Guest API WebSocket connection drops after sending first message

Hey folks,

I’m trying to build a custom chat UI for our WFM dashboard instead of using the default Genesys Cloud widget. We need to track specific adherence metrics that the standard widget doesn’t expose, so I’m connecting directly to the WebSocket-based Guest API.

The connection establishes fine, and I can send the initial connect message. But as soon as I try to send a startChat message with the queue ID, the server closes the connection with a 1006 error. No detailed error payload comes back, just a silent drop.

Here is the JavaScript code I’m using to handle the WebSocket lifecycle:

const ws = new WebSocket('wss://api.mypurecloud.com/api/v2/guestconversations/websocket');

ws.onopen = () => {
 console.log('WebSocket connected');
 
 // Send connect message
 ws.send(JSON.stringify({
 type: 'connect',
 sessionId: generateSessionId()
 }));
};

ws.onmessage = (event) => {
 const data = JSON.parse(event.data);
 console.log('Received:', data);
 
 if (data.type === 'connect') {
 console.log('Session established, starting chat...');
 
 // Attempt to start chat
 ws.send(JSON.stringify({
 type: 'startChat',
 queueId: 'a1b2c3d4-5678-90ab-cdef-1234567890ab',
 guestName: 'WFM Test User',
 guestEmail: 'test@example.com'
 }));
 }
};

ws.onclose = (event) => {
 console.log(`Connection closed with code: ${event.code}`);
 // Always logs: Connection closed with code: 1006
};

The queueId is valid and I’ve verified it through the REST API. I’m using the same OAuth token that works for other REST calls in my Python scripts. Is there a specific header or authentication step I’m missing in the WebSocket handshake? The documentation is pretty light on custom client implementations.

Any ideas why the connection dies right after startChat?

You’re hitting the 1006 because the WebSocket handshake completes but the payload validation fails on the backend. The server drops the socket rather than returning a 4xx error over the wire.

Check your startChat payload structure. It’s probably missing the sessionContext or the routingData isn’t matching the queue’s expected format. Also, make sure you’re not sending the startChat message before the server acknowledges the connect. The sequence matters.

Here’s the exact flow that works in my Studio-driven custom UIs:

1. Connect with {"type": "connect", "version": "2.0"}
2. Wait for {"type": "connected"}
3. Send startChat with valid JSON

{
 "type": "startChat",
 "queueId": "your-queue-id-here",
 "routingData": {
 "language": "en-US"
 },
 "sessionContext": {
 "customData": {
 "source": "wfm-dashboard"
 }
 }
}

If you’re using the Genesys Cloud Guest API, the sessionContext is optional but routingData must align with your queue’s language settings. If the queue requires specific attributes, omitting them triggers the silent drop.

Also, verify your WebSocket endpoint. It should be wss://api.mypurecloud.com/api/v2/guest/conversations/websocket. Using the wrong region or missing the v2 prefix causes immediate termination.

Try logging the raw WebSocket frames. You’ll likely see the close event with code 1006 and no reason phrase. That’s the hallmark of a malformed startChat payload.

Fix the JSON structure, ensure the queue ID is correct, and retry. If it still drops, check the queue’s language settings against your routingData.