Basic IRC Commands

If you are new to Internet Relay Chat (IRC) then this document will be a good starter to learn some of the basics you will need to move around. These commands you will read about will work for most methods of connecting to IRC. You can type these commands in any window.

User Commands

/invite

Invite a specified user to a channel.

Syntax: /invite <nickname> <#channel>

Example: /invite SunSpot #starchat

/join

Join a channel on the network.

Syntax: /join <#channel>

Example: /join #starchat

/kick

Kicks a user from a channel.

Syntax: /kick <#channel> <nickname> <reason>

Example: /kick #StarChat SunSpot Please refrain from causing solar flares!

/list

List all visible channels on the network. Secret (mode +s) channels are not listed.

Syntax: /list

This command also lists only those channels matching a specified value.

Syntax: /list <value>

Example: /list star

/msg

Send a private message to another user on the network.

Syntax: /msg <nickname> <message>

Example: /msg Star Hi there!

/nick

Changes your current nickname on the network.

Syntax: /nick <nickname>

Example: /nick SunSpot

/part

Leave a channel on the network.

Syntax: /part <#Channel>

Example: /part #starchat

/topic

Change the topic of a registered channel.

Syntax: /topic <#channel> <topic>

Example: /topic #StarChat Welcome to StarChat!

/whois

Retrieve information about the nickname currently on the network.

Syntax: /whois <Nickname>

Example: /whois SunSpot

Channel Modes

/mode

Sets channel modes by adding (+) or removing (-) settings.

Ban

+b — Ban someone from the channel

Syntax: /mode <#channel> +b <nickname>

Example: /mode #starchat +b SunSpot

-b — Unban someone from the channel

Syntax: /mode <#channel> -b <nickname>

Example: /mode #starchat -b SunSpot

Invite

+i — Users can only join channel if /invite is used

Syntax: /mode <#channel> +i

Example: /mode #starchat +i

-i — Removes invite only

Syntax: /mode <#channel> -i

Example: /mode #starchat -i

Key

+k <key> — Users can only join the channel if they have the key

Syntax: /mode #channel +k <key>

Example: /mode #starchat +k twinkle

-k <key> — Removes the channel key

Syntax: /mode #channel -k <key>

Example: /mode #starchat -k twinkle

Limit

+l <number> — Sets maximum number of users allowed to enter the channel

Syntax: /mode #channel +l <number>

Example: /mode #starchat +l 12

-l <number> — Allows an unlimited number of users allowed to enter the channel

Syntax: /mode #channel -l <number>

Example: /mode #starchat -l 12

Moderate

+m — Only users with a voice (+v) can speak in the channel

Syntax: /mode #channel +m

Example: /mode #starchat +m

-m — Anyone can speak in the channel

Syntax: /mode #channel -m

Example: /mode #starchat -m

No outside messages

+n — No one outside the channel can post a message to the channel

Syntax: /mode #channel +n

Example: /mode #starchat +n

-n — Anyone outside the channel can post a message to the channel

Syntax: /mode #channel -n

Example: /mode #starchat -n

Ops

+o — Make someone a channel op

Syntax: /mode <#channel> +o <nickname>

Example: /mode #starchat +o SunSpot

-o — Remove someone’s channel ops

Syntax: /mode <#channel> -o <nickname>

Example: /mode #starchat -o SunSpot

Secret

+s — Secret channel - will not show in a /list

Syntax: /mode <#channel> +s

Example: /mode #starchat +s

-s — Removes secret - channel will show in a /list

Syntax: /mode <#channel> -s

Example: /mode #starchat -s

Topic

+t — Only channel ops can change the channel topic

Syntax: /mode #channel +t

Example: /mode #starchat +t

-t — Anyone can change the channel topic

Syntax: /mode #channel -t

Example: /mode #starchat -t

Voice

+v — Give someone a channel voice

Syntax: /mode <#channel> +v <nickname>

Example: /mode #starchat +v SunSpot

-v — Remove someone’s channel voice

Syntax: /mode <#channel> -v <nickname>

Example: /mode #starchat -v SunSpot