RCS for Business (formerly known as RCS Business Messaging, or RBM) is a global standard for RCS A2P messages. It offers a rich customer experience thanks to verified brand presentation, customizable visual themes, easier 2-way texting with the ability to switch to voice calls, and interactive button actions.
Getting started
Before you can create an RCS agent, you must be contracted for RCS for Business:
Express interest to your Bandwidth Account Manager, who will guide you through the contracting process.
Once contracted, Bandwidth will arrange an official “Welcome to RCS” kickoff call to begin onboarding you to the RCS for Business product.
During the call, Bandwidth will provide a form you’ll use to define your agent, along with instructions on how to submit it for Pre-Launch and Commercial Launch support.
Creating and launching your RCS agent
The process for launching an RCS agent is divided into two main phases: Pre-Launch (provision and test) and Commercial Launch (public release). You may choose to keep an agent in Pre-Launch indefinitely, effectively making it test-only.
Pre-Launch
This phase allows you to provision and test your RCS agent in a production environment. No third-party verification or approval is performed for Pre-Launch agents, enabling you to move quickly. Bandwidth will provide you with a form to capture your agent details. If for some reason you don't have this form, please email [email protected] to request one.
Provisioning your RCS agent
Complete the Customer Data section of the form, including the Location to which your agent should be provisioned. You’ll also choose which method you want to use to interact with your test agent: Upgrade or Multi-Channel.
RCS Upgrade: Bandwidth can upgrade messages sent via 10DLC, Toll-Free (TF) or Short Code (SC) to RCS. Please make sure you understand the nuances of RCS Upgrade on test agents. If you’re unsure which route is best for you, please reach out to the Bandwidth Support Team.
Multi-Channel: Integrating to the Multi-Channel API gives you access to all the RCS for Business features. You may generate example payloads by leveraging our RCS Agent Design Tool.
Note: An RCS agent cannot be used for both RCS Upgrade and Multi-Channel.
Complete the Agent Definition section of the form.
This mainly includes the attributes that will be visible on the Brand Information (often referred to as the RCS agent public profile) page the mobile user can access from your messages.
Specify up to 10 test TNs (mobile telephone numbers you’ll send test messages to). These handsets will receive an invite to become a tester for the given agent and must be enabled for RCS to receive this invite.
Please pay close attention to the instructions in the form to ensure you provide images and other information that comply with the agent definition rules. This will help ensure your agent is created quickly.
Note: VOIP numbers like Bandwidth’s cannot be RCS enabled. These must be mobile numbers (Tier 1 mobile operator numbers are recommended).
Submit the form according to the listed instructions. Bandwidth will then provision the agent and provide you with the RCS Sender ID, which can be used in the Multi-Channel API to send messages from your agent. RCS Upgrade doesn’t use the RCS Sender ID. Instead, it uses the legacy channel Sender ID (Short Code, Toll-Free, 10DLC).
Viewing your RCS agent sender
You can view your agent sender information in the Bandwidth App:
Log in to the Bandwidth App.
In the side navigation bar, select Numbers and click RCS Agents.
Note: If you don’t see RCS Agents in the Bandwidth App, please reach out to your Account Manager to get access.
RCS agent sender information
Sender ID: The value you’ll use to send messages from your agent.
Agent name: The name of your agent in the Bandwidth App (not the display name shown on the handset).
Account ID: The Bandwidth App Account your agent is configured on.
Location: The Bandwidth App Location your agent is configured on.
Approved countries: Countries your agent is approved for. For now, RCS is only available in the US, so you’ll only see one country after your agent is approved.
Status: The overall status of your agent, which may include:
Pending: The agent is being created.
Pre-launch: The agent is ready for testing.
Launch requested: Launch has been requested for the agent; no changes can be made at this point.
Partially launched: The agent has been launched on one or more carriers.
Launched: The agent has been launched on all carriers.
Note: At this time, you can only edit the Agent name and Location. In the future, you’ll be able to view additional details and create agents in our Registration Center!
