IRC User Commands

Commands are indexed alphabetically. Examples of the actual commands that you can copy, paste, and send are listed in italics. A description of the command follows the command. Underlined words in the command are variables that need to be changed to send the command correctly. For example #channel should be changed to your channel's name, Nick is your nick or the nick of the user, Text might be the message you want to be displayed. These can vary by command and will be explained in the command's description that follows. Variables inside curly braces like {ON|OFF} are selections that require one of the options inside the curly braces to be specified.

ADMIN
Provides administrative information regarding the server. If a server name is included it will display the info of that server.
 * /admin server

AWAY
Sets your online status to "away" Without a reason will unset you away.
 * /away reason

BOTMOTD
Displays the servers bot message of the day. Including a server name allows you to check other servers.
 * /botmotd server

CONNECT
Links another IRC server to the one you are currently on. Remote connections are also possible. *Limited to Operators with local/global routing privileges*
 * /connect hub port leaf

CREDITS
Credits for Unreal IRCD.
 * /credits

CYCLE
Cycles the given channel(s). This command is equivalent to sending a PART then a JOIN command.
 * /cycle #chan,#chan2,#chan3

DNS
Returns information about the IRC server's DNS cache. Note, since most clients have a built-in DNS command, you will most likely need to use /raw DNS to use this. Opers may specify an l as the first parameter to the command to receive a list of entries in the DNS cache.
 * /dns option

HELPOP
HelpOp is a system of getting IRC Server help. You type either /HELPOP ? help system topic or /HELPOP ! question The "?" in /HELPOP means query the help system and if you get no response you can choose '!' to send it to the Help Operators online. Using neither ? nor ! will mean the command will be first queried within the help system and if no match if found, it will be forwarded to the help operators.
 * /helpop ?topic or /helpop ! topic

IDENTIFY
Sends your password to the services system to identify to your nick.When used with channel it sends your password to the services system to identify as the founder of a channel.
 * /identify password or /identify channel password

INVITE
Sends a user an invitation to join a particular channel. You must be an operator on the channel in order to invite a user into it.
 * /invite user #channel

IRCOPS
Displays all the IRCOps currently connected to the Network.
 * /ircops

ISON
Used to determine of a certain user or users are currently on the IRC server based upon their nickname.
 * /ison user user2 user3 user 4

JOIN
Used to enter one or more channels on an IRC server. All occupants of the channel will be notified of your arrival. The /join 0 command makes you PART all channels.
 * /join #chan,#chan2,#chan3

KICK
/kick #channel user reason Removes a user from a channel. Can only be used by Operators or Half-Ops. If no reason is specified, your nickname becomes the reason.

KNOCK
For channels which are invite only, you can "knock" on the channel to request an invite. Will not work if channel has one of the following modes set: +K +V. Will also not work if you are banned.
 * /knock #channel message

LICENSE
Displays the GNU License.
 * /license

LINKS
Lists all of the servers currently linked to the network.
 * /links

LIST
Provides a complete listing of all channels on the network. If a search string is specified, it will only show those matching the search string. If you don't include a search string, the default is to send you the entire unfiltered list of channels. Below are the options you can use, and what channels LIST will return when you use them.
 * /list searchstring


 * >number = List channels with more than number people.
 * number = List channels created between now and number minutes ago.
 * Cnumber = List channels whose topics are older than number minutes (Ie., they have not changed in the last number minutes.
 * T<number = List channels whose topics are newer than number minutes.
 * *mask* = List channels that match *mask*
 * !*mask* = List channels that do not match *mask*

LUSERS
Provides local and global user information (such as current and maximum user count). Adding a server name allows you to view the statistics from other servers.
 * /lusers server

MAP
Provides a "network map" of the IRC network. Mainly used for routing purposes.
 * /map

MODE
Used to change the mode of a channel or a user. You can only change modes for channel you are an Operator or Half-Op on. Also, you can only changes user modes for yourself. User Modes:
 * /mode user modes


