fix: leave support for url in attachment payload (case for external urls)

api/src/channel/lib/EventWrapper.ts

@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ export default abstract class EventWrapper<
    *
    * @returns The current instance of the channel handler.
    */
-  getHandler(): ChannelHandler {
+  getHandler(): C {
     return this._handler;
   }
 
@@ -189,6 +189,16 @@ export default abstract class EventWrapper<
     this._profile = profile;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Pre-Process messageevent
+   *
+   * Child class can perform operations such as storing files as attachments.
+   */
+  preprocess() {
+    // Nothing ...
+    return Promise.resolve();
+  }
+
   /**
    * Returns event recipient id
    *

api/src/channel/lib/Handler.ts

@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import { NextFunction, Request, Response } from 'express';
 import { Attachment } from '@/attachment/schemas/attachment.schema';
 import { AttachmentService } from '@/attachment/services/attachment.service';
 import { SubscriberCreateDto } from '@/chat/dto/subscriber.dto';
+import { AttachmentRef } from '@/chat/schemas/types/attachment';
 import {
   StdOutgoingEnvelope,
   StdOutgoingMessage,
@@ -234,11 +235,15 @@ export default abstract class ChannelHandler<
    * @param attachment The attachment ID or object to generate a signed URL for.
    * @return A signed URL string for downloading the specified attachment.
    */
-  public async getPublicUrl(attachment: string | Attachment) {
+  public async getPublicUrl(attachment: AttachmentRef | Attachment) {
-    const resource =
+    if ('id' in attachment) {
-      typeof attachment === 'string'
+      if (!attachment.id) {
-        ? await this.attachmentService.findOne(attachment)
+        throw new TypeError(
-        : attachment;
+          'Attachment ID is empty, unable to generate public URL.',
+        );
+      }
+
+      const resource = await this.attachmentService.findOne(attachment.id);
 
       if (!resource) {
         throw new NotFoundException('Unable to find attachment');
@@ -250,6 +255,12 @@ export default abstract class ChannelHandler<
         config.apiBaseUrl,
         `/webhook/${name}/download/${resource.name}?t=${encodeURIComponent(token)}`,
       );
+    } else if ('url' in attachment && attachment.url) {
+      // In case the url is external
+      return attachment.url;
+    } else {
+      throw new TypeError('Unable to resolve the attachment public URL.');
+    }
   }
 
   /**

api/src/channel/lib/__test__/common.mock.ts

@@ -78,14 +78,14 @@ export const urlButtonsMessage: StdOutgoingButtonsMessage = {
 };
 
 const attachment: Attachment = {
-  id: '1',
+  id: '1'.repeat(24),
   name: 'attachment.jpg',
   type: 'image/jpeg',
   size: 3539,
   location: '39991e51-55c6-4a26-9176-b6ba04f180dc.jpg',
   channel: {
-    ['dimelo']: {
+    ['any-channel']: {
-      id: 'attachment-id-dimelo',
+      id: 'any-channel-attachment-id',
     },
   },
   createdAt: new Date(),

api/src/chat/dto/subscriber.dto.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright © 2024 Hexastack. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright © 2025 Hexastack. All rights reserved.
  *
  * Licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPLv3) with the following additional terms:
  * 1. The name "Hexabot" is a trademark of Hexastack. You may not use this name in derivative works without express written permission.
@@ -111,6 +111,16 @@ export class SubscriberCreateDto {
   @IsNotEmpty()
   @IsChannelData()
   channel: SubscriberChannelData<ChannelName>;
+
+  @ApiPropertyOptional({
+    description: 'Subscriber Avatar',
+    type: String,
+    default: null,
+  })
+  @IsOptional()
+  @IsString()
+  @IsObjectId({ message: 'Avatar Attachment ID must be a valid ObjectId' })
+  avatar?: string | null = null;
 }
 
