---
# SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
title: Expressions
description: Cross-guild lookup of a custom emoji or sticker by its own ID.
---

import RouteHeader from '@/components/RouteHeader.astro';

An expression is a custom emoji or a sticker that one guild owns. The routes here resolve an expression from its own identifier, without membership of the owning guild.

| Object | Route | Owning resource |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Emoji metadata](#emoji-metadata-object) | [Get emoji metadata](#get-emoji-metadata) | [Guild emojis](/http-api/guild-emojis/) |
| [Sticker metadata](#sticker-metadata-object) | [Get sticker metadata](#get-sticker-metadata) | [Guild stickers](/http-api/guild-stickers/) |

Both routes are read-only, and neither writes an audit entry or emits a [Gateway Dispatch](/gateway/events/). Each one returns the metadata even when the owning guild has [UNAVAILABLE_FOR_EVERYONE](/http-api/guilds/#guild-features).

When an identifier names no stored expression, Fluxer returns 404 `UNKNOWN_EMOJI` or 404 `UNKNOWN_STICKER`. A stored expression whose guild no longer exists returns 404 `UNKNOWN_GUILD`.

:::note[Tags and the uploader need a guild-scoped operation]
Tags, the uploader, and the adult content classification come from the guild-scoped operations, which require membership of the owning guild.
:::

## Emoji metadata object

One custom emoji, readable from outside its guild. It adds the owning guild to the [guild emoji object](/http-api/guild-emojis/#guild-emoji-object) and drops the adult content classification and the uploader.

### Structure

| Field | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| id<sup>1</sup> | snowflake | The ID of the emoji |
| guild_id<sup>2</sup> | snowflake | The ID of the guild that owns the emoji |
| name<sup>3</sup> | string | The name of the emoji (2-32 characters) |
| animated<sup>4</sup> | boolean | Whether the stored image is animated |
| allow_cloning<sup>5</sup> | boolean | Whether the owning guild permits the emoji to be copied |

<sup>1</sup> Unique across every guild, so the emoji is addressable without its guild

<sup>2</sup> This resource has no guild name and no guild icon

<sup>3</sup> [Create guild emoji](/http-api/guild-emojis/#create-guild-emoji) restricts the value to ASCII letters, digits, and underscore, and cloning copies it unchanged

<sup>4</sup> Fluxer detects this from the submitted image at creation, and the value never changes

<sup>5</sup> True exactly when the owning guild has [CLONE_EMOJI_ENABLED](/http-api/guilds/#guild-features), and false for every other guild

Every member is always present, and no member is nullable.

### Example

```json
{
  "id": "1501314428688998182",
  "guild_id": "1489002177550843904",
  "name": "party_parrot",
  "animated": true,
  "allow_cloning": true
}
```

## Sticker metadata object

One sticker, readable from outside its guild. It adds the owning guild to the [guild sticker object](/http-api/guild-stickers/#guild-sticker-object) and drops the description, the tags, the adult content classification, and the uploader.

### Structure

| Field | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| id<sup>1</sup> | snowflake | The ID of the sticker |
| guild_id<sup>2</sup> | snowflake | The ID of the guild that owns the sticker |
| name<sup>3</sup> | string | The name of the sticker (2-30 characters) |
| animated<sup>4</sup> | boolean | Whether the stored image is animated |
| allow_cloning<sup>5</sup> | boolean | Whether the owning guild permits the sticker to be copied |

<sup>1</sup> Unique across every guild, so the sticker is addressable without its guild

<sup>2</sup> This resource has no guild name and no guild icon

<sup>3</sup> The value accepts any character

<sup>4</sup> Fluxer detects this from the submitted image at creation, and the value never changes

<sup>5</sup> True exactly when the owning guild has [CLONE_STICKER_ENABLED](/http-api/guilds/#guild-features), and false for every other guild

Every member is always present, and no member is nullable.

### Example

```json
{
  "id": "1501314428688998183",
  "guild_id": "1489002177550843904",
  "name": "shipit",
  "animated": false,
  "allow_cloning": false
}
```

## Get emoji metadata

<RouteHeader method="GET" path="/v1/emojis/{emoji_id}/metadata" bot />

Returns the [emoji metadata object](#emoji-metadata-object) of any guild emoji. The route requires no membership of the owning guild and evaluates no permission.

### Path parameters

| Field | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| emoji_id | snowflake | The ID of the emoji |

### Response

| Status | Body | Condition |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 200 | [emoji metadata](#emoji-metadata-object) object | Metadata was returned |
| 404<sup>1</sup> | [error response](/http-api/#error-response) | Emoji does not exist, or its owning guild no longer exists |

<sup>1</sup> The [error code](/http-api/errors/) is `UNKNOWN_EMOJI` for a missing emoji and `UNKNOWN_GUILD` when the emoji record survives but its guild does not

:::caution[Cloning reads the emoji's guild again]
[Clone guild emoji](/http-api/guild-emojis/#clone-guild-emoji) resolves the source emoji and the source guild again. When the source guild drops `CLONE_EMOJI_ENABLED` between the two calls, the clone fails with 403 `MISSING_ACCESS`.
:::

### Rate limit

60 requests per 10 seconds for each authenticated user, on the `guild:emoji:metadata::user_id` bucket, and every emoji the account looks up draws on that one budget.

## Get sticker metadata

<RouteHeader method="GET" path="/v1/stickers/{sticker_id}/metadata" bot />

Returns the [sticker metadata object](#sticker-metadata-object) of any guild sticker. The route requires no membership of the owning guild and evaluates no permission.

### Path parameters

| Field | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| sticker_id | snowflake | The ID of the sticker |

### Response

| Status | Body | Condition |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 200 | [sticker metadata](#sticker-metadata-object) object | Metadata was returned |
| 404<sup>1</sup> | [error response](/http-api/#error-response) | Sticker does not exist, or its owning guild no longer exists |

<sup>1</sup> The [error code](/http-api/errors/) is `UNKNOWN_STICKER` for a missing sticker and `UNKNOWN_GUILD` when the sticker record survives but its guild does not

:::caution[Cloning reads the sticker's guild again]
[Clone guild sticker](/http-api/guild-stickers/#clone-guild-sticker) resolves the source sticker and the source guild again. When the source guild drops `CLONE_STICKER_ENABLED` between the two calls, the clone fails with 403 `MISSING_ACCESS`.
:::

### Rate limit

60 requests per 10 seconds for each authenticated user, on the `guild:sticker:metadata::user_id` bucket, and every sticker the account looks up draws on that one budget.