---
title: "Channel | AgentRQ Glossary"
url: https://agentrq.com/glossary/channel
description: "A channel is a persistent communication pathway between an AI agent and a human, used to send notifications, receive replies, and maintain a threaded conversation throughout task execution."
---

[Back to Glossary](https://agentrq.com/glossary/)

# Channel

A **channel** is a persistent communication pathway between an AI [agent](https://agentrq.com/glossary/agent) and a human. In the context of AgentRQ, a channel is the real-time connection through which agents send [notifications](https://agentrq.com/glossary/notification), receive replies, and maintain ongoing conversations throughout [task](https://agentrq.com/glossary/task) execution.

## How Channels Work in AgentRQ

When a [Claude Code](https://agentrq.com/glossary/claude-code) agent connects to AgentRQ via [MCP](https://agentrq.com/glossary/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](https://agentrq.com/glossary/workspace) and [task board](https://agentrq.com/glossary/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](https://agentrq.com/glossary/workspace).

## SSE and Channel Transport

AgentRQ uses [Server-Sent Events (SSE)](https://agentrq.com/glossary/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.

## Related Terms

- → [Workspace](https://agentrq.com/glossary/workspace)
- → [Task](https://agentrq.com/glossary/task)
- → [Notification](https://agentrq.com/glossary/notification)
- → [SSE](https://agentrq.com/glossary/sse)
- → [Bidirectional Messaging](https://agentrq.com/glossary/bidirectional-messaging)