## Retrieve a channel

`$ lightfield channel retrieve`

**get** `/v1/channels/{id}`

Retrieves a single channel by its ID. Returns `404` if the channel is not visible to the caller — a private channel the caller is not a member of is indistinguishable from one that does not exist.

**[Required scope](/using-the-api/scopes/):** `channels:read`

**[Rate limit category](/using-the-api/rate-limits/):** Read

### Parameters

- `--id: string`

  Unique identifier of the channel to retrieve.

### Returns

- `channel_retrieve_response: object { id, createdAt, fields, 5 more }`

  - `id: string`

    Unique identifier for the entity.

  - `createdAt: string`

    ISO 8601 timestamp of when the entity was created.

  - `fields: map[object { value, valueType } ]`

    Map of field names to their typed values. System fields are prefixed with `$` (e.g. `$name`, `$email`); custom attributes use their bare slug.

    - `value: string or number or boolean or 3 more`

      The field value, or null if unset.

      - `union_member_0: string`

      - `union_member_1: number`

      - `union_member_2: boolean`

      - `union_member_3: array of string`

      - `Address: object { city, country, latitude, 5 more }`

        - `city: optional string`

          City name.

        - `country: optional string`

          2-letter ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code.

        - `latitude: optional number`

          Latitude coordinate.

        - `longitude: optional number`

          Longitude coordinate.

        - `postalCode: optional string`

          Postal or ZIP code.

        - `state: optional string`

          State or province.

        - `street: optional string`

          Street address line 1.

        - `street2: optional string`

          Street address line 2.

      - `FullName: object { firstName, lastName }`

        - `firstName: optional string`

          The contact's first name.

        - `lastName: optional string`

          The contact's last name.

    - `valueType: "ADDRESS" or "CHECKBOX" or "CURRENCY" or 12 more`

      The data type of the field.

      - `"ADDRESS"`

      - `"CHECKBOX"`

      - `"CURRENCY"`

      - `"DATETIME"`

      - `"EMAIL"`

      - `"FULL_NAME"`

      - `"MARKDOWN"`

      - `"MULTI_SELECT"`

      - `"NUMBER"`

      - `"SINGLE_SELECT"`

      - `"SOCIAL_HANDLE"`

      - `"TELEPHONE"`

      - `"TEXT"`

      - `"URL"`

      - `"HTML"`

  - `httpLink: string`

    URL to view the entity in the Lightfield web app, or null.

  - `objectType: "channel"`

    Always `channel`.

    - `"channel"`

  - `relationships: map[object { cardinality, objectType, values } ]`

    Map of relationship names to their associated entities. System relationships are prefixed with `$` (e.g. `$owner`, `$contact`).

    - `cardinality: string`

      Whether the relationship is `has_one` or `has_many`.

    - `objectType: string`

      The type of the related object (e.g. `account`, `contact`).

    - `values: array of string`

      IDs of the related entities.

  - `updatedAt: string`

    ISO 8601 timestamp of when the entity was last updated, or null.

  - `externalId: optional string`

    External identifier for the entity, or null if unset.

### Example

```cli
lightfield channel retrieve \
  --api-key 'My API Key' \
  --id id
```

#### Response

```json
{
  "id": "chn_cm2def456ghi789",
  "createdAt": "2026-05-01T09:00:00.000Z",
  "fields": {
    "$name": {
      "value": "acme-deal-room",
      "valueType": "TEXT"
    },
    "$provider": {
      "value": "SLACK",
      "valueType": "TEXT"
    },
    "$isPublic": {
      "value": false,
      "valueType": "CHECKBOX"
    },
    "$providerChannelId": {
      "value": "C0123456789",
      "valueType": "TEXT"
    },
    "$providerCreatedAt": {
      "value": "2026-04-20T14:30:00.000Z",
      "valueType": "DATETIME"
    }
  },
  "httpLink": null,
  "objectType": "channel",
  "relationships": {
    "account-slack-channel": {
      "cardinality": "has_many",
      "objectType": "account",
      "values": [
        "acc_cm0abc123def456"
      ]
    },
    "opportunity-slack-channel": {
      "cardinality": "has_many",
      "objectType": "opportunity",
      "values": [
        "opp_cm1xyz456uvw789"
      ]
    }
  },
  "updatedAt": "2026-05-01T09:00:00.000Z",
  "externalId": "externalId"
}
```