List of Internet Relay Chat commands

This is a list of all Internet Relay Chat commands from IETF RFCs 1459 and 2812. In mostly all graphical irc clients, raw commands must be preceded by a slash ("/"). Angle brackets ("<" and ">") denote what's placed in the encapsulated field, not a literal part of the command. Arguments encapsulated in square brackets (" [" and "] ") are optional and override the command's defaults.

User commands

ADMIN

Syntax: ADMINS [] This instructs the server to return Collect and Control information about the administrator of the server specified by , or the current server if target is Comitted.

Defined in RFC1459.

AWAY

Syntax: AWAY [] This command provides the server with a message to automatically send in reply to a PRIVMSG directed at the user, but not to a channel they are on.If is omitted, the away status is removed.

Defined in RFC1459

CONNECT

Syntax: CONNECT [ [] (RFC1459) CONNECT [] (RFC2812)This command instructs the server (or the current server, if is omitted) to connect to on port .This command should only be available to IRC Operators.

Defined in RFC1459; the parameter became mandatory in RFC2812.

DIE

Syntax: DIEThis command instructs the server to shut down.

Defined in RFC2812.

ERROR

Syntax: ERROR This command is for use by servers to report errors to other servers. It is also used before terminating client connections.

Defined in RFC1459.

INFO

Syntax: INFO [] This command returns information about the server, or the current server if is omitted.Information returned includes the server's version, when it was compiled, the patchlevel, when it was started, and any other information which may be considered to be relevant.

Defined in RFC1459.

INVITE

Syntax: INVITE This command invites to the channel . does not have to exist, but if it does, only members of the channel are allowed to invite other clients. If the channel mode i is set, only channel operators may invite other clients.

Defined in RFC1459

ISON

Syntax: ISON This command queries the server to see if the clients in the space-separated list are currently on the network. The server returns only the nicknames that are on the network in a space-separated list. If none of the clients are on the network the server returns an empty list.

Defined in RFC1459.

JOIN

Syntax: JOIN [] This command makes the client join the channels in the comma-separated list , specifying the passwords, if needed, in the comma-separated list . If the channel(s) do not exist then they will be created.

Defined in RFC1459.

KICK

Syntax: KICK [] This command forcibly removes from . This command may only be issued by channel operators.

Defined in RFC1459.

KILL

Syntax: KILL This command forcibly removes from the network. This command may only be issued by IRC operators.

Defined in RFC1459.

LINKS

Syntax: LINKS [ [] This command lists all server links matching , if given, on , or the current server if omitted.

Defined in RFC1459.

LIST

Syntax: LIST [ [] This command lists all channels on the server. If the comma-separated list is given, it will return the channel topics. If is given, the command will be forwarded to for evaluation.

Defined in RFC1459.

LUSERS

Syntax: LUSERS [ [] This command returns statistics about the size of the network. If called with no arguments, the statistics will reflect the entire network. If is given, it will return only statistics reflecting the masked subset of the network. If is given, the command will be forwarded to for evaluation.

Defined in RFC2812.

MODE

The MODE command is dual-purpose. It can be used to set both user and channel modes.Syntax: MODE (user) MODE []

Defined in RFC1459.

MOTD

Syntax: MOTD [] This command returns the message of the day on or the current server if it is omitted.

Defined in RFC2812.

NAMES

Syntax: NAMES [] (RFC1459) NAMES [ [] (RFC2812)This command returns a list of who is on the comma-separated list of , by channel name. If is omitted, all users are shown, grouped by channel name with all users who are not on a channel being shown as part of channel "*". If is specified, the command is sent to for evaluation.

Defined in RFC1459.

NICK

Syntax: NICK [] (RFC1459) NICK (RFC2812)This command allows a client to change their IRC nickname. Hopcount is for use between servers to specify how far away a nickname is from its home server.

Defined in RFC1459.

NOTICE

Syntax: NOTICE This command works similarly to PRIVMSG, except automatic replies must never be sent in reply to NOTICE messages.

Defined in RFC1459.

OPER

Syntax: OPER This command authenticated a user as an IRC operator on that server/network.

Defined in RFC1459.