Testing
Once provisioned, you can begin testing. While you are not limited by the amount of messages you can send while testing on a pre-launch agent, messages will only be delivered to the 10 pre-approved handsets and high-volume messaging is not expected or recommended. The charges for this traffic will appear on your next invoice.
Use cases will depend on how you leverage RCS for Business, either via the RCS Upgrade or our Multi-Channel API. We encourage you to validate them across both Android and iPhone handsets, as well as across multiple carriers.
Outbound messages
For each of the following scenarios, validate the message is received at the handset, a delivery receipt is returned, and the agent presentation is as expected.
Rich Message: Text only (no media)
Rich Media Message (Multi-Channel API only): Include media. This may be an individual media file, a standalone Rich Card, or a Rich Card Carousel.
Suggested Actions and Replies (Multi-Channel API only)
Send a Rich message or Rich Media message that includes the following Suggested Actions and Replies, as applicable. Have the handset select one or more options and ensure that the appropriate suggestion-response webhook is returned:
Reply (Rich or Rich Media)
Dial Phone (Rich or Rich Media)
Show Location (Rich Media)
Create Calendar Event (Rich Media)
Open URL (Rich or Rich Media)
Request Location (Rich Media)
Fallback
Disable RCS on one of your test handsets and send an RCS for Business message to it. Ensure the handset receives the message via the fallback channel option and a delivery receipt is returned.
SMS
MMS (Multi-Channel API only)
Inbound messages
For each of the following scenarios, validate that a message-received webhook is received:
Text only
With media (Multi-Channel API only)
Additional launch details
Carriers require additional details in order to approve your RCS agent launch. They must be generated using the agent you intend to submit for launch.
Video
Submit a video showing how your agent will interact with the mobile user. Please record it from a phone and ensure it demonstrates the following requirements:
Greeting and Opt-in: A greeting showing what the agent offers and how an end user can opt in (for example, you can include a Suggested Response button). Double opt-in is strongly advised.
Opt-in confirmation and additional actions: A message an end user will receive after opting in, which shows how they can request help or opt out. It’s also a best practice to indicate that message & data rates apply.
Sample message: An example of a message your agent will send, demonstrating the use case.
HELP and STOP keyword handling: Demonstrate responses when user messages these keywords.
Here's an example of a video that covers these requirements:
Other details
Not all carriers accept videos and may instead require screenshots of similar capabilities:
Web opt-in URL or Call-To-Action (CTA) used to capture user consent
Opt-in confirmation
Sample message
HELP and STOP keyword handling. Please confirm whether these are already implemented on the client’s side. If not, we can temporarily enable them on our end, but we’ll need the exact auto-response messages for both keywords.
Important: Finalize all agent details before requesting Commercial Launch and ensure you've accurately and completely filled out the Commercial Launch Details section of the form. Once launched, an agent’s details cannot be changed and a new agent registration will be required.
Bandwidth checklist review
Once you've completed final testing and provided all the the necessary launch details, please email [email protected] to request a checklist review. This step is necessary to ensure you have correctly gathered all of the information and details necessary to formally request Commercial Launch.
Upon successful completion of the checklist review, we'll instruct you how to open a ticket with the Registration Support Team to transition into the Commercial Launch process.
Commercial Launch
Congratulations on building and testing your agent, and gathering all that's required to prepare for the Commercial Launch. Our Registration Support Team will now guide you through this process and keep you updated every step of the way.
Bandwidth detailed review
Our Registration Support Team will review your submission to detect common errors and friction points, with the goal to maximize the likelihood of approval once submitted downstream.
Brand verification
Your brand details will be submitted to a third-party verification agent authorized by the carriers. Part of the verification process will be to verify the contact information of the brand, so it’s important for the brand contact to respond as quickly as possible to avoid delays.
Carrier approval
Each carrier and/or their proxy (e.g., Google is a proxy for several carriers) will review your application. As such, feedback and/or approvals may not be provided at the same time. Once a carrier approves your agent, it will be launched with them. You can then send commercial traffic through that carrier even if your agent isn't approved on other carriers.
Requesting support
You can request support with integration and test issues by opening a ticket with the Bandwidth Messaging Support Team in the Bandwidth App or our Help Center, or by emailing [email protected].