Typing indicators and read receipts not triggering via Web Messaging Guest API

NICE CXone API & Integrations
1

Having some config trouble here…

  • Context: I’m writing Pact consumer tests for a custom widget that mimics the Web Messaging Guest API behavior. The provider verification passes for standard messages, but typing indicators and read receipts are failing silently.
  • The Code: I’m sending a POST to /api/v2/conversations/messaging/interactions with the following payload:
{
"interactions": [
{
"type": "typing",
"timestamp": "2023-10-27T15:00:00Z"
}
]
}
  • The Result: The API returns 200 OK. However, the provider side never registers the typing event. The consumer contract expects a 200 with an empty body, which I’m providing, but the actual platform seems to ignore type: "typing".
  • The Question: Is typing a valid interaction type for the bulk endpoint? Or do I need to use a specific WebSocket frame for typing indicators? The docs for the Guest API are sparse on non-message interactions. I’ve tried read as well, same result. 200 OK but no side effects on the provider.
2

The documentation actually says you need to handle typing and read events differently than standard messages. It’s a common trap when building custom widgets or mocking the guest API. You can’t just throw a typing or read event into the standard interaction payload without the right structure, or Genesys Cloud will drop it.

Here’s how to fix your Pact consumer test setup:

  1. Separate the Event Types: Don’t mix message events with typing or read in the same interaction body if you’re simulating the guest SDK flow. The Guest API expects specific HTTP methods for these states.
  2. Use the Correct Endpoint for Typing: For typing indicators, you typically POST to /api/v2/conversations/messaging/conversations/{conversationId}/messages with a specific type field.
  3. Handle Read Receipts via Updates: Read receipts are often handled by updating the conversation state or via a specific read event payload, not just a generic message post.

Try this JSON structure for the typing indicator in your mock server response:

{
 "type": "typing",
 "from": {
 "id": "guest-user-id",
 "name": "Guest User"
 },
 "conversationId": "your-conversation-id",
 "timestamp": "2023-10-27T10:00:00Z"
}

Warning: Make sure your test environment isn’t blocking these lightweight events. Sometimes the gateway drops them if they arrive too fast without a preceding message event.

Also, check your OAuth scope. You need messaging:conversation:write to send these non-message events. If you’re using client credentials, ensure the app has the right permissions. I’ve seen this fail silently in test envs because the token lacked the specific scope for metadata updates.

One more thing: if you’re simulating the guest SDK, remember that the real SDK batches these events. Your mock should probably accept a queue of events, not just one-off posts. It’ll make your Pact tests more realistic.

3 
// don't POST typing events to /interactions. use the streaming endpoint or sdk method
await sdk.conversationsMessagingApi.postConversationsMessagingInteractions({
 interactionId: '...',
 body: { eventType: 'typing' }
});

posting typing to the interaction endpoint is a hard no. the api ignores it. use the sdk method above or the websocket stream.

4

The root of the issue is that you’re hitting a 404 or silent drop because the /interactions endpoint doesn’t handle client-side event signals like typing or read receipts in the way you’re structuring the POST body. The suggestion about using the SDK is correct, but if you’re running Pact tests or Newman scripts, you likely can’t rely on the SDK’s WebSocket abstraction. You need to hit the specific REST endpoint for signaling events. The payload structure for typing and read isn’t just a simple string in the eventType field of the interaction; it requires the proper from address and the specific event type mapping that the API expects for these non-message events. If you’re sending a standard message payload with eventType: 'typing', the API parser sees a mismatch and discards it.

Here’s the actual curl command that works in my Postman collection for triggering a typing indicator. Notice the event field is explicitly set to typing and the from address matches the guest’s participant ID. This bypasses the interaction creation flow and signals the state directly.

curl -X POST "https://api.mypurecloud.com/api/v2/conversations/messaging/interactions" \
 -H "Authorization: Bearer {{access_token}}" \
 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
 -d '{
 "from": {
 "id": "{{guest_participant_id}}",
 "address": "guest:{{guest_id}}"
 },
 "event": "typing",
 "to": {
 "id": "{{queue_id}}",
 "address": "queue:{{queue_id}}"
 }
 }'

Make sure your guest_participant_id is actually active in the conversation. If it’s stale, you’ll get a 409 Conflict. Also, check your pre-request script. If the token expired during a long Newman run, this request will 401 before it even hits the validation logic. I usually add a token refresh check right before this request in the collection runner.