when i first wrote this document, nearly a decade ago now, it was a simple gist i used as an operator cheatsheet. well, at this point it's somehow on the top of the google search results for "irc reference", and there's been lots of user questions and chats in the comments. so i decided to revisit the document and embellish it with the regular user side of irc as well.

the gist

Highlights

• Glossary
• User Commands
• Nick Management (NickServ)
• Channel Modes
• ChanServ Commands
• Operator Commands
• Formatting
• Suggested Servers/Networks

Brief History

IRC / Internet Relay Chat is a text based chat protocol over TCP using a client-server model. It's design focuses on group communications in channels or rooms. Channel names are always prefaced by a pound sign (e.g. #unix). Servers can be a single node or a network of nodes. Clients range from command line tools, desktop GUI applications, to websites, and mobile apps.

After the first open source version of IRC was published by WiZ in 1998, universities and hobbyists began to join the network. By August 1990, the first major irc drama took place...

The formation of the "Eris Free Network" (EFnet), made the eris machine the first to be Q-lined (Q for quarantine) and marked the first network split.

Over the decades, use of larger networks like "the big 4" (efnet, undernet, ircnet, and dalnet) have drastically fallen off in favor of smaller, usually topical or private, instances.

User Commands

join

• /join #channel
• Joins the specified channel.

part

• /part #channel [message]
• Leaves the specified channel with optional message

knock

• /knock #channel
• Sends a NOTICE to an invitation-only #channel with an optional message, requesting an invite.

invite

• /invite #channel
• Invites a user to join a channel.

quit

• /quit [message]
• Disconnects from current server with optional message.

server

• /server
• Connects to the specified server.

list

• /list
• Lists all channels on the current network.

links

• /links
• Lists all servers on the current network.

nick

• /nick
• Changes your handle.

names

• /names #channel
• Shows the nicks of all users on #channel.

msg

• /msg
• Sends a private message to a user.

privmsg

• /privmsg :
• Sends message to target, usually a user or channel.

query

• /query
• Sends a private message to a user in a new window.

me

• /me
• Prints "yourname action", usually in italics

notice

• /notice
• Sends a notice to the specified user. Similar to /msg, but plays a sound or visual bell.

away

• /away
• Automatically sends a reply via privmsg directed at the user, not the channel, when you are highlighted or private messaged.

whois

• /whois
• Shows information about the specified user. This action is not visible to the specified user.

whowas

• /whowas
• Shows information about a user who has quit.

dns

• /dns
• Attempts to resolve the IP address of the specified user. Doesn't work on all networks, doesn't work all the time.

ping

• /ping
• Pings the specified user. This action is visible to the specified user.

motd

• /motd [server]
• Displays the message of the day on a server, or the current if omitted.

rules

• /rules
• Requests/displays the server rules. This command is not formally defined in an RFC, but is used by many IRC daemons.

version

• /version []
• Returns the version of a server, or the current server if omitted

Nick Management (NickServ)

register

• /ns register [email]
• Registers your current nick with NickServ with the chosen password and binds it to an e-mail address (optional).

identify

• /ns identify
• Identifies your nick to NickServ using the password you set. If you have a nick that's been registered, and you don't identify in a certain time period, the IRCd will auto-change your nick.

set password

• /ns set password
• Changes your password to "yournewpassword"

recover

• /ns recover nickname password
• Kills (forcibly disconnects) someone using your registered nick.

ghost

• /ns ghost nickname password
• Terminates a "ghost" IRC session that's squatting your nickname

Channel Modes

ChanServ Commands

All ChanServ commands begin with /cs, /chanserv, or /msg ChanServ.
Depending on your client and network, /cs or /chanserv may not work.

register

• /cs register #channel [description]
• Registers the current channel to you with ChanServ and sets its password and description.

drop / unregister

• /cs drop #channel [dropcode]  
• Un-registers the current channel to you with ChanServ.

identify

• /cs identify #channel
• Identifies you as the channel's founder and gives you founder-level privileges.

founder

• /cs set #channel founder [nickname]
• Sets the current channel's founder.

mode lock

• /cs set #channel mlock
• Locks the channel's modes. Just + unlocks all.

secure ops

• /cs set #channel secureops [on|off]
• Keeps everyone except aops, sops, and the founder from becoming ops.

keep topic

• /cs set #channel keeptopic [on|off]
• Maintains the topic even if everyone leaves.

enforce ops

• /cs set #channel enforce [on|off]
• Restores op/halfop/voice if a person with op/halfop/voice gets de-opped/halfopped/voiced.

leave ops

• /cs set #channel leaveops [on|off]
• Whether or not to allow the first person who join the channel to get ops.

set password

• /cs set #channel password [newpass]
• Changes the current channel's password to newpass.

description

• /cs set #channel desc [description]
• Changes the current channel's description.

url

• /cs set #channel url [address]
• Associates a URL with the channel.

email

• /cs set #channel [email@address]
• Associates an email address with the channel.

