		"What does the image show?",
		image_content
		])

print(user_message)

print(user_message.text)

print(user_message.texts)

print(user_message.image)
```

### from_assistant with TextContent

```python
from haystack.dataclasses import ChatMessage

assistant_message = ChatMessage.from_assistant("How can I assist you today?")

print(assistant_message)

print(assistant_message.text)

print(assistant_message.texts)
```

### from_assistant with ToolCall

```python
from haystack.dataclasses import ChatMessage, ToolCall

tool_call = ToolCall(tool_name="weather_tool", arguments={"location": "Rome"})

assistant_message_w_tool_call = ChatMessage.from_assistant(tool_calls=[tool_call])

print(assistant_message_w_tool_call)

print(assistant_message_w_tool_call.text)

print(assistant_message_w_tool_call.texts)

print(assistant_message_w_tool_call.tool_call)

print(assistant_message_w_tool_call.tool_calls)

print(assistant_message_w_tool_call.tool_call_result)

print(assistant_message_w_tool_call.tool_call_results)
```

### from_tool

```python
from haystack.dataclasses import ChatMessage

tool_message = ChatMessage.from_tool(tool_result="temperature: 25°C", origin=tool_call, error=False)

print(tool_message)

print(tool_message.text)

print(tool_message.texts)

print(tool_message.tool_call)

print(tool_message.tool_calls)

print(tool_message.tool_call_result)

print(tool_message.tool_call_results)
```

## Migrating from Legacy ChatMessage (before v2.9)

In Haystack 2.9, we updated the `ChatMessage` data class for greater flexibility and support for multiple content types: text, tool calls, and tool call results.

There are some breaking changes involved, so we recommend reviewing this guide to migrate smoothly.

### Creating a ChatMessage

You can no longer directly initialize `ChatMessage` using `role`, `content`, and `meta`.

- Use the following class methods instead: `from_assistant`, `from_user`, `from_system`, and `from_tool`.
- Replace the `content` parameter with `text`.

```python
from haystack.dataclasses import ChatMessage

## LEGACY - DOES NOT WORK IN 2.9.0
message = ChatMessage(role=ChatRole.USER, content="Hello!")

## Use the class method instead
message = ChatMessage.from_user("Hello!")
```

### Accessing ChatMessage Attributes

- The legacy `content` attribute is now internal (`_content`).
- Inspect `ChatMessage` attributes using the following properties:
  - `role`
  - `meta`
  - `name`
  - `text` and `texts`
  - `image` and `images`
  - `tool_call` and `tool_calls`
  - `tool_call_result` and `tool_calls_results`

```python
from haystack.dataclasses import ChatMessage

message = ChatMessage.from_user("Hello!")

## LEGACY - DOES NOT WORK IN 2.9.0
print(message.content)

## Use the appropriate property instead
print(message.text)
```