| name | messaging |
| version | 2.5.0 |
| updated | "2026-06-06T00:00:00.000Z" |
| description | Send responses back to the user via their messaging channel (Telegram, Slack, Teams, etc). Use this skill when a message arrives with a channel header like [Telegram], [Slack], etc. |
Messaging Response Skill
Send text or voice responses back to the user via their active messaging channel.
When to Use
Use this skill when you see a message with a channel header:
[Telegram] ... - Text message from Telegram[Telegram/Voice] ... - Transcribed voice message[Slack] ... - Message from Slack (future)- Any
[ChannelName] ... or [ChannelName/Voice] ... pattern
The message footer will remind you: (Reply using /messaging | Mode: text) (or similar with Mode/Tone)
How to Respond
Run the CLI tool to send your response back:
Text Response
sly-messaging send "Your response message here"
Voice Response
sly-messaging send "Your response message here" --tts
File Response (send an existing file)
Deliver an audio, video, or document file that already exists on disk.
Does not invoke TTS — for that, use send --tts.
sly-messaging send-file path/to/file.ogg
sly-messaging send-file path/to/file.mp3
sly-messaging send-file path/to/preview.mp4 --caption "Confirm?"
sly-messaging send-file path/to/notes.txt --as document
Path handling:
- Relative paths resolve against your current working directory (the CLI passes
process.cwd() along automatically). Absolute paths are used as-is.
- A small set of sensitive locations is refused (
.env*, SSH keys,
.aws/credentials, .netrc, /proc/, /dev/, /sys/, .docker/,
.kube/). The endpoint will respond with 403 denied_path if you hit one.
Supported auto-routed types:
| Extension(s) | Telegram method | Renders as |
|---|
.ogg, .opus | sendVoice | Voice bubble with waveform |
.mp3, .m4a | sendAudio | Music tile (title/artist metadata) |
.mp4, .mov | sendVideo | Inline video player |
Anything else (.txt, .pdf, .json, .log, etc.) returns
415 unsupported_media_type unless you pass --as document, in which case
Telegram delivers it as a generic file attachment.
Limits and errors:
- Max file size: 50 MB (Telegram bot limit). Larger files return
413 file_too_large.
- Missing file returns
404 file_not_found.
- The
--caption text is limited to 1024 characters.
- On Telegram API failure, the CLI prints
Error: telegram_error: <message>.
Generate-Only TTS (render audio to disk, no send)
Render ElevenLabs TTS audio to a file without sending anything to the
channel. Use this when the audio is an ingredient for something else — e.g.
a voiceover track for a video pipeline — rather than a message.
sly-messaging generate "Your narration text here"
sly-messaging generate "Your narration" --format mp3 --out-dir /tmp
sly-messaging generate "Your narration" --filename intro --voice-id <id>
sly-messaging generate "Your narration" --project slycode
- Prints the absolute path of the generated file on success.
- Defaults:
ogg format, data/generated-audio/<date>/ output dir.
- Voice resolution:
--voice-id > --project voice > caller's session voice > global default.
- All the audio tags from "Speech Control" below work here too.
When to use send-file instead of send --tts:
- You already have an audio/video file on disk that you want delivered as-is
(no TTS generation). Examples: rendered MP4 preview, recorded WAV note,
a screenshot saved from another tool, a log file you want the user to read.
- You want the user to confirm a media artefact before it's published
elsewhere (e.g. the x_post confirm-before-post flow renders MP4 → sends
via
send-file → waits for the user's reaction).
send --tts is still the right tool when you're generating fresh
speech from text — send-file only delivers what's already on disk.
When to Use Voice (--tts)
Use the --tts flag when:
- The user sent a voice message (
/Voice] in the header)
- The user explicitly asked for voice responses (e.g., "use voice from now on")
- The response is a brief summary or confirmation that benefits from audio
Do NOT use voice for:
- Long technical explanations or code snippets
- Responses with formatting (lists, tables, code blocks)
- Unless the user has requested voice mode
Response Mode & Tone
The message footer includes mode and tone preferences set by the user:
(Reply using /messaging | Mode: text)
(Reply using /messaging | Mode: voice | Tone: short ominous updates)
(Reply using /messaging | Mode: both)
Mode
Mode is always present in the footer. Follow it exactly.
| Mode | What to do |
|---|
Mode: text | Text only. Send a succinct, complete, information-dense text response. |
Mode: voice | Voice only. Send using --tts. Write conversationally, styled per the Tone. |
Mode: both | Send TWO separate responses: first a succinct text response (via send), then a separate shorter voice summary (via send --tts) styled per the Tone. |
Tone
When Tone is present and mode includes voice, adapt your voice response to match:
- The tone describes both the style and desired length of voice responses
- Examples: "short ominous updates" = brief, dark, dramatic. "casual and conversational" = relaxed, moderate length. "excited and energetic" = upbeat, punchy.