Operator Commands

oper

• /oper
• Authenticates a user as an IRC operator on that server/network.

userip

• /userip
• Requests the public IP address of the user with the specified nickname.
  • It is unclear what, if any, privileges are required to execute this command on a server. This command is not formally defined by an RFC.
  • Support is indicated in a RPL_ISUPPORT reply (numeric 005) with the USERIP keyword.

users

• /users []
• Returns a list of users and information about those users in a format similar to the unix who, rusers, and finger commands.

wallops

• /wallops
• Sends the "message" to all operators connected to the server, or all users with user mode w set. similar to the unix wall command.

trace

• /trace [target]
• Trace a path across the IRC network to a specific server or client, in a similar method to traceroute.

User modes

Kicking People

kick

• /kick #channel nickname [reason]
• temporarily remove user from channel
• /mode nickname +/-attributes [data]
• Setting people's modes (for current channel only)

Auto Kicks / AKICKs

People on the channel AKICK list are automatically kicked and banned upon joining the channel.

akick add

• /cs akick #channel add host [reason]
• Adds host to #channel's AKICK list for "reason".

akick del

• /cs akick #channel del host
• Removes host from the AKICK list.

akick list/view

• /cs akick #channel list
• /cs akick #channel view
• Displays the AKICK list.
  • command name varies between IRCd's

Banning

mode +b

• /mode #channel +b hosts
• Hosts take the following form: nickname!userid@hostname
  • Use /whois, /whowas or /who to find the necessary information
  • * is a wildcard and can replace nickname, userid, parts of nickname or userid, hostname or a segment of a hostname.

Examples

Remember, regex is your friend. People love to change their nicks to avoid bans, but often use a standard host, userid, or some other unique identifier.

nickname

• joe!*@*
• Prevents anyone with the nick joe from joining.

nick contains

• *myg0t*!*
• Prevents anyone whose nick contains myg0t from joining.

nick and userid

• mark!*elc@*
• Prevents anyone with the nick mark and the userid elc from joining.

hostname

• *!*@c-123-24-76-213.ga.isp.net
• Prevents anyone with the host c-123-24-76-213.ga.isp.net from joining.

rip

• *!*@*
• Bans everyone. Don't do that.

Access Lists

access add

• /cs access #channel add [nickname] [level]
• Adds nickname to the channel's access list at the specified level.

access del

• /cs access channel del [nickname]
• Removes nickname from the channel's access list.

access list

• /cs access #channel list
• Displays the channel's access list.

access count

• /cs access #channel count
• Displays how many entries are in the channel's access list.

Access Levels

AOPs and SOPs

AOP / Auto Operators

• Are automatically ops and can give themselves ops.
• Can give/take op/halfop/voice to/from other channel members.
• Can unban themselves.
• Receive memos sent to the whole channel.
• Can invite themselves to the channel.

SOP / Super Operators

• Can do everything AOPs can.
• Can give and take AOP privileges.
• Receive memos sent to the channel's SOPs.
• Can add (but not remove) AKICKs.

Viewing/Setting Privileges

list

• /cs aop #channel list
• /cs sop #channel list
• Viewing AOP and SOP lists

managing

• /cs [AOP|SOP] channel [ADD|DEL|LIST|CLEAR] [nick | entry-list]
• Modifies access privileges

Formatting

Even though IRC is a plain text protocol, it supports the use of color codes. Clients convert these codes to the appropriate terminal escape characters before rendering the message to the user.

ANSI Support

IRC has been around for a long time. Back in those days we used CP347 and ANSI. Even back then, IRC supported bold and color formatting via escape codes.

Limitations

If an IRC client cannot display a specified type of formatting, the client will do one of the following:

• Display the message without the formatting (best case imho)
• Display the formatting character in an obvious way, so users are aware that it was used. (e.g. uppercase U for underlining)
• A bunch of junk will be printed to the screen

Types

Colors

In most clients you can press control+c (^c) then foreground,background (background is optional).

Examples

• ^c4 red text
• ^c1,2 black text on a blue background

Color Codes

[!faq] Here's the full list of color codes

Spoilers

The effect is created by setting both the background and foreground color the same for a section of text, usually black on black. Readers can reveal the message by selecting or "hovering over" the block.

Misc

Suggested Servers/Networks

IRCd Software

Glossary

• IRC - Acronym for Internet Relay Chat, a text based chat protocol.
• IRCd - IRC Daemon, the technical name for IRC server software.
• channel - IRC's equivalent term for a "chat room", or group chat. Names are prefaced with a pound sign (e.g. #channel_name), and are unique to a server.
• msg or priv msg - An abbreviation for "Message" or "Private Message". Any messages given across IRC are private between two people rather than to a channel where anyone in the channel can see.
• op - Someone with Operator status. They are marked by a @ or ~ symbol next to their name and it means they have some degree of power in a channel to change settings, kick people out and so on.
• afk - acronym for "Away From Keyboard". Often used in /away messages, it indicates that a connected use is unavailable to chat for a period of time.
• bot - An IRC bot or Chat Bot, is software that runs on a remove computer and connects into an IRC server like a normal user and read the logs looking for actionable events. They can perform various automated or manual tasks, such as user commands, managing user privileges, combining messages, providing detailed link information, or hosting games.

Sauces

• RFC1459
• history of irc
• ircv3.net
• modern.ircdocs.horse/formatting
• youtu.be/R8FOGlnYkgg