RCS messaging

Rich Communication Services (RCS) messages arrive in the recipient’s default messaging app from a branded sender: your brand name, logo, color, and description appear alongside the conversation. On top of plain text, an RCS message can carry rich content such as cards, carousels, media, locations, and suggestions the recipient taps to reply, open a link, call you, or add an event to their calendar.

RCS messages go through the same Messaging API endpoint you use for SMS, MMS, and WhatsApp, so RCS becomes one more channel alongside the ones you already run. The pages in this section cover what’s specific to RCS. For how sending, receiving, and delivery tracking work for SMS and MMS, which RCS builds on, start with Send and receive messages.

How it works

The sender of an RCS message is an RCS agent, not a phone number. You register an agent from the Dashboard with your brand details, and SignalWire takes it through approval with you:

1. Set up. You submit the agent’s registration form. The agent’s status is pending.
2. Test. SignalWire provisions the agent for testing and its status becomes in_review. You can send messages through the API to the test device numbers registered on the agent, using the agent’s ID as from.
3. Launch. SignalWire applies to the mobile operators in the United States and the status becomes launching. Once the operators approve it, the agent is launched and can message any US subscriber on those networks.

Inbound RCS messages reach your application the same way inbound SMS does: assign the agent to a Resource and the Resource handles messages sent to the agent, for example by replying from a SWML script.

Prerequisites

To register an RCS agent, have these ready:

• Your organization’s name and legal entity name.
• A contact for the registration: name, title, email address, and phone number.
• Your brand name and description, and a brand color, as a hex code, with a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against a white background.
• Image URLs for a 224 × 224 px logo and a 1440 × 448 px banner.
• URLs for your privacy policy and terms and conditions.
• At least one way for recipients to reach you, shown on the agent: a phone number, an email address, or a website.
• The phone numbers of the devices you want to test with before launch, in E.164 format.
• Your billing category and agent use case.
• Launch details for mobile operators to review: how users opt in, what triggers your messages, the interactions you expect, and the confirmation message sent when a user opts out.
• A way for a reviewer to try the experience: a tester opt-in URL, an opt-out video URL, or a screenshots URL.

When you submit, you also confirm that you’re authorized to register the agent on behalf of your organization.

Next steps