Roblox studio text chat service command integration is one of those things that sounds way more intimidating than it actually is when you're building your first game. If you've spent any time playing popular experiences like Adopt Me or Blox Fruits, you've probably seen players typing things like "/trade" or "/rank" to trigger specific actions. That's not magic; it's just the power of the TextChatService.
For a long time, we all had to deal with the old "LegacyChatService," which was a bit of a headache to customize. It involved digging through folders of nested scripts that Roblox would just dump into your game at runtime. But things have changed. The modern TextChatService is streamlined, much faster, and—thankfully—way easier for us developers to mess around with.
Getting Started with TextChatService
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of scripts, let's talk about the setup. In your Explorer window in Roblox Studio, you'll see an object called TextChatService. This is the brain of your game's communication. If your game is older, you might still be using the legacy version, but switching is usually as simple as changing the ChatVersion property to TextChatService.
The cool thing about this system is that it treats commands as actual objects. You don't have to write a massive "if-then" block that parses every single chat message looking for a slash. Instead, you can create a specific TextChatCommand object directly inside the service.
Creating Your First Command
Let's say you want to make a simple command where a player can type "/heal" to get their health back. Back in the day, you'd have to listen to the Player.Chatted event, which was honestly a bit clunky. Now, you just right-click on the TextChatCommands folder (inside TextChatService) and insert a TextChatCommand.
You'll want to give it a name that makes sense, like "HealCommand." In the properties window, you'll see two very important fields: PrimaryAlias and SecondaryAlias. * PrimaryAlias: This is what the player actually types. Set this to /heal. * SecondaryAlias: Maybe you want players to be able to just type /h. You can put that here.
Once that's set up, the command exists, but it doesn't do anything yet. It's like having a button that isn't wired to a machine. To make it work, we need a script.
Coding the Logic
You'll want to handle your commands on the server for security reasons. If you do it on the client, hackers could potentially trigger things they shouldn't. Head over to ServerScriptService and create a new Script.
Here's how you'd link that /heal command to some actual gameplay logic:
```lua local TextChatService = game:GetService("TextChatService") local healCommand = TextChatService:FindFirstChild("HealCommand", true)
healCommand.Triggered:Connect(function(originTextSource, unfilteredText) local player = game.Players:GetPlayerByUserId(originTextSource.UserId) if player and player.Character then local humanoid = player.Character:FindFirstChild("Humanoid") if humanoid then humanoid.Health = humanoid.MaxHealth print(player.Name .. " just healed themselves!") end end end) ```
Notice how we use the .Triggered event. It's super clean. It tells you exactly who sent the command (via the originTextSource) and what they typed. You don't have to worry about the slash or the command name; the service handles that part for you and only fires this event when the alias is matched perfectly.
Handling Arguments and Parameters
Basic commands are fine, but what if you want to make something more complex? Think about a command like /tp [PlayerName]. This requires the command to understand "arguments"—extra bits of information typed after the main command.
When a roblox studio text chat service command is triggered, the unfilteredText parameter contains the entire message the player typed. To get the arguments, you'll usually want to use string.split().
If someone types /gift 500, the unfilteredText is exactly that. You can split that string by spaces. The first part is the command, and the second part is the "500." Just remember that anything coming from the chat is a string, so if you're expecting a number, you've got to use tonumber() to convert it. It's a classic rookie mistake to try and add a string to a player's currency and wonder why the script is breaking!
Making Admin-Only Commands
One of the biggest questions people ask is how to keep these commands safe. You don't want every random player typing /ban and kicking your whole server.
To restrict a command, you just need to add a check inside the .Triggered function. You could check the player's UserID against a list of admins, or check their Rank in a Roblox Group.
```lua local ADMIN_IDS = {1234567, 8901234} -- Replace with actual IDs
command.Triggered:Connect(function(source) local isIdMatch = false for _, id in ipairs(ADMIN_IDS) do if source.UserId == id then isIdMatch = true break end end
if not isIdMatch then return -- They aren't an admin, so stop the script here! end -- Admin stuff happens here end) ```
It's simple, effective, and keeps the power in the right hands.
Adding Visual Flair with Rich Text
Let's be real: plain white text is boring. If someone uses a command, you might want the system to respond with a message that actually looks cool. The TextChatService supports Rich Text, which lets you use XML-like tags to change colors, fonts, and sizes.
You can use TextChannel:DisplaySystemMessage() to send a message back to the player. For example: [System]: You don't have enough gold!
This makes your game feel much more polished. Instead of players wondering if their command worked, they get a clear, stylized confirmation in the chat box.
Common Pitfalls and Troubleshooting
Even if you follow the steps, things can get weird. One common issue is putting the TextChatCommand in the wrong place. It must be inside the TextChatService (usually in the TextChatCommands folder) for the engine to recognize it.
Another thing to watch out for is the difference between the server and the client. If you want a command to change something for everyone—like changing the time of day or spawning an item—it has to be handled by a Server Script. If you only want to change something for the person who typed it—like opening a UI menu—you can handle that in a LocalScript by connecting to the same .Triggered event.
Also, keep an eye on your aliases. If you have two commands with the same alias, Roblox is going to get confused, and you'll likely end up with neither of them working quite right. Keep them unique and intuitive.
Why You Should Care About This System
It's easy to think, "I'll just make a GUI button for everything," but commands are actually a huge accessibility win. Some players find it much faster to type a quick command than to navigate through three different menu screens. Plus, for things like moderation, it's the industry standard.
The roblox studio text chat service command workflow is designed to be modular. You can have dozens of commands, each handled by their own scripts or managed by a single central controller. It's organized, it's modern, and it's significantly more performant than the old ways of doing things.
Final Thoughts
Stepping into the world of custom chat commands is a bit like opening a secret door in game dev. Suddenly, you're not just making a game where people walk around; you're making a game where they can interact with the world through language.
Whether you're building a complex RPG with trade commands or just a simple hangout spot with a few fun "emote" commands, mastering the TextChatService is a skill you'll use over and over again. It's one of those systems that, once you "get" it, you'll wonder how you ever managed without it. So go ahead, hop into Studio, and start making your chat box do something awesome!