- Use audio tags that match the tone (e.g.,
[dramatic tone] for ominous, [lighthearted] for casual)
- When no Tone is set, use the default conversational style described in "Voice Tone & Style" below
Examples
Mode: voice | Tone: short ominous updates
sly-messaging send "[dramatic tone] The build... has fallen. [pause] Three tests. All failures. [whispers] The database migration — it did not survive." --tts
Mode: both | Tone: casual and conversational
sly-messaging send "Build passed. 3 new tests added for the auth module. PR #42 is ready for review — added input validation on the signup endpoint."
sly-messaging send "[lighthearted] Build's green, tests are passing. Got a PR ready for you to look at when you get a sec." --tts
Mode: text
sly-messaging send "Build passed. 3 new tests added for the auth module. PR #42 is ready for review."
Voice Mode Toggle
The footer-based Mode system above is the primary way to determine response format. However, the user may also say things like:
- "Use voice from now on" / "respond with voice" -> Use
--tts for subsequent responses
- "Stop using voice" / "text only" -> Stop using
--tts
If the footer specifies a Mode, always follow the footer. In-conversation voice toggles are a fallback for when no Mode is set.
Voice Tone & Style
When using --tts, write like you're talking to a friend, not writing a report. The text is spoken aloud, so it should sound natural and human.
Conversational Guidelines
- Use natural speech patterns: contractions (we're, it's, don't), filler phrases (so, well, alright)
- Vary sentence length: mix short punchy sentences with longer ones, just like real speech
- Be direct: skip formalities like "I'd like to inform you that..." — just say it
- Avoid lists and bullet points: narrate instead ("First we did X, then Y, and finally Z")
- Skip code/paths/IDs: say "the kanban CLI" not "sly-kanban", say "the card" not "card-1770188497560"
- Round numbers: say "about a dozen" not "12 out of 14"
- Use transitions: "so", "anyway", "oh and", "by the way" to connect thoughts naturally
Speech Control: Audio Tags (ElevenLabs v3)
The TTS engine uses ElevenLabs v3 which supports [tag] audio tags. These are NOT spoken aloud — they modify delivery. Use them to make speech feel natural and expressive.
Emotion & Tone:
[excited], [sad], [angry], [sarcastic], [curious][happily], [serious tone], [lighthearted], [matter-of-fact][wistful], [resigned], [dramatic tone], [mischievously]
Delivery:
[whispers] / [whispering] — Whispered speech[shouts] — Loud, projected[calm] — Measured, relaxed[emphasized] — Stressed delivery[stress on next word] — Emphasize the next word[timidly] — Shy, quiet
Pauses & Pacing:
[pause], [short pause], [long pause][continues after a beat] — Brief dramatic pause[hesitates] — Hesitation[breathes] — Audible breath
Speed:
[rushed] / [rapid-fire] — Faster[slows down] / [deliberate] — Slower[drawn out] — Prolonged words
Non-verbal:
[laughs], [giggles], [chuckles][sighs], [clears throat], [coughs][crying], [snorts]
Tags can combine: [angry][laughing] You think that's funny?
Text-Level Cues (also work)
- ... — Hesitation, trailing off: "I... yeah, that makes sense."
- -- — Short natural pause: "It's done -- oh, one more thing."
- ALL CAPS — Slight emphasis: "That is REALLY important."
- Exclamation marks — Energy, excitement: "That actually worked"
- Short sentences — Punchy, decisive: "Done. Moving on."
Example: Clinical vs Natural
Bad (clinical, robotic):
"I have completed the checklist update. 4 items were toggled to done status. The remaining items are: Create Telegram bot, Add user ID, Start service, and Send /start command."
Good (natural, conversational with tags):
"[calm] Alright, I've checked off four items. The voice stuff is all working [pause] transcription, replies, TTS, the whole lot. [lighthearted] The ones left are mostly setup steps you probably already did, plus a couple of bot commands to verify."
Error Handling
If sly-messaging send fails, follow these rules:
- Don't retry — if the send fails, it's almost certainly a configuration issue, not a transient error. Retrying will just produce the same error.
- Inform the user once — tell them messaging failed and include the error message. Then continue with your task normally. Don't let a messaging failure block your work.
- Don't block on it — messaging is a convenience for the user, not a requirement for completing work. If it fails, just communicate via the normal conversation output.
- Suggest a fix — tell the user: "Messaging isn't working. You can either configure it (set up Telegram credentials in .env and start the messaging service) or remove the messaging skill from this project to stop these errors."
Important Notes
- Keep responses concise - the user is likely on mobile
- A
/Voice] header means the text was transcribed from speech; be forgiving of potential transcription errors
- Always respond via this skill when the message came from a messaging channel
- The messaging service must be running for this to work
- Long messages will be automatically split by the channel adapter
