Get started with RCS

To send RCS messages, you must create an RCS Business Messaging sender. Follow our guide below to create your sender and verify your business identity.

You can create a sender in two ways:

1. Infobip web interface (opens in a new tab): Guided self-service with smart validation. The system checks your inputs, including file formats and image sizes in real time. If you upload a logo or banner that does not meet the required specifications you will receive an immediate prompt to fix it, preventing any submission delays.
2. Infobip API for RCS (opens in a new tab): Use the Create RCS sender API (opens in a new tab) to automate registration or integrate it into your systems.

How to create an RCS sender

Follow these steps to register your RCS sender.

1. In the web interface (opens in a new tab), navigate to Channels and Numbers > Channels.
2. From the list of available channels, select RCS Business Messaging.
3. In the Create RCS Business Messaging sender section, select Create sender to open the sender creation form.
4. Complete the sender creation form.

The sender creation form includes required details for the RCS sender setup.

RCS sender details

Field	Description
Sender name	Unique sender identifier on the Infobip web interface. The sender name cannot be blank, include whitespaces. The sender name can be up to 40 characters long and is not visible to end users. You cannot change the sender name after creation.
Brand	Business entity that owns or operates the RCS sender. Select an existing brand or create a new one. Brand names are limited to 40 characters. The brand field must not be blank and cannot be changed after the sender is created. This field is not consumer facing and is used for internal identification only.
Billing category	Defines how messages from the sender are billed: Non-conversational: Billed per message (SMS-style). Ideal for one-way messages, including one-time passwords (OTPs), alerts, and promotions. Supports plain text up to 3,072 characters. Richer content is allowed, but billing remains per message. Richer content is allowed, but billing continues to follow a per-message model. Conversational: Billed per conversation within a 24-hour window, with unlimited messages, including multiple application-to-person (A2P) and person-to-application (P2A) messages. Suitable for two-way communication and complex user interaction. If the end user does not reply within 24 hours, messages are billed per message. NOTE If the end user does not reply within 24 hours, messages are billed per message. Non-conversational message types never trigger conversational billing. Billing is based solely on the content type delivered, ensuring a clear billing system.
Hosting region	Physical location where your RCS sender’s backend services are hosted with Google. This ensures data residency, privacy compliance, network latency optimization, and carrier regulatory compliance. You cannot change the hosting region after sender creation.
Use case	Defines the message type: One-time password (OTP): Used for account authentication or secure transaction confirmation. Transactional: Notifications, alerts, and updates related to a customer's existing services or activities, such as purchase confirmations, delivery updates, or suspicious login alerts. Promotional: Sales-driven and marketing content sent to promote awareness, engagement, or purchases. Includes limited-time offers, product announcements, and campaign messages. Multi-use: A combination of transactional and promotional flows. For example, notifying a user about account activity and then offering a discount or upgrade for a related product or service.

RCS public profile details

On the right side of the form, you can see a live preview of how your sender will appear to the end user.

Display and visual identity

Field	Description
Display name	Sender name shown on the end user’s device. Use a sender name that clearly represents your brand so end users can easily recognize who the message is from. If your brand uses multiple sender names, add details to distinguish each sender. Follow channel-specific requirements when setting sender names.
Description	Short text summary displayed on user devices that explains the use case of your RCS sender.
Color	Main icon theme color in hex format (for example, #000000). The color must meet accessibility contrast requirements with a ratio of at least 4.5:1 against white text. For more information, refer to the W3C accessibility guidelines on minimum contrast (opens in a new tab).
Banner image	JPEG/JPG format, 1440 × 448 px, max 200 kB. Appears at the top of the sender profile.
Logo image	JPEG/JPG format, 224 × 224 px, max 50 kB. Appears as the sender’s avatar.

