Creating and Sending RCS Messages

Overview

Once RCS messaging is enabled on your account, you can create rich, interactive messages for your contacts. This involves two main steps: first, building a reusable message template called an RCS Snippet, and second, sending that snippet to your audience. This guide walks you through both processes.

Creating an RCS Snippet

RCS Snippets are your message templates. You create them once and can reuse them for multiple campaigns. To begin, navigate to the Conversations area and select Snippets from the side menu. Click the option to Add RCS Snippet to open the template builder.

You will be presented with three primary template formats to choose from:

• Plain Text: A simple text-only message, similar to a standard SMS but delivered with your business branding. This is ideal for basic notifications, confirmations, or reminders where rich media is not required.
• Standalone Card: A single, rich message card. This format allows you to include a title, description, an image or media file, and up to three interactive action buttons. It is perfect for promotions, announcements, or appointment reminders. A fallback SMS message is required for contacts whose devices cannot receive RCS.
• Carousel: A swipeable row of multiple rich cards (between 2 and 10). Each card can have a title, description, media, and up to two action buttons. Use this for showcasing multiple products, services, or options. A fallback SMS message is also required for this format.

Steps to Build a Snippet

The following steps outline the general process, using a Standalone Card as an example:

1. After selecting Add RCS Snippet, choose your desired format from the three options.
2. Give your template a clear, descriptive name for easy identification later.
3. Fill in the card details, such as the title and description. You can use emoji and custom tags here.
4. Upload a high-quality image or media file to serve as the visual element of your card.
5. Add action buttons. You can configure buttons to call a phone number, open a website URL, or insert a suggested reply. Save each button before adding the next.
6. Compose the required fallback SMS message. This plain text version will be delivered to contacts who cannot receive the rich RCS format and should convey the same essential information.
7. Click Create Template to save your new RCS Snippet.

Sending RCS Messages to Contacts

Once your snippet is saved, you can send it to your contacts. The primary method for sending to multiple contacts is through the Bulk Actions feature.

1. Navigate to your main Contacts list.
2. Use the checkboxes to select the contacts you wish to message.
3. Click the Bulk Actions button and choose the option to send an RCS message.
4. In the sending interface, select the RCS Snippet you created from the dropdown menu.
5. Review your selection and confirm the send. The message will be delivered as a rich RCS card to supported devices and as the fallback SMS to others.

Sending One-to-One RCS Messages

You can also send a quick RCS message to a single contact directly from the Conversations inbox.

1. Open a conversation with the desired contact.
2. In the message composition area, click the menu or icon to switch the message type.
3. Select the RCS option, then choose an existing RCS Snippet from your library.
4. The message will populate in the composer. You can send it immediately or add additional text first.

Triggering RCS Messages from Workflows

You can automate the sending of RCS messages by using Workflows. Add a "Send RCS Message" action to your workflow. Within that action step, you will select the RCS Snippet you want to send. The workflow will then deliver the message to contacts when they trigger that specific step.