 * B = Marks you as being a Bot
 * c = Strips colors in PRIVMSGs
 * d = Warning: Do not use this mode! (Deaf - Makes it so you can not receive any channel messages)
 * g = Can read & send to GlobOps, and LocOps
 * G = Filters out all Bad words in your messages with
 * h = Available for Help (Help Operator)
 * H = Hide IRCop status in /WHO and /WHOIS. (IRC Operators only)
 * i = Invisible (Not shown in /WHO searches)
 * p = Hide all channels in /whois and /who
 * q = Only U:lines can kick you (Services Admins/Net Admins only)
 * R = Allows you to only receive PRIVMSGs/NOTICEs from registered (+r) users
 * r = Identifies the nick as being Registered (settable by services only)
 * s = Can listen to Server notices
 * S = For Services only. (Protects them)
 * T = Prevents you from receiving CTCPs
 * t = Says that you are using a /VHOST
 * V = Marks the client as a WebTV user
 * v = Receive infected DCC send rejection notices
 * w = Can listen to Wallop messages
 * W = Lets you see when people do a /WHOIS on you (IRC Operators only)
 * x = Gives the user Hidden Hostname (security)
 * z = Marks the client as being on a Secure Connection (SSL)

Below is a list of possible snomasks: Snomask stands for 'Service NOtice MASK', it (mainly) controls which server notices you will receive. Usage: /MODE nick +s snomask


 * c = View connects/disconnects on local server
 * e = View 'Eyes' server messages (OperOverride, /CHG* and /SET* usage, ..)
 * F = View connects/disconnects on remote servers (except U-lines)
 * f = View flood alerts
 * G = View TKL notices (Gline, GZline, Shun, etc)
 * j = View Junk notices (not recommended for normal use)
 * k = View KILL notices
 * n = View nick changes on local server
 * N = View nick changes on remote servers
 * o = View oper-up notices
 * q = View rejected nick changes due to Q:lines
 * S = View spamfilter matches
 * v = View usage of /VHOST command

MOTD
Displays the Message of the Day.
 * /motd server

NAMES
Provides a list of users on the specified channel.
 * /names #channel

NICK
Changes your "online identity" on a server. All those in the channel you are in will be alerted of your nickname change.
 * /nick newnickname

NOTICE
Mainly used for one-time communication or for the results of a command.
 * /notice nick,nick2,nick3,nick4 text

PART
Used to part (or leave) a channel you currently occupy. All those in the channel will be notified of your departure.
 * /part #chan,#chan2,#chan3,#chan4

PING
Determines the amount of lag (time it takes for a response to reach a person and comeback) between yourself and someone else. DO NOT DO THIS WITHOUT ASKING THE USER IF YOU MAY DO SO.
 * /ping user

PRIVMSG
Used to send a message to a person or a channel.
 * /msg nick,nick2,nick3,nick4 text

QUIT
Disconnects you from the IRC server. Those in the channels you occupy will be notified of your departure. If you do not specify a reason, your nickname becomes the reason.
 * /quit reason

RULES
Displays the ircd.rules of a server. Adding a server name allows you to view rules on other servers.
 * /rules server

SILENCE
Adds a nickname to SILENCE list. -nickname removes a nickname from the SILENCE list.
 * /silence +nickname

SETNAME
Changes the "IRC Name" (or "Real Name") of yourself. Available to everyone.
 * /setname name

TIME
Displays the servers date and time. Including a server name allows you to check other servers.
 * /time server

TOPIC
Sets/Changes the topic of the channel in question, or just display the current topic. Topic channel will display the current topic of the given channel. Topic channel topic will change the topic of the given channel.
 * /topic channel topic

USERHOST
Returns the userhost of the user in question. Usually used by scripts or bots to retrieve userhost information.
 * /userhost nick

VERSION
Sends a CTCP Version request to the user. If configured to do so, their client will respond with the client version. Doing this to someone without their permission might be annoying, so please ask beforehand.
 * /version nick

WATCH
Watch is a new notify-type system in UnrealIRCd which is both faster and uses less network resources than any old-style notify system. The server will send you a message when any nickname in your watch list logs on or off. The watch list DOES NOT REMAIN BETWEEN SESSIONS - you (or your script or client) must add the nicknames to your watch list every time you connect to an IRC server.
 * /watch +-nick +-nick

WHO
Searches user information (-i users only) for supplied information. (IRCops and higher are able to search +i users.) Masks include: nickname, #channel, hostmask (*.attbi.com).
 * /who search

WHOIS
Shows information about the user in question, such as their "name", channels they are currently in, their hostmask, etc.
 * /whois user

WHOWAS
Retrieves previous 'WHOIS' information for users no longer connected to the server. The max replies field is optional, and limits how many records will be returned.
 * /whowas nick max replies