matrix plugin tries to create the room instead of joining it

[alpresci]

📣 Notification Service(s) Impacted

Matrix

🐞 Describe the bug

sending notifications to a matrix rooms fails

💡 Screenshots and Logs

apprise -vvv -t "title" -b "body of the message" matrixs://burg:123456@matrix.vip/#backup

2025-12-12 16:31:16,752 - DEBUG - Language set to en
2025-12-12 16:31:18,197 - DEBUG - Notification Plugin 126(s) and 174 Schema(s) loaded in 1.4439s
2025-12-12 16:31:18,206 - DEBUG - Loaded Matrix URL: matrixs://burg:****@matrix.vip/%23backup?image=no&mode=off&version=3&msgtype=text&discovery=yes&format=text&overflow=upstream
2025-12-12 16:31:18,206 - DEBUG - Matrix POST URL: https://m.matrix.vip/_matrix/client/v3/join/%23backup%3Amatrix.vip (cert_verify=True)
2025-12-12 16:31:18,206 - DEBUG - Matrix Payload: {}
2025-12-12 16:31:18,302 - DEBUG - Matrix Response: code=400, b''
2025-12-12 16:31:18,302 - WARNING - Invalid response from Matrix server.
2025-12-12 16:31:18,302 - DEBUG - Response Details:
b''
2025-12-12 16:31:18,303 - DEBUG - Throttling for 0.403238s...
2025-12-12 16:31:18,708 - DEBUG - Matrix POST URL: https://m.matrix.vip/_matrix/client/v3/createRoom (cert_verify=True)
2025-12-12 16:31:18,708 - DEBUG - Matrix Payload: {'room_alias_name': 'backup', 'name': '#backup - Apprise Notifications', 'visibility': 'private', 'preset': 'trusted_private_chat'}
2025-12-12 16:31:18,777 - DEBUG - Matrix Response: code=400, b'{"errcode":"M_ROOM_IN_USE","error":"Room alias already taken"}'
2025-12-12 16:31:18,777 - WARNING - Failed to handshake with Matrix server: Bad Request - Unsupported Parameters., error=400.
2025-12-12 16:31:18,777 - DEBUG - Response Details:
b'{"errcode":"M_ROOM_IN_USE","error":"Room alias already taken"}'
2025-12-12 16:31:18,779 - DEBUG - Throttling for 0.428854s...
2025-12-12 16:31:19,213 - DEBUG - Matrix GET URL: https://m.matrix.vip/_matrix/client/v3/directory/room/%23backup%3Amatrix.vip (cert_verify=True)
2025-12-12 16:31:19,213 - DEBUG - Matrix Payload: None
2025-12-12 16:31:19,266 - DEBUG - Matrix Response: code=400, b''
2025-12-12 16:31:19,266 - WARNING - Invalid response from Matrix server.
2025-12-12 16:31:19,266 - DEBUG - Response Details:
b''
2025-12-12 16:31:19,267 - WARNING - Could not join Matrix room #backup

💻 Your System Details:

• OS: debian 13
• Python Version: 3.13.5
• apprise Version: 1.9.3 (but I have tried 1.9.6 too on a mac)

🔮 Additional context

I have tried several combination of urls as well with tokens instead of user:pass both with either the #roomname or the !room_id but all with very similar results

[caronc]

Apprise previously attempted to create a room whenever a join failed, which produced misleading errors for you when the room already existed. This PR corrects that behaviour and avoids room-creation side effects unless the server explicitly reports the alias is missing.

However.... while the matrix.py plugin got a bit strong and/or more bulletproof:

Your logs show HTTP 400 responses with empty bodies from both /join and /directory/room, which suggests a server or proxy issue, or a permission/authentication problem that the server is not describing. If sending to a !room_id also fails, that points away from alias handling. You may need to confirm the user is joined/invited to the room, validate the token, and verify the homeserver base URL and any reverse proxy behaviour.

I just wnat to point out that this error still may be on your side based on the output. However the future handling of this error from Apprise will be more useful.