Hidden application context

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The hidden value is available only to a Trusted public client. Other callers can omit visibility or use its default value, visible. API keys, standard OAuth clients, legacy clients, and Trusted team clients cannot send or read hidden application text.

Use hidden application context when the agent needs partner-supplied information that should not appear in the user-visible message body. The LLM receives all content parts in their original order, so a hidden part keeps its position relative to the visible text around it. Hidden text can affect agent behavior and skill selection.

Send hidden text

Set visibility: "hidden" on individual text parts in task.create or task.sendMessage:

{
  "message": {
    "content": [
      {"type": "text", "text": "Build my website"},
      {"type": "text", "text": "Additional application context", "visibility": "hidden"}
    ]
  }
}

visibility defaults to visible, and plain string content remains visible. Every message must contain at least one non-empty visible text part or valid visible file or voice part. Hidden file and voice parts are not supported. Hidden text counts toward the message token limit. The API returns InvalidArgument (HTTP 400) for all-hidden messages, unsupported visibility values, whitespace-only visible text, or hidden file and voice parts. A caller that is not a Trusted public client receives PermissionDenied (HTTP 403) when it attempts to send hidden text.

Read hidden text

Use a Bearer token from the same Trusted public client and set verbose=true on task.listMessages. Existing task access restrictions still apply.

curl --request GET \
  --url 'https://api.manus.ai/v2/task.listMessages?task_id=<task_id>&verbose=true' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer <access_token>'

Visible text remains in user_message.content. Hidden text is returned separately in user_message.hidden_content:

{
  "type": "user_message",
  "user_message": {
    "content": "Build my website",
    "hidden_content": ["Additional application context"]
  }
}

hidden_content preserves the order among hidden text parts. It does not encode each hidden part’s position relative to visible text. Other callers and non-verbose requests omit the field.

Display behavior

Hidden text is omitted from user-facing messages, history, previews, and title input. Model responses may still refer to the hidden context.

Getting Started

API Reference

Hidden application context

Send hidden text

Read hidden text

Display behavior

​Send hidden text

​Read hidden text

​Display behavior

Send hidden text

Read hidden text

Display behavior