Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

What is Django Messaging?

Django Messaging is a lightweight, extensible Django app for private messaging. It provides real-time messaging, group chats, and embeddable chat widgets that can be easily integrated into any Django project.

Is Django Messaging free?

Django Messaging is a commercial product available for purchase from Gumroad. It's a one-time payment with no recurring subscriptions or domain limitations.

What license does Django Messaging use?

Django Messaging is released under the MIT License, which allows you to use it in commercial projects, modify it, and distribute it.

Can I use Django Messaging on multiple websites?

Yes! There are no domain limitations. You can use Django Messaging on as many websites as you need.

Installation & Setup

What are the requirements?

  • Python 3.8 or higher
  • Django 4.2 or higher
  • Django REST Framework

For WebSocket support:

  • Django Channels 4.0+
  • channels-redis 4.0+
  • Redis server
  • Daphne 4.0+ or Uvicorn 0.20+

Do I need Redis?

Redis is only required if you want to use WebSocket transport for real-time messaging. If you use polling transport, Redis is not needed.

Can I use Django Messaging with my existing Django project?

Yes! Django Messaging is designed to integrate seamlessly with existing Django projects. Just follow the Installation Guide.

Does Django Messaging work with custom user models?

Yes, Django Messaging fully supports custom user models configured via the AUTH_USER_MODEL setting.

Features

What's the difference between WebSocket and polling?

WebSocket:

  • Real-time, instant message delivery
  • Requires Redis and Django Channels
  • More complex setup
  • Better for high-traffic sites

Polling:

  • Near real-time (3-second delay)
  • No Redis required
  • Simple setup
  • Better for small to medium sites

See WebSocket Setup and Polling Setup for details.

Can users edit or delete messages?

Yes, users can edit and delete their own messages. These features can be disabled in settings:

DJANGO_MESSAGING = {
    "ALLOW_EDITING_OWN_MESSAGES": False,
    "ALLOW_DELETING_OWN_MESSAGES": False,
}

Does Django Messaging support emoji reactions?

Yes! Users can react to messages with emojis. This feature can be disabled:

DJANGO_MESSAGING = {
    "ALLOW_ADDING_REACTIONS": False,
}

Can I create group chats?

Yes, Django Messaging supports:

  • Direct messages (1-on-1)
  • Group chats (multiple users)
  • Chat rooms (attached to content objects)

Does it support read receipts?

Yes, Django Messaging tracks which users have read each message and displays read receipts.

Are there typing indicators?

Yes, typing indicators show when other users are typing in a chat.

Customization

Can I customize the appearance?

Yes! Django Messaging is highly customizable:

  • Uses Tailwind CSS for easy styling
  • Override Tailwind classes or add custom CSS
  • Override templates for complete control
  • Built-in dark mode support with Tailwind's dark: variant

See the Customization Guide.

Can I control who can message whom?

Yes, you can customize the contact list function to control which users can message each other:

DJANGO_MESSAGING = {
    "GET_CONTACT_LIST_FUNCTION": "myapp.utils.get_contact_list",
}

See Configuration.

Can I use my own user avatars?

Yes, customize the avatar function to use your own user profile images:

DJANGO_MESSAGING = {
    "GET_USER_AVATAR_URL_FUNCTION": "myapp.utils.get_user_avatar_url",
}

Can I change how user names are displayed?

Yes, customize the user name function:

DJANGO_MESSAGING = {
    "GET_USER_NAME_FUNCTION": "myapp.utils.get_user_name",
}

Deployment

How do I deploy Django Messaging in production?

For polling transport, use any standard WSGI server (Gunicorn, uWSGI, etc.).

For WebSocket transport, use an ASGI server:

  • Daphne
  • Uvicorn
  • Gunicorn with Uvicorn workers

See WebSocket Setup.

Do I need a special server for WebSocket?

Yes, WebSocket requires an ASGI server. However, you can use polling transport with standard WSGI servers if you prefer.

Can I use Django Messaging on shared hosting?

Yes, if you use polling transport. WebSocket may not be available on all shared hosting platforms.

How do I handle static files?

Use Django's standard static file handling:

python manage.py collectstatic

Then serve static files with your web server (Nginx, Apache, etc.) or a CDN.

Performance

How many concurrent users can Django Messaging handle?

This depends on your infrastructure and transport method:

Polling: Suitable for small to medium sites (< 500 concurrent users) WebSocket: Can handle thousands of concurrent users with proper infrastructure

Will Django Messaging slow down my site?

No, Django Messaging is designed to be lightweight and efficient:

  • Lazy loading of messages
  • Efficient database queries
  • Pagination
  • Optional caching

Should I use caching?

Yes, consider caching for:

  • User lists
  • Chat metadata
  • Frequently accessed data

Use Django's caching framework with Redis or Memcached.

Troubleshooting

Messages aren't appearing in real-time

For WebSocket: 1. Verify Redis is running: redis-cli ping 2. Check WebSocket connection in browser console 3. Verify TRANSPORT is set to "websocket"

For Polling: 1. Check browser console for errors 2. Verify API endpoints are accessible 3. Check that polling is working (Network tab)

I get "WebSocket connection failed"

  1. Verify Redis is running
  2. Check CHANNEL_LAYERS configuration
  3. Ensure ASGI_APPLICATION is set correctly
  4. Check that you're using an ASGI server (Daphne/Uvicorn)

Static files aren't loading

  1. Run python manage.py collectstatic
  2. Check STATIC_URL and STATIC_ROOT settings
  3. Verify web server is serving static files correctly

I can't see the messaging interface

  1. Verify you're logged in
  2. Check that django_messaging is in INSTALLED_APPS
  3. Verify URLs are configured correctly
  4. Check browser console for JavaScript errors

Integration

Can I embed chat widgets in my pages?

Yes! Django Messaging provides two embeddable widgets:

  • DM widget for user profiles
  • Room widget for content objects

See Embedding Widgets.

Can I attach chat rooms to my models?

Yes, you can attach a chat room to any Django model instance:

{% include "messaging/includes/room.html" with content_object=my_object %}

Does Django Messaging have an API?

Yes, Django Messaging provides a complete REST API for all messaging operations. See the API Reference.

Can I use Django Messaging with React/Vue/Angular?

Yes, you can use the REST API to build your own frontend with any JavaScript framework.

Internationalization

Is Django Messaging translatable?

Yes, Django Messaging is built with internationalization in mind. Use Django's standard translation workflow:

python manage.py makemessages -l es
python manage.py compilemessages

What languages are supported?

Django Messaging includes English by default. You can add translations for any language using Django's translation system.

Support

Where can I get help?

For technical questions, feature requests, or bug reports, contact Aidas Bendoraitis at https://www.djangotricks.com/feedback/.

Is there a community forum?

Currently, support is provided directly by the developer. A community forum may be added in the future.

Can I request features?

Yes! Feature requests are welcome. Contact the developer with your suggestions.

Do you offer custom development?

Yes, custom development services may be available. Contact the developer to discuss your needs.

Upgrading

How do I upgrade to a new version?

  1. Download the new wheel file
  2. Install it: pip install django_messaging-0.19.1-py3-none-any.whl --upgrade
  3. Run migrations: python manage.py migrate
  4. Collect static files: python manage.py collectstatic
  5. Restart your server

Will upgrading break my existing chats?

No, upgrades are designed to be backward compatible. Your existing chats and messages will be preserved.

Where can I see what's new?

Check the Changelog for a list of all changes in each version.

Still Have Questions?

If your question isn't answered here, please contact Aidas Bendoraitis at https://www.djangotricks.com/feedback/.