 export class SubscriberUpdateDto extends PartialType(SubscriberCreateDto) {}

api/src/chat/schemas/types/attachment.ts

@@ -14,13 +14,24 @@ export enum FileType {
   unknown = 'unknown',
 }
 
-export type AttachmentForeignKey = {
+/**
+ * The `AttachmentRef` type defines two possible ways to reference an attachment:
+ * 1. By `id`: This is used when the attachment is uploaded and stored in the Hexabot system.
+ * The `id` field represents the unique identifier of the uploaded attachment in the system.
+ * 2. By `url`: This is used when the attachment is externally hosted, especially when
+ * the content is generated or retrieved by a plugin that consumes a third-party API.
+ * In this case, the `url` field contains the direct link to the external resource.
+ */
+export type AttachmentRef =
+  | {
       id: string | null;
-  /** @deprecated use "id" instead */
+    }
-  url?: string;
+  | {
+      /** To be used only for external URLs (plugins), for attachments use "id" instead */
+      url: string;
     };
 
 export interface AttachmentPayload {
   type: FileType;
-  payload: AttachmentForeignKey;
+  payload: AttachmentRef;
 }

api/src/chat/services/block.service.ts

@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ export class BlockService extends BaseService<Block, BlockPopulate, BlockFull> {
       'url' in block.message.attachment.payload
     ) {
       this.logger.error(
-        'Attachment Model : `url` payload has been deprecated in favor of `id`',
+        'Attachment Block : `url` payload has been deprecated in favor of `id`',
         block.id,
         block.message,
       );
@@ -521,9 +521,11 @@ export class BlockService extends BaseService<Block, BlockPopulate, BlockFull> {
       }
     } else if (blockMessage && 'attachment' in blockMessage) {
       const attachmentPayload = blockMessage.attachment.payload;
-      if (!attachmentPayload.id) {
+      if (!('id' in attachmentPayload)) {
         this.checkDeprecatedAttachmentUrl(block);
-        throw new Error('Remote attachments are no longer supported!');
+        throw new Error(
+          'Remote attachments in blocks are no longer supported!',
+        );
       }
 
       const envelope: StdOutgoingEnvelope = {

api/src/chat/services/chat.service.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright © 2024 Hexastack. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright © 2025 Hexastack. All rights reserved.
  *
  * Licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPLv3) with the following additional terms:
  * 1. The name "Hexabot" is a trademark of Hexastack. You may not use this name in derivative works without express written permission.
@@ -256,6 +256,8 @@ export class ChatService {
 
       event.setSender(subscriber);
 
+      await event.preprocess();
+
       // Trigger message received event
       this.eventEmitter.emit('hook:chatbot:received', event);
 

api/src/extensions/channels/web/base-web-channel.ts

@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import { MessageCreateDto } from '@/chat/dto/message.dto';
 import { SubscriberCreateDto } from '@/chat/dto/subscriber.dto';
 import { VIEW_MORE_PAYLOAD } from '@/chat/helpers/constants';
 import { Subscriber, SubscriberFull } from '@/chat/schemas/subscriber.schema';
-import { AttachmentForeignKey } from '@/chat/schemas/types/attachment';
+import { AttachmentRef } from '@/chat/schemas/types/attachment';
 import { Button, ButtonType } from '@/chat/schemas/types/button';
 import {
   AnyMessage,
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ export default abstract class BaseWebChannelHandler<
           type: Web.IncomingMessageType.file,
           data: {
             type: attachmentPayload.type,
-            url: await this.getPublicUrl(attachmentPayload.payload.id),
+            url: await this.getPublicUrl(attachmentPayload.payload),
           },
         };
       }
@@ -994,7 +994,7 @@ export default abstract class BaseWebChannelHandler<
       type: Web.OutgoingMessageType.file,
       data: {
         type: message.attachment.type,
-        url: await this.getPublicUrl(message.attachment.payload.id),
+        url: await this.getPublicUrl(message.attachment.payload),
       },
     };
     if (message.quickReplies && message.quickReplies.length > 0) {
@@ -1034,11 +1034,11 @@ export default abstract class BaseWebChannelHandler<
       }
 
       if (fields.image_url && item[fields.image_url]) {
-        const attachmentPayload = item[fields.image_url]
+        const attachmentRef =
-          .payload as AttachmentForeignKey;
+          typeof item[fields.image_url] === 'string'
-        if (attachmentPayload.id) {
+            ? { url: item[fields.image_url] }
-          element.image_url = await this.getPublicUrl(attachmentPayload.id);
+            : (item[fields.image_url].payload as AttachmentRef);
-        }
+        element.image_url = await this.getPublicUrl(attachmentRef);
       }
 
       buttons.forEach((button: Button, index) => {