Layer 4
Where the protocol becomes a living ecosystem.
ECCP keeps the line between standard, infrastructure, client experience, and extensions visible. This page focuses on the extension layer: hidden spaces, scoped automation, and interoperability surfaces that stay compatible with the open core.
Shadow Rooms
Private spaces that disappear from the visible graph.
Shadow Rooms live in Layer 4, but they depend on Layer 1 protocol rules for encrypted metadata, Layer 2 node support for routing, and Layer 3 clients that can safely manage invitation links.
Journalists
Protect source coordination without exposing room names, member rosters, or search-visible metadata.
Activists
Organize under federated infrastructure while keeping discovery strictly invitation-based.
Internal Teams
Run sensitive project channels on self-hosted nodes without indexing confidential room labels.
Technical Notes
Encrypted room metadata01
Shadow Rooms keep room labels, topic strings, and certain membership metadata encrypted above the server storage layer.
Invitation-only discovery02
Nodes do not expose these rooms through public directory APIs. Joining requires the invitation payload and valid decryption context.
Log minimization03
Federation relays can validate envelopes and signatures while storing less semantic room metadata than traditional room types.
Bot Command System
Automation that respects room boundaries.
The Bot API belongs to Layer 4. It adds slash commands and webhooks without turning the node into a surveillance surface.
hello-bot.ts
TypeScript
import { ECCPBot } from "@eccp/bot";
const bot = new ECCPBot({
token: process.env.BOT_TOKEN!,
homeserver: "https://chat.example.org"
});
bot.onCommand("/hello", async (ctx) => {
await ctx.reply("Hello from an encrypted room.");
});
await bot.listen();Translation Bot
Replies with language-aware summaries while staying scoped to slash commands and room membership.
Todo Bot
Creates task lists inside encrypted rooms without scraping message history or exporting timeline data.
Reminder Bot
Schedules follow-up events and to-device reminders with room-level consent instead of broad account access.
Bridges
Interoperate without making any outside platform the center of the network.
Bridges stay in Layer 4. They translate into other systems, but they do not redefine the ECCP protocol or replace self-hosted nodes and clients.
Telegram
Official bridge with scoped media relay.
Signal
Active work on sealed-sender compatible transport.
Bi-directional bridge for asynchronous notification flows.
IRC
Operated by the community for legacy channel interop.
Discord
Bridge bots maintained outside the core release train.