# Mattermost Test Data > Backfill realistic test data into a Mattermost server using the Mattermost MCP tools. Creates users, teams, channels, and natural conversations. Use when the user asks to populate a Mattermost instance, create test data, set up a demo environment, seed conversations, or backfill a Mattermost server. Also provides guidance on reading, searching, and interacting with Mattermost via MCP tools. Use when this capability is needed. - Skill: `tomevault-io/mattermost-test-data` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/mattermost-test-data` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/mattermost-test-data/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: AI & ML - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/mattermost-test-data --- # Mattermost Test Data & MCP Usage Populate a Mattermost server with realistic test data and interact with it using the connected Mattermost MCP tools. ## Available MCP Tools ### Write Operations | Tool | Purpose | |------|---------| | `create_user` | Create user accounts (username, email, password, names, nickname, optional profile_image) | | `create_team` | Create teams (name, display_name, type O=open/I=invite, description, optional team_icon) | | `create_channel` | Create channels (name, display_name, type O=public/P=private, team_id, purpose, header) | | `create_post` | Post as the authenticated bot/admin user (channel_id, message, optional root_id for replies, optional attachments) | | `create_post_as_user` | Post as a specific user via username/password login - critical for realistic multi-user conversations | | `add_user_to_team` | Add a user to a team by user_id and team_id | | `add_user_to_channel` | Add a user to a channel by user_id and channel_id | | `dm_self` | Send a DM to yourself (the authenticated user) | ### Read Operations | Tool | Purpose | |------|---------| | `get_channel_info` | Look up channel by ID, display_name, or name. Optional team_id scope | | `get_channel_members` | List members of a channel with pagination | | `get_team_info` | Look up team by ID, display_name, or name | | `get_team_members` | List members of a team with pagination | | `read_channel` | Read recent posts from a channel (limit, since timestamp) | | `read_post` | Read a specific post and its thread | | `search_posts` | Search posts by query, optional team_id/channel_id scope | | `search_users` | Search users by username, email, or name | ## Test Data Creation Workflow Follow this order to avoid missing dependencies: ### Step 1: Gather Requirements from User Ask the user what kind of environment they want. If they don't specify, offer a default scenario. Key questions: - **Theme**: What kind of team? (engineering, sales, support, devops, etc.) - **Scale**: How many users, channels, and messages? - **Conversation topics**: Any specific scenarios to demonstrate? - **Realism level**: Casual startup vs formal enterprise tone? Merge user instructions with the defaults below. User instructions always take priority. ### Step 2: Create the Team ``` create_team: name: url-friendly-name (lowercase, hyphens) display_name: Human Readable Name type: O (open) or I (invite-only) description: Brief team description ``` Save the returned `team_id` for subsequent calls. ### Step 3: Create Users Create users with realistic, diverse profiles. For each user, define a **persona** that guides their communication style throughout all conversations. Guidelines: - Use `first.last` format for usernames - Use realistic email addresses (e.g., `first.last@example.com`) - Use password `Testpassword1!` for all test users (simple, meets complexity requirements) - Give each user a distinct role and communication style - Vary seniority levels (lead, senior, mid, junior, etc.) Save each returned `user_id`. **Persona template** (track internally, do not post): ``` Name: [Full Name] Username: [first.last] Role: [Job title] Style: [Communication traits - e.g., concise and technical, friendly and verbose, asks lots of questions] Expertise: [Domain strengths] ``` ### Step 4: Add Users to Team Call `add_user_to_team` for each user with the team_id from Step 2. ### Step 5: Create Channels Create channels appropriate for the team theme. Always include: - A **general** channel for announcements and broad discussion - A **random** channel for casual/off-topic conversation - 2-4 **topic-specific** channels matching the team's domain For each channel, provide a meaningful `purpose` and `header`. Save each returned `channel_id`. ### Step 6: Add Users to Channels Call `add_user_to_channel` for each user+channel combination. Not every user needs to be in every channel - match membership to roles. ### Step 7: Create Conversations This is the most important step. Use `create_post_as_user` to post as each user with their username and password. #### Conversation Quality Guidelines **Message variety:** - Mix short responses ("Sounds good!", "On it.") with detailed technical messages - Include markdown formatting where natural (code blocks, bullet lists, bold) - Some messages should reference external links or tools - Vary message length by persona (seniors write concisely, juniors explain more) **Thread usage:** - Use `root_id` to create threaded replies for detailed discussions - Not every message needs a thread - quick acknowledgments stay in main channel - Threads should have 2-5 replies typically, occasionally more for complex topics **Persona consistency:** - The team lead coordinates, makes decisions, celebrates wins - Senior engineers give concise technical guidance - Junior engineers ask questions, share what they learned - Each person has a distinct voice **Natural flow:** - Conversations should reference each other implicitly ("as we discussed in #incidents") - Include realistic work artifacts (deployment commands, config snippets, monitoring queries) - Show collaboration: someone asks a question, others help, problem gets resolved #### Conversation Templates For each channel, create 2-4 distinct conversation threads. Example patterns: **Problem-solving thread:** 1. Someone reports an issue 2. Others investigate and discuss 3. Solution is found and confirmed 4. Brief wrap-up or action items **Coordination thread:** 1. Someone proposes a plan or schedule 2. Others confirm availability or raise concerns 3. Plan is finalized **Knowledge-sharing thread:** 1. Someone shares an article, tool, or technique 2. Brief discussion about applicability 3. Maybe a follow-up action **Casual thread (for #random):** 1. Light topic (weekend, conference, food) 2. A few friendly replies 3. Naturally fizzles out ## Tips for Realistic Data - **Don't over-emoji.** Real engineers use them sparingly. One or two per conversation, not every message. - **Include imperfections.** Occasional typos, self-corrections ("wait, I meant..."), or "nvm, found it" messages. - **Reference real tools.** Mention Grafana, Terraform, Kubernetes, Jenkins, GitHub, etc. by name. - **Show team dynamics.** The lead praises good work. The junior asks for help. The senior mentors casually. - **Keep it proportional.** 3-5 messages per simple thread, 6-10 for complex discussions. Don't create 50-message threads. ## Reading and Searching Data ### Find existing data ``` search_users: term="john" # Find users by name/email get_team_info: team_display_name="Engineering" # Find team by name get_channel_info: channel_display_name="General" # Find channel by name ``` ### Read conversations ``` read_channel: channel_id="...", limit=50 # Recent messages read_channel: channel_id="...", since="2024-01-01T00:00:00Z" # Since timestamp read_post: post_id="...", include_thread=true # Full thread search_posts: query="deployment", team_id="..." # Search by keyword ``` ### Inspect membership ``` get_team_members: team_id="...", limit=50, page=0 get_channel_members: channel_id="...", limit=50, page=0 ``` ## Common Pitfalls - **Channel name vs display_name**: `name` must be URL-friendly (lowercase, hyphens, no spaces). `display_name` is what users see. - **Team type**: Use `O` for open, `I` for invite-only. Most test scenarios want `O`. - **Channel type**: Use `O` for public, `P` for private. - **Post ordering**: Posts appear in creation order. Create them in the order you want them to appear. - **Thread replies**: Set `root_id` to the parent post's ID. The `channel_id` must match the parent post's channel. - **User passwords**: When using `create_post_as_user`, you need the password you set during user creation. Keep it consistent. - **IDs are 26 characters**: All Mattermost IDs (team, channel, user, post) are exactly 26 alphanumeric characters. ## Example: Minimal Quick Setup For a fast demo with minimal data: 1. Create team "demo-team" 2. Create 3 users (lead, senior, junior) 3. Add users to team 4. Create 2 channels (general, project) 5. Add users to channels 6. Create 5-8 messages per channel with 1-2 threaded discussions This produces a believable workspace in ~30 tool calls. --- > Converted and distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io/claim/mattermost) — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.