diff --git a/chat.py b/chat.py
index 7ca3271..db83196 100644
--- a/chat.py
+++ b/chat.py
@@ -136,5 +136,16 @@ def messages_post():
     return "OK"
 
 
+# make sure only messages from the last hour are sent
+# this command also only sends messages the user doesn't have yet.
+@app.route('/<last_index>/api.json')
+def api(last_index):
+    curr_time = datetime.now()
+    ci = len(messages)-1
+    while curr_time - messages[ci].time < datetime.timedelta(hours = 1) and ci > last_index:
+        ci -= 1
+    return jsonify({"newest_msg_index": len(messages) , "messages": messages[ci:]})
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     socketio.run(app)