Message types and samples

👍

Please see Messaging API for the full API reference.

Text Message

Content: Text only
Character Limit: Up to 3072 characters

Use Cases: OTP codes, simple alerts

Payload sample

{
    "user": {
        "msisdn": "+10000000000"
    },
    "type": "Text",
    "content": {
        "text": ":wave: Hi Sarah! Just a reminder—your appointment at Wellness Dental is scheduled for tomorrow at 10:30 AM"
    }
}

The corresponding message the user will receive:


Sending a Rich Media Message

  • Media Types Supported: Images, videos, documents
  • File formats: .ogx, .pdf, .aac, .mp3, .mpeg, .mp3, .mp4, .mp4, .3gp, .jpeg, .jpg, .gif, .png, .h263, .m4v, .mp4, .mp4, .mpeg, .webm
  • Text Caption: Up to 2,000 UTF-8 characters
  • File Size Limits: 100MB
  • File URL limit: 2,048 characters

Image & text

{
    "user": {
        "msisdn": "+10000000000" 
    },
    "type": "Image",
    "content": {
        "url": "https://www.example.com/image.jpg",
        "text": "Hi Suzie! Meet Bruno :feet:—one of the many pups looking for a loving home. Every small donation helps us feed, shelter, and care for dogs like him."
    }
}

The corresponding message the user will receive:



Video & text

{
    "user": {
        "msisdn": "+10000000000"
    },
    "type": "Video",
    "content": {
        "url": "https://www.example.com/video.mp4",
        "text": "Hi Suzie! Meet Bruno :feet:—one of the many pups looking for a loving home. Every small donation helps us feed, shelter, and care for dogs like him."
    }
}

The corresponding message the user will receive:



Audio & text

{
    "user": {
        "msisdn": "+10000000000" 
    },
    "type": "Audio",
    "content": {
        "url": "https://www.example.com/video.mp4",
        "text": "Hi There, this is a Sample RCS Audio Message"
    }
}

The corresponding message the user will receive:



File & text


{
    "user": {
        "msisdn": "+10000000000" 
    },
    "type": "Text",
    "content": {
        "url": "https://example.com/links/Invoice-october-2025.pdf",
        "text": "Hey John! Here’s your monthly invoice for October. Contact our team if you have any questions. Thank you"
    }
}

The corresponding message the user will receive:



Suggested Actions

Suggestions in RCS Business Messaging provide interactive buttons, chips, or quick replies that guide users seamlessly through rich conversational experiences. By using suggestions, brands can streamline user journeys, enhance engagement, improve conversions, and gather immediate user feedback.


Available Suggestion Types

Suggestion typeOne-line descriptionTypical brand use casesCore benefit
Suggested ReplySends a predefined text back to your agent or bot.Yes/No, choose size/colour, CSAT “👍/👎”, OTP confirmation.Keeps flow structured and speeds funnel completion.
Dial a NumberOpens the dialer with a preset phone number.Escalate to live agent, click-to-call for abandoned carts, fraud alerts.Instant voice escalation builds trust and saves high-value sales.
View a LocationLaunches maps focused on a given pin or search term.Store locator, nearest ATM/locker, travel itinerary.Drives measurable footfall from messaging.
Open URL / WebviewOpens browser or in-app webview (full/half/tall).Secure checkout, product page, claim form, loyalty sign-in.Seamless upsell without forcing an app download.
Create Calendar EventPre-fills a calendar entry in the user’s default calendar.Doctor appointments, flight reminders, webinar invites.Cuts no-shows by embedding reminders directly in the calendar.

Best practices

  • Limit to 4‑5 suggestions per message to avoid cognitive overload.
  • Use clear, action‑oriented labels (e.g. “Track Order” instead of “Order”).
  • Always set postback data so downstream systems can act on replies.
  • Include capability fallback (SMS or URL) when the user’s client does not support a given action.
  • Instrument analytics to track tap‑through and optimise suggestion wording.

Implementation Example

"user": {
        "msisdn": "+10000000000"
    },
    "type": "Text",
    "content": {
        "text": ":wave: Hi Sarah! Just a reminder—your appointment at Wellness Dental is scheduled for tomorrow at 10:30 AM",
        "suggestions": [
            {
                "reply": {
                    "text": "Confirm",
                    "postbackData": "user_confirmed"
                }
            },
            {
                "reply": {
                    "text": "Reschedule",
                    "postbackData": "user_rescheduled"
                }
            },
            {
                "action": {
                    "text": "Add to Calendar",
                    "postbackData": "add_event_to_calendar",
                    "createCalendarEventAction": {
                        "title": "Doctor Appointment",
                        "description": "Annual health checkup at City Medical Center",
                        "startTime": "2025-07-25T10:30:00Z",
                        "endTime": "2025-07-25T11:00:00Z"
                    }
                }
            },
            {
                "action": {
                    "text": "View Location",
                    "postbackData": "view_clinic_location",
                    "viewLocationAction": {
                        "latLong": {
                            "latitude": 37.7749,
                            "longitude": -122.4194
                        },
                        "label": "Star Clinic",
                        "query": "clinics near me"
                    }
                }
            },
            {
                "action": {
                    "text": "Check our website",
                    "postbackData": "open_product_page",
                    "openUrlAction": {
                        "url": "https://cpaas.8x8.com/en/",
                        "application": "WEBVIEW",
                        "webviewViewMode": "FULL",
                        "description": "View product details"
                    },
                    "fallbackUrl": "https://example.com/fallback"
                }
            }
        ]
    }
}'

Overview of file types and limits

Supported File formats are

CategoryExtensions / MIME typesNotes
Images.jpeg / .jpg (image/jpeg), .png (image/png), .gif (image/gif)Supported in rich cards & media messages
Video.h263 (video/h263), .m4v (video/m4v), .mp4 (video/mp4, video/mpeg4), .mpeg (video/mpeg), .webm (video/webm)Supported in rich cards & media messages
Audio.aac (audio/aac), .mp3 (audio/mp3, audio/mpeg, audio/mpg), .mp4 (audio/mp4, audio/mp4-latm), .3gp (audio/3gpp), .ogx / .ogg (application/ogg, audio/ogg)Media messages only
Documents.pdf (application/pdf)Media messages (not rich cards)
File size capUp to 100 MB per attachment

Limits

Message element / fieldLimit
Plain text message3 072 characters
Rich-card title200 characters
Rich-card description2 000 characters
Suggested-reply text25 characters
Suggested-action text25 characters
Suggestion chips per messageUp to 11 chips (4 in-card + 7 extra)
Carousel cards per messageUp to 10 cards
Text caption with media2 000 characters
Postback data (per suggestion)2 048 characters
Rich-card payload size250 KB