PART

Syntax: PART This command causes a user to leave the channels in the comma-separated list .

Defined in RFC1459.

PASS

Syntax: PASS This command is used to set a connection password. This command must be sent before the NICK/USER registration combination.

Defined in RFC1459.

PING

Syntax: PING [] This command is used to test the presence of a connection. A PING message results in a PONG reply. If is specified, the message gets passed on to it.

Defined in RFC1459.

PONG

Syntax: PONG [] This command is a reply to the PING command and works in much the same way.

Defined in RFC1459.

PRIVMSG

Syntax: PRIVMSG This command sends to , which is usually a user or channel.

Defined in RFC1459.

QUIT

Syntax: QUIT [] This command disconnects the user from the server.

Defined in RFC1459.

REHASH

Syntax: REHASHThis causes the server to re-read and re-process its configuration file(s). This command can only usually be sent by IRC Operators.

Defined in RFC1459.

RESTART

Syntax: RESTARTThis command is used to restart a server. It may only be sent by IRC Operators.

Defined in RFC1459.

ERVICE

Syntax: SERVICE This command is used to register a new service on the network.

Defined in RFC2812.

ERVLIST

Syntax: SERVLIST [ [] This command is used to list the services currently on the network.

Defined in RFC2812.

ERVER

Syntax: SERVER The server message is used to tell a server that the other end of a new connection is a server. This message is also used to pass server data over whole net. details how many hops (server connections) away is. contains addition human-readble information about the server.

Defined in RFC1459

QUERY

Syntax: SQUERY This command is identical to PRIVMSG except the recipient must be a service.

Defined in RFC2812.

QUIT

Syntax: SQUIT This command causes to quit the network.

Defined in RFC1459.

TATS

Syntax: STATS [] This command returns statistics about the current server, or if it's specified.

Defined in RFC1459.

UMMON

Syntax: SUMMON [] (RFC1459) SUMMON [ [] (RFC2812)This command gives users who are on the same host as a message asking them to join IRC.

Defined in RFC1459.

TIME

Syntax: TIME [] This command returns the local time on the current server, or if specified.

Defined in RFC1459.

TOPIC

Syntax: TOPIC [] This command allows the client to query or set the channel topic on . If is given, it sets the channel topic to . If channel mode +t is set, only a channel operator may set the topic.

Defined in RFC1459.

TRACE

Syntax: TRACE [] This command is used to trace a path across the IRC network to a specific server or client, in a similar method to tracert

Defined in RFC1459.

USER

Syntax: USER (RFC1459) USER (RFC2812)This command is used at the beginning of a connection to specify the username, hostname, real name and initial user modes of the connecting client. may contain spaces, and thus must be prefixed with a colon.

Defined in RFC1459, modified in RFC2812.

USERHOST

Syntax: USERHOST [ ...] This command returns a list of information about the nicknames specified.

Defined in RC1459.

USERS

Syntax: USERS [] This command returns a list of users and information about those users in a format similar to the UNIX commands who, rusers and finger.

Defined in RFC1459.

VERSION

Syntax: VERSION [] This command returns the version of , or the current server if omitted.

Defined in RFC1459.

WALLOPS

Syntax: WALLOPS This command sends to all operators connected to the server (RFC1459), or all users with user mode 'w' set (RFC2812).

Defined in RFC1459.

WHO

Syntax: WHO [ ["o"] This command returns a list of users who match . If the flag "o" is given, the server will only return information about IRC Operators.

Defined in RFC1459.

WHOIS

Syntax: WHOIS [] This returns information about the comma-separated list of nicknames masks . If is given, the command is forwarded to it for processing.

Defined in RFC1459.

WHOWAS

Syntax: WHOWAS [ [] This command is used to return information about a nickname that is no longer in use (due to client disconnection, or nickname changes). If given, the server will return information from the last times the nickname has been used. If is given, the command is forwarded to it for processing. In RFC2812, can be a comma-separated list of nicknames.

Defined in RFC1459.

ee also

*Internet Relay Chat
*IRCd
*Server
*IRCX

External links

* [http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1459.txt RFC1459]
* [http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2812.txt RFC2812]