Contact details

Field	Description
Primary phone number	End-user support number. Must be in E.164 format (for example, +1234567890).
Label for phone	Display label for the phone number.
Primary email	Brand's email address in a valid email format.
Label for email	Display label for the email address.
Primary website	Public website for the brand. Must start with http:// or https://.
Label for website	Display label for the website.

Legal details

Field	Description
Privacy policy URL	Direct link to the brand's privacy policy. Must be public and start with http:// or https://.
Terms of service URL	Direct link to the brand's terms of service. Must be public and start with http:// or https://.

Create your sender or save draft

Once all required fields are filled in, you can choose two options:

1. Select Create sender on the Infobip web interface. This action creates an Agent on the Google platform (opens in a new tab).
2. Save as draft to finish later.

Track sender status

You can monitor your sender in any of the defined sender statuses.

To check the status of your sender:

• In the web interface (opens in a new tab), go to Channels and Numbers > Channels > RCS Business Messaging.
• Open the Senders tab.
• Locate your sender and check its status.

Possible sender status:

Status	Description
Draft	Sender details saved but not submitted for registration. Sender is editable.
Pending	A registration or update request has been submitted and is being processed. Sender is locked during processing.
In testing	The sender has been approved for testing. The sender is unlocked for editing, and you can add test devices and send test messages. If a launch attempt fails (all providers reject), the status returns here.
Pending launch	Launch has been requested. The sender is locked and cannot be edited.
Update required	After a launch request, an update to the sender is required before launch can proceed. The sender is unlocked for editing.
Launched – In progress	At least one provider has successfully completed launch, and the launch process with other providers is still underway. • Properties are locked (except platform parameters). • Test traffic is still allowed.
Launch – Partial success	All providers have completed their launch process, with mixed results, some approved and others rejected. • Properties remain locked (except platform parameters). • Testing is still allowed.
Launched	The sender is fully live and approved for launch in at least one country. • Production traffic is enabled for approved countries. • Test devices can no longer be added or edited.
Failed	Registration or launch has failed. Contact support (opens in a new tab) for assistance.

Edit or submit your sender for launch

• Edit sender: Available when status is Draft, In testing, or Update required.
  • Go to the Senders tab, select your sender, and choose Edit sender.
• Request launch: Available once your sender has been successfully tested (In testing status).
  • Go to the Senders tab, select your sender, and choose Request launch.

Test your RCS sender

When the sender status is set to In testing, you can validate the RCS sender by registering test devices and initiating test message flows. In this stage, you can record the mandatory sender demonstration video required for launch approval.

Testing process:

• Prepare your test device by sending an invitation to the end user's mobile number to become a tester for the sender.
• Receive feedback after the end user accepts the invitation.
• Send a test message to the registered device.

1. Prepare your test device

   Before adding a test number for safelisting, ensure the physical device is set up correctly:

   • Enable chat features: On your Android testing device, go to your Messages app settings and confirm RCS chats are enabled and connected. See Google's documentation (opens in a new tab) for more information.
   

2. Add test device number(s) for safelisting

   • Accept RBM tester invitation: You will receive a Google tester invitation message on your device once the number is added for testing. If you receive this invitation, select Make me a tester and wait for confirmation.
   • Add the phone number(s) of your prepared test device(s) to your sender configuration on the Infobip interface.
   IMPORTANT

   Only safelisted numbers can receive test messages while the sender is in the In testing phase.

   You can add test devices in the following stages:

   1. When the sender is initially created.
   2. After sender creation — go to Senders > Sender name > Test devices in the sender overview.
   

   Test devices can also be added through:

   The web interface:

   • Navigate to Channels and Numbers > Channels > RCS Business Messaging > Senders.
   • Select your sender (status must be In testing).
   • Go to the Test devices tab.
   • Select Add device and enter the phone number(s) in E.164 format (for example, +1234567890).

   API:

   • Call the Add RCS test number API (opens in a new tab) endpoint.
   • Refer to the API documentation (opens in a new tab) for request structure and parameters.

