Channel

A channel is a persistent communication pathway between an AI agent and a human. In the context of AgentRQ, a channel is the real-time connection through which agents send notifications, receive replies, and maintain ongoing conversations throughout task execution.

How Channels Work in AgentRQ

When a Claude Code agent connects to AgentRQ via MCP, it gains access to a workspace-scoped communication channel. All messages, task updates, and human replies flow through this channel.

The channel is identified by a unique workspace ID and is used in every MCP tool call — ensuring that messages are routed to the correct workspace and task board.

Channel Properties

→ Persistent — The channel remains open across multiple agent sessions
→ Real-time — Messages appear instantly on the task board
→ Scoped — Each workspace has its own isolated channel
→ Threaded — Each task has its own conversation thread within the channel

Channels vs. Tasks

Concept	Description
Channel	The connection between agent and workspace
Task	A specific work item with its own conversation thread
Message	A single exchange within a task's thread

A channel can carry many tasks. Each task is an independent conversation thread. Multiple agents can share a single channel if they're part of the same workspace.

SSE and Channel Transport

AgentRQ uses Server-Sent Events (SSE) as the transport layer for real-time channel delivery. This means agents can push messages to humans without polling — updates arrive immediately as the agent sends them.