How do tech communities use Micup?
Tech and developer communities use Micup (micup.gg) for help channels, project announcements and voice calls, in a chat that renders code blocks with syntax highlighting, tables and callout boxes. Webhooks can post GitHub events into a channel, developers can create their own bot applications, and the source code of Micup's web app, desktop app and server is published under the AGPLv3 licence.
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Which channels should a tech community have?
| Channel | Type | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| announcements | Text | Releases and breaking changes, posted by maintainers |
| help | Text | Questions with code in code blocks; slowmode, with "Bypass slowmode" for helpers |
| github-feed | Text | A webhook posts commits, issues and pull requests |
| showcase | Text | Members share what they built |
| jobs | Text | Job posts; an automod Links rule allows only the domains you list |
| docs | Link | A shortcut to your documentation site |
| Office hours | Voice | Maintainers answer questions live and share their screen |
| Pairing | Voice | Debug together with a shared editor on screen |
How does code look in Micup chat?
Wrap code in three backticks and name the language on the first line; Micup highlights it, with grammars for more than 100 languages including Python, Rust, TypeScript, SQL and JSON. Single backticks give inline code.
Messages also support headings, lists, quotes, tables and callout boxes for Note, Tip, Important, Warning and Caution. A message holds up to 2,000 characters on a free account and 4,000 with Micup Plus; longer logs go in as a file, up to 25 MB free or 500 MB with Plus.
How do you connect GitHub and other tools?
- Open Community settings › Webhooks; this needs the "Manage webhooks" permission.
- Create a webhook, choose the channel it posts to, and copy its URL.
- For GitHub, add /github to the end of the URL and paste it into your repository's webhook settings.
- For tools that speak the Slack webhook format, add /slack instead; anything else can post JSON messages to the plain URL.
Can you build bots for Micup?
Yes. Under Settings, the Developer section has an "Applications" tab where you create your own applications and bots. Servers can also add the Community bot (MicupBOT) for automod, levels, reaction roles and moderation commands such as #ban, #timeout and #slowmode.
How do you keep a help channel useful?
- Create Helper and Maintainer roles, show them separately in the member list, and give helpers "Bypass slowmode".
- Pin a message on how to ask: what you tried, the error, and the code in a code block.
- Use the Community bot's Links rule with an allowed-domains list (up to 50) and its mass mentions rule to cut spam.
- Move long debugging sessions into the Pairing voice channel, where someone can share their screen.
What are the limits for tech communities?
- Text messages are not end-to-end encrypted, so do not paste secrets, keys or passwords into chat.
- Free screen sharing tops out at 720p and 30 fps unless the server is boosted, so zoom in on small code before sharing.
- 3D rooms open only on computers. On the Android app and phone browsers, voice channels use the flat view.
Frequently asked questions
Does Micup support code blocks with syntax highlighting?
Yes. Put code between three backticks and name the language after the first three. Micup ships highlighting grammars for more than 100 languages.
Can I get GitHub notifications in a Micup channel?
Yes. Create a webhook for the channel under Community settings › Webhooks and give GitHub the webhook URL with /github at the end.
Is Micup open source?
Micup's web app, server and desktop app are open source under AGPLv3, and the source of each release can be downloaded without an account. The source code page in Micup's legal pages, currently in Turkish, lists them. 3D models are licensed separately and are not in the source archives.
Can I write my own bot?
Yes. Create an application and bot under Settings › Applications, in the Developer section.
Get Micup
3D rooms and table games open on computers, in the browser and the desktop app.