Create RCS

Prerequisites

Before using RCS messages, RCS must be activated for your environment. Please contact your Marigold representative to request activation.

RCS also requires at least one mobile RCS channel endpoint to be created. To verify this:

  • Go to the RCS properties and open the RCS channel endpoint field. There should be at least one option in the drop-down.
  • If no options are available, ask your administrator to add an RCS endpoint.

 

Introduction

RCS (Rich Communication Services) is the next generation SMS. It uses mobile data or wifi to send these messages and requires the recipient to have RCS activated. However no app needs to be installed, as the default SMS app can be used.
RCS in Engage allows marketers to send rich content, that is text or a rich card containing images, videos and buttons, RCS also supports the use of a carousel. Carousels allow you to present multiple rich cards within a single RCS message, making them a powerful tool for showcasing a variety of products, services, or options in a compact, visually engaging format. With support for up to 11 cards, each containing images, text, and action buttons, carousels provide a dynamic and interactive experience that drives engagement.

When a recipient does not have RCS activated, a fallback SMS is sent, containing the text part of the RCS message, limited to 160 characters.

Note: RCS needs to be activated for your environment. Please contact Marigold to get you started with this.
Once activated, you need to have at least one RCS endpoint defined for your environment.

 

Create an RCS message

1. To create RCS text content, go to the Content entry, and click New in the toolbar and then RCS from the wizard .

The following properties dialog is displayed:

2. The properties are grouped by type of information. By default only the Basic fields are displayed. Switch to the All fields tab to display all other fields. On the left hand side of the properties, on-screen help is provided. This helps the user to fill out the form and provide accurate and comprehensive information.

Basic fields tab:

Basics

  • Folder Path — This is the folder in which the asset is created. By default it takes the folder that is currently selected on the Start page when the asset is created. You can modify the path if required. Click the folder field to access the dialog and select a different folder.
  • Name — Choose a name you can easily recognize when using it in a journey.

Targets

  • Audience — Select an Audience list from the drop-down menu. All fields from the Audience data source can be used to personalize the RCS message.
  • Languages — Select the one or more language versions to create the RCS message in. The list of available languages are defined in the Properties of the Organization in which the RCS message is created. The Language field is pre-filled with the default languages defined at Organization level.

All fields tab:

Basics

  • API name — The name used when the content is used in an API call.
  • Labels — The label(s) assigned to this asset. Select one or more labels from the drop-down. (These labels are configured in the Admin configuration.) Users with the proper Access permissions can also create new labels here by typing the new label value in the field.
  • Description — Set a clear description of what this content is used for.

Data selection

  • Event data: here you can choose between
    • No event data — In this case the message behaves as a normal message.
    • transactional data — Select this option to make the message available to create Transactional Journeys from.  By selecting the option, the message is marked as a transactional message, transactional data can be defined and used and the message will only be available for use in a Transactional Journey.
    • Custom event — When Custom Events have been defined for the selected audience, the marketer can use the data in the Custom Event to personalize the message that will be used afterward in a Custom Journey triggered by the Custom Events. Messages using Custom Events data can only be used in event-driven journeys. Note that Custom Events data used to personalize the message are not visible in the preview of the message.

RCS channel endpoint

  • RCS Channel Endpoint — Select the RCS endpoint to use for this RCS message. When multiple RCS endpoints are defined for an Organization, you can select one from the drop-down. The selected endpoint defines which operator will be used to send out the RCS.
    Example: When companies operate in multiple countries with different operators, they often need different RCS providers (and thus endpoints) to send out the RCS messages. By using multiple endpoints in one Organization it is possible to send out RCS using different providers.

3. Click Create RCS when done. The RCS content Design canvas appears where you can design the message to be sent.