What protocols and modules does Irssi support?

Updated

Irssi ships with IRC support built in, and its modular design lets you add other chat protocols through C modules. According to the project's own description, Irssi can be used "in combination with IRC, ICB or SILC," and additional modules are listed on the Modules page. So if you need IRC out of the box, that works immediately; if you need ICB, SILC, or something else, you'll be relying on a module rather than the core client.

Built-in protocol support

  • IRC is the only protocol included with Irssi itself. The project describes Irssi as "a modular text mode chat client" that "comes with IRC support built in."
  • Everything else is added at the module layer, not the core.

Protocols available through modules

The site names three protocols Irssi can work with when modules are in play:

Protocol How it's supported
IRC Built in
ICB Via a protocol module
SILC Via a protocol module

The site's wording is that you "can enjoy the chatting power of Irssi in combination with IRC, ICB or SILC," and points to the Modules page for more.

How the module system works

Irssi is designed so that protocol modules can be written in C. The project states it "makes it easy to write protocol modules in C." That means:

  • The core client handles the interface, theming, and scripting.
  • A protocol module handles the network conversation for a given chat system.
  • If a protocol you want isn't listed, the intended path is to find or write a module rather than expect it in the base install.

Where to find modules

The site directs you to its Modules page for additional modules beyond the ones mentioned. That's the canonical starting point for checking what exists before you consider writing your own.

What this means in practice

  • If you only need IRC: install Irssi and you're set — no module hunting required.
  • If you need ICB or SILC: plan on locating the relevant module and confirming it's maintained for your Irssi version.
  • If you need another protocol entirely: the C module API is the documented extension route, so factor in development effort.

For scripting and customization on top of the protocol layer, Irssi also offers a scripting API with a signal-handling mechanism and an existing script collection — separate from protocol modules, but part of the same extensibility story.