Rich messages

Build a message with buttons, media, cards, or a carousel once and send it over RCS, WhatsApp, LINE, and Facebook Messenger. Pushwoosh checks the content against each channel while you edit and turns it into a preset for each channel, so you don’t build the same message four times.

Note

Rich messages are turned on per account. If you don’t see the RCS, WhatsApp, and Messenger tabs in Content > Messenger presets, contact your Pushwoosh account manager.

Before you start

Pