# Managing Ably

> Manages and analyzes Ably real-time messaging resources, covering channels, presence, connections, usage analytics, and account health via REST and Control APIs.

- Skill: `cloudthinker-ai/managing-ably` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add cloudthinker-ai/managing-ably`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/cloudthinker-ai/managing-ably/raw
- Safety review: CAUTION (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector CAUTION)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Data & Analytics, DevOps & Infra, Data Analysis, Monitoring & Observability
- Tags: Ably, Channels, Control Api, Curl, Presence, Real Time Messaging, Rest Api, Usage Analytics
- Author: cloudthinker-ai (https://skillmd.com/u/cloudthinker-ai)
- Updated: 2026-08-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/cloudthinker-ai/managing-ably

---


# Ably Management Skill

Manage and analyze Ably real-time messaging resources including channels, connections, and usage.

## API Conventions

### Authentication
All API calls use Basic Auth with API key, injected automatically.

### Base URL
`https://rest.ably.io` (REST API) and `https://control.ably.net/v1` (Control API)

### Core Helper Function

```bash
#!/bin/bash

ably_api() {
    local method="$1"
    local endpoint="$2"
    local data="${3:-}"

    if [ -n "$data" ]; then
        curl -s -X "$method" \
            -u "$ABLY_API_KEY" \
            -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
            "https://rest.ably.io${endpoint}" \
            -d "$data"
    else
        curl -s -X "$method" \
            -u "$ABLY_API_KEY" \
            "https://rest.ably.io${endpoint}"
    fi
}

ably_control() {
    local method="$1"
    local endpoint="$2"
    curl -s -X "$method" \
        -H "Authorization: Bearer $ABLY_CONTROL_TOKEN" \
        "https://control.ably.net/v1${endpoint}"
}
```

## Output Rules
- Target ≤50 lines per script output
- Use `jq` to extract only needed fields
- Never dump full API responses

## Phase 1: Discovery

```bash
#!/bin/bash
echo "=== Active Channels ==="
ably_api GET "/channels?limit=20" \
    | jq -r '.[] | "\(.channelId)\t\(.status.isActive)\toccupancy:\(.status.occupancy.metrics.connections // 0)"' \
    | column -t | head -20

echo ""
echo "=== App Stats (current hour) ==="
ably_api GET "/stats?unit=hour&limit=1" \
    | jq '.[0] | {
        messages_published: .all.messages.count,
        connections_peak: .all.connections.peak,
        api_requests: .all.apiRequests.succeeded
    }'

echo ""
echo "=== Account Apps ==="
ably_control GET "/accounts/$ABLY_ACCOUNT_ID/apps" \
    | jq -r '.[] | "\(.id)\t\(.name)\t\(.status)\t\(.created[0:10])"' \
    | head -15
```

## Phase 2: Analysis

### Channel Health

```bash
#!/bin/bash
echo "=== Channel Occupancy ==="
ably_api GET "/channels?limit=50" \
    | jq -r '.[] | select(.status.isActive == true) | "\(.channelId)\tconns:\(.status.occupancy.metrics.connections // 0)\tpresence:\(.status.occupancy.metrics.presenceMembers // 0)"' \
    | sort -t$'\t' -k2 -rn | head -15

echo ""
echo "=== Presence Members (active channels) ==="
ably_api GET "/channels?limit=20" \
    | jq -r '.[] | select(.status.occupancy.metrics.presenceMembers > 0) | .channelId' | while read ch; do
    echo "--- $ch ---"
    ably_api GET "/channels/$(echo $ch | sed 's/:/%3A/g')/presence" \
        | jq -r '.[] | "\(.clientId)\t\(.connectionId[0:12])"' | head -5
done | head -20
```

### Usage Analytics

```bash
#!/bin/bash
echo "=== Usage (last 24h, hourly) ==="
ably_api GET "/stats?unit=hour&limit=24" \
    | jq -r '.[] | "\(.intervalId)\tmsgs:\(.all.messages.count)\tconns:\(.all.connections.peak)\tapi:\(.all.apiRequests.succeeded)"' \
    | column -t | head -24

echo ""
echo "=== Monthly Usage Summary ==="
ably_api GET "/stats?unit=month&limit=1" \
    | jq '.[0] | {
        total_messages: .all.messages.count,
        peak_connections: .all.connections.peak,
        api_requests: .all.apiRequests.succeeded,
        api_errors: .all.apiRequests.failed
    }'
```

## Output Format

```
=== Ably App ===
Active Channels: <n>  Peak Connections: <n>

--- Hourly Stats ---
Messages: <n>  Connections: <n>  API Requests: <n>

--- Channel Health ---
<channel>: <connections> connections, <presence> presence

--- Monthly Usage ---
Messages: <n>  Peak Connections: <n>
```

## Anti-Hallucination Rules

1. **NEVER assume resource names** — always discover via CLI/API in Phase 1 before referencing in Phase 2.
2. **NEVER fabricate metric names or dimensions** — verify against the service documentation or `--help` output.
3. **NEVER mix CLI commands between service versions** — confirm which version/API you are targeting.
4. **ALWAYS use the discovery → verify → analyze chain** — every resource referenced must have been discovered first.
5. **ALWAYS handle empty results gracefully** — an empty response is valid data, not an error to retry.

## Counter-Rationalizations

| Shortcut | Counter | Why |
|----------|---------|-----|
| "I'll skip discovery and check known resources" | Always run Phase 1 discovery first | Resource names change, new resources appear — assumed names cause errors |
| "The user only asked for a quick check" | Follow the full discovery → analysis flow | Quick checks miss critical issues; structured analysis catches silent failures |
| "Default configuration is probably fine" | Audit configuration explicitly | Defaults often leave logging, security, and optimization features disabled |
| "Metrics aren't needed for this" | Always check relevant metrics when available | API/CLI responses show current state; metrics reveal trends and intermittent issues |
| "I don't have access to that" | Try the command and report the actual error | Assumed permission failures prevent useful investigation; actual errors are informative |

## Common Pitfalls
- **Two APIs**: REST API for real-time data, Control API for account management (different auth)
- **Channel encoding**: Encode `:` as `%3A` in channel names in URLs
- **Stats intervals**: Use `unit` param: `minute`, `hour`, `day`, `month`
- **Rate limits**: 100 requests/second for REST API
- **Pagination**: Use `limit` and response `Link` headers for cursor pagination