CHANNELS

Real-time channels for every client

Named channels deliver live updates over WebSocket and REST. Publish once — browsers, mobile apps, and backends subscribe on the same surface.

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import { QPub } from "@qpub/sdk";

const channel = new QPub.Socket({ apiKey: "…" })
  .channels.get("orders");

await channel.subscribe((m) => …);
await channel.publish({ … }, { event: "…" });

Global edge delivery

Channels ride QPub’s distributed network so subscribers connect close to where messages originate.

How the network works

One publish, many subscribers

Channels are the fan-out primitive for live product experiences — chat threads, live metrics, device telemetry, and collaborative state.

  • Subscribe with the Socket SDK or receive pushes from your backend
  • Scale concurrent subscribers without managing your own broker
  • Keep channel names aligned with your product domains

Channel concepts →

PublishWebMobileServerDashboardIoTWorker

Publish from anywhere

Not every producer runs a WebSocket client. Use REST to publish from cron jobs, webhooks, or serverless handlers into the same channel subscribers already use.

  • Same channel namespace for Socket and REST publishers
  • Ideal for backend-triggered alerts and integrations
  • Pair with API keys and project-scoped auth

REST channels API →

POST /v1/channel/alerts/messages

{ "messages": [{ "data": { … } }] }

Server-side publish without a persistent WebSocket connection.

Socket path

  • ·Long-lived connection for subscribe and publish
  • ·Best for interactive and mobile clients
  • ·Handles reconnection and channel resumption

REST path

  • ·Stateless publish from servers and jobs
  • ·No client SDK required on the producer
  • ·Same delivery path to active subscribers

Built for production realtime

Scope stays on channels — depth lives in docs and sibling products.

Named channels
Organize traffic by feature, tenant, or session with explicit channel names.
Using channels
Lifecycle & presence
Understand attach, detach, and channel lifecycle for reliable UX.
Lifecycle
When to use Queues
Background work and retries belong on Queues — not live fan-out.
Queues product

Frequently asked questions

How is a channel different from a queue?
Channels fan out live messages to subscribers that are connected now. Queues store jobs for workers to pull, retry, and complete asynchronously.
Can I publish without the Socket SDK?
Yes. REST publish targets the same channel names your Socket subscribers use.
Where do I see limits and pricing?
Concurrent channels and message volume depend on your plan. Compare options on the pricing page or in QPub Cloud after signup.
Ship your first live channel
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