ChatReceive
Suspend a running workflow and wait for an incoming chat message before resuming — the core Human-in-the-Loop (HIL) node for conversational workflows.
What Does ChatReceive Do?
ChatReceive is a pause-and-wait node that suspends a running workflow and registers a listener for an incoming chat message. The workflow execution is suspended — it does not consume resources while waiting. When a matching message arrives, the workflow resumes from the success port with the message payload.
ChatReceive vs ChatTrigger
| Feature | ChatReceive | ChatTrigger |
|---|---|---|
| Position in flow | Mid-flow — placed inside an existing workflow | Start node — begins a new workflow instance |
| When it fires | When a message arrives during a running workflow | When any chat message arrives to start a new workflow |
| Use case | Conversational Q&A, confirmations, multi-step chat | Trigger new workflows from incoming messages |
| Workflow state | Maintains full workflow context and variables | Starts fresh with no prior state |
Output Ports
| Port | Description |
|---|---|
| waiting | Fires immediately when the listener is registered and the workflow is suspended. Connect to a notification node to inform the user that input is expected. |
| success | Fires when a matching message is received. Carries the message text, sender, channel, timestamp, and conversation ID. |
| error | Fires when the timeout expires before a message is received, or when a filter mismatch occurs after the maximum wait time. |
Use Cases
- Conversational bots — build multi-turn chat interactions where each question waits for a user response before asking the next
- Approval via chat — suspend a purchase, deployment, or access-grant workflow until a manager approves via chat
- Data collection — collect structured data through a series of chat prompts (name, email, requirements) within a single workflow
- Support escalation — pause a support ticket workflow until a technician responds in a dedicated channel
- Loop + ChatReceive — combine with a Loop node to create a repeating conversation that continues until a specific keyword is received
In This Guide
Configuration
Full property reference — FromChannel, FromUser, KeywordFilter, TimeoutMinutes, and all three output ports explained.
Input & Output
Waiting port behaviour, success payload schema, and timeout/error scenarios.
Examples
Three examples: user confirmation wait, multi-step conversational Q&A, and support ticket escalation chat flow.