# ChannelStateContext `ChannelStateContext` is provided by [`Channel`](/chat/docs/sdk/react/components/core-components/channel/) and exposes state for the active channel. Access it with `useChannelStateContext`. ## Best Practices - Use state values from context instead of storing duplicate local copies. - Treat `messages`, `members`, and `read` as reactive sources for UI updates. - Prefer `channelCapabilities` to gate UI actions instead of hard-coding permissions. - Use `suppressAutoscroll` to respect user scroll position for long histories. - Guard against null `channel` or `error` states in custom components. ## Basic Usage Pull values from `ChannelStateContext` with our custom hook: ```tsx const { channel, watchers } = useChannelStateContext(); ``` ## Values | Value | Description | Type | | ------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | `channel` | The active `StreamChat` channel instance consumed by `Channel` and its children. | `Channel` | | `channelCapabilities` | The allowed channel permissions for the currently connected user. | `Record` | | `channelConfig` | Configuration for the active channel. | `ChannelConfig` | | `channelUnreadUiState` | Read state maintained for unread UI such as `UnreadMessagesSeparator` and `UnreadMessagesNotification`. Includes `last_read`, `unread_messages`, `first_unread_message_id`, and `last_read_message_id`. | `ChannelUnreadUiState` | | `error` | Error from loading the channel, if any. Otherwise `null`. | `Error \| null` | | `findURLFn` | Custom function to identify URLs in a string for later generation of link previews. See the guide [Link Previews in Message Composer](/chat/docs/sdk/react/guides/customization/link-previews/) for more. | `(text: string) => string[]` | | `giphyVersion` | Forwarded from the `Channel` component [prop `giphyVersion`](/chat/docs/sdk/react/components/core-components/channel#giphyversion/). Defaults to `'fixed_height'`. | `string` | | `hasMore` | Whether the channel has older messages to paginate. | `boolean` | | `hasMoreNewer` | Whether the channel has newer messages to paginate. | `boolean` | | `highlightedMessageId` | Used internally for jump-to-message. The message with this ID is highlighted after the jump. | `string` | | `imageAttachmentSizeHandler` | Forwarded from the `Channel` component [prop `imageAttachmentSizeHandler`](/chat/docs/sdk/react/components/core-components/channel#imageattachmentsizehandler/). | `(a: Attachment, e: HTMLElement) => ImageAttachmentConfiguration` | | `loading` | Whether the channel is loading. | `boolean` | | `loadingMore` | Whether older messages are loading. | `boolean` | | `loadingMoreNewer` | Whether newer messages are loading as the user scrolls down. Used internally by `VirtualizedMessageList`. | `boolean` | | `members` | Members of this channel. Members are permanent; watchers are currently online. | `Record` | | `messages` | Array of [message objects](/chat/docs/javascript/send-message/). | `LocalMessage[]` | | `mutes` | Array of muted users for the current channel. | `Mute[]` | | `notifications` | Temporary notifications added to `MessageList` on specific actions. | `{id: string, text: string, type: 'success' \| 'error'}[]` | | `onLinkPreviewDismissed` | Custom function to react to link preview dismissal. See the guide [Link Previews in Message Composer](/chat/docs/sdk/react/guides/customization/link-previews/) for more. | `(linkPreview: LinkPreview) => void` | | `pinnedMessages` | Messages that are pinned in the channel. | `LocalMessage[]` | | `read` | Read state for each channel member. | `Record` | | `shouldGenerateVideoThumbnail` | Forwarded from the `Channel` component [prop `shouldGenerateVideoThumbnail`](/chat/docs/sdk/react/components/core-components/channel#shouldgeneratevideothumbnail/). | `boolean` | | `suppressAutoscroll` | Whether auto-scroll to bottom is suppressed. Used by `MessageList` and `VirtualizedMessageList`. | `boolean` | | `thread` | Parent message for a thread, if there is one. Otherwise `null`. | `LocalMessage \| null` | | `threadHasMore` | Whether there are more messages available in the active thread. | `boolean` | | `threadLoadingMore` | Whether the thread is currently loading more messages. | `boolean` | | `threadMessages` | Array of messages within a thread. | `LocalMessage[]` | | `threadSuppressAutoscroll` | Whether scrolling to the bottom is prevented in the thread. Used internally by `MessageList` and `VirtualizedMessageList`. | `boolean` | | `videoAttachmentSizeHandler` | Forwarded from the `Channel` component [prop `videoAttachmentSizeHandler`](/chat/docs/sdk/react/components/core-components/channel#videoattachmentsizehandler/). | `(a: Attachment, e: HTMLElement) => VideoAttachmentConfiguration` | | `watcher_count` | Legacy snake-case watcher count from channel state. | `number` | | `watcherCount` | The number of watchers on the channel. | `number` | | `watchers` | Users who are currently watching the channel. | `Record` | --- This page was last updated at 2026-05-22T16:32:13.400Z. For the most recent version of this documentation, visit [https://getstream.io/chat/docs/sdk/react/components/contexts/channel-state-context/](https://getstream.io/chat/docs/sdk/react/components/contexts/channel-state-context/).