3. Send test messages

   Once your test device is added and the end user has accepted the invitation to test your sender:

   • Using the web interface (opens in a new tab) (Broadcast):

     1. Go to Moments > Broadcast.
     2. Select Create broadcast, choose RCS as the channel, and add your sender.
     3. Enter your safelisted test number(s) as recipients.
     4. Compose messages using RCS features (text, rich cards, carousels, buttons).

   • Using prepopulated messages:

     • On the web interface select Channels and Numbers > Channels > RCS Business Messaging.
     • Select the Senders tab and click on a sender In testing, then choose Test devices.
     • Choose Send test message.

     You can also create custom messages from the same menu to test additional RCS features and interactions.

     

   • Using RCS API:

     • Call the Send RCS messages API (opens in a new tab) endpoint.
     • Target your safelisted test number(s).
     • Refer to the API details for request structure and parameters.

Configure inbound actions and keywords

Set up actions and keywords for inbound messages to automate message processing, reduce manual handling, and improve message management. With this feature, you can configure specific actions, such as forwarding to an HTTP endpoint, and defining keywords to trigger those actions.

To configure inbound actions and keywords for RCS, follow the steps below:

1. In the web interface (opens in a new tab) , go to Channels and Numbers > Channels.
2. Select RCS Business Messaging and navigate to the Senders tab.
3. Choose the sender and select the ⋮ (three dots) menu > Edit configuration.
4. Configure the inbound actions and keywords as needed.

Supported actions for RCS:

• Forwarding actions: Forwarding to HTTP, No action
• Non-forwarding actions: Conversations, Auto response, Blocking action

For more information, refer to Messaging actions and Keywords documentation.

Launch your RCS sender

Once your RCS sender has been created, click Request launch, then select the country in which you intend to activate your RCS sender.

Request launch

• In the Senders overview, select the sender you want to launch.
• Click Request launch.
• Select the country where you want to activate the sender from the dropdown list.
• Enter the email address that will receive updates about the launch process.
• (Optional) Add additional information for your account manager.
• Click Submit to send your request.

You will receive an email confirmation once the launch request has been submitted successfully.

Track launch status

After requesting the launch, you can track its progress per provider in each country where the launch was initiated.

1. Go to Senders overview.
2. Click on the Sender you want to review.
3. Open the Launch status tab.

Here you can view detailed information about the current launch status and any updates from Infobip or the mobile network provider.

Examples of information required for launch

Info	Details
Branding	Legal name of the brand's parent company. Website of brand's parent company.
Brand point of contact	Full name Job title Email address
Agent experience	Proof of opt-in (opens in a new tab): Provide the source of your customer opt-in data. The opt-in must come from the same brand you registered for your agent. Otherwise, your request will not be approved. If the opt-in source is a website or an app, provide the relevant URLs. Actions that trigger MT messages (opens in a new tab): Identify the events that cause MT (mobile terminated) messages to be sent to users. Examples include purchase confirmations or delivery notifications. Specify the time interval after each event when an MT message is sent to the user. Interaction types: Define the primary and secondary interactions expected to occur between your agent and end users. Proof of opt-out action: Specify the actions that occur if a user requests to opt out of receiving further communication. IMPORTANT If a user responds with STOP, confirm that no additional messages will be sent unless the user opts back in. Your agent must recognize the word STOP in English and in every language used for your RCS communications.
Usage	Message traffic spikes: Specify peak time intervals for your RCS communications. Number of users and messages per month: Provide the number of users and user interactions per campaign each month. Start date: Indicate the campaign launch date.

Sender verification and launch approval

Infobip will request the RCS technology provider or MNO to verify your sender. Some MNOs may require you to complete additional checks to use their services. Contact support for more information.

After launch approval:

• Your sender is live and approved for production traffic.
• You can send RCS messages and campaigns without limits to destinations where your sender has been launched.
• You do not need to invite the contacts as testers or safelist their numbers.