Features

Converse is a full-featured XMPP client that runs in any modern browser. Below is an overview of what it offers.

Core chat

• One-to-one messaging — Private chats with delivery receipts, typing indicators, and message corrections
• Group chats (MUC) — Multi-user chatrooms with moderation, bookmarks, and persistent history
• Message reactions — React to messages with emojis
• Message corrections & retractions — Edit or delete sent messages
• Chat states — See when contacts are typing, composing, or inactive
• URL previews — Links in messages can be rendered as clickable previews

Security & privacy

• OMEMO encryption — End-to-end encrypted messaging as well as encrypted file sharing.
• Client certificate auth — Passwordless login via SASL-EXTERNAL and x509 certificates.
• Untrusted device mode — Check “This is not a trusted device” at login to use sessionStorage instead of localStorage, clearing all data on logout

File sharing

Upload and share files directly in chat via HTTP File Upload (XEP-0363). The file server is configured by your XMPP server admin.

Tip

If file sharing isn’t working, the most common cause is missing CORS headers on the file server. It must include an Access-Control-Allow-Origin header that allows the domain hosting Converse. See the CORS documentation for details.

Integration

• Embeddable — Run as a standalone page, a floating overlay, or embedded inside a <div>
• URL-based chat opening — Link directly to a chat or room with URL fragments like #converse/chat?jid=user@domain
• Session management — Auto-login users already authenticated on your website
• Plugin system — Extend or customize behavior with plugins

Notifications

• Sound alerts — Play a sound when new messages arrive
• Desktop notifications — Browser notifications when the tab isn’t visible

Internationalization

Converse is translated into 30+ languages, with translations loaded on demand from JSON files. Contribute or update translations on Weblate.

Chatroom moderation

Moderators can use these slash commands in group chats:

Command	Description	Example
/ban	Ban a user permanently	/ban $nickname
/kick	Remove a user (they can rejoin)	/kick $nickname [$reason]
/mute	Prevent a user from posting	/mute $nickname [$reason]
/voice	Unmute a user	/voice $nickname [$reason]
/op	Grant moderator status	/op $nickname [$reason]
/deop	Remove moderator status	/deop $nickname [$reason]
/topic	Set the room topic	/topic New topic
/nick	Change your nickname	/nick NewNick
/me	Speak in third person	/me waves hello
/clear	Clear visible messages	/clear
/help	Show available commands	/help

Security considerations

Converse uses “host-based” security — you trust the server that delivers the JavaScript each time you load the page. This differs from desktop apps where you trust the binary at install time.

What this means:

• You must trust the web server hosting Converse, but not necessarily the XMPP server (they can be different hosts)
• OMEMO protects messages from the XMPP server since it never sees your private key
• The dynamic nature of web delivery makes independent security audits more difficult

How to improve security:

• Host Converse yourself, ideally on your own infrastructure
• Use HTTPS and set strict Content Security Policy headers
• For high-threat scenarios, use Converse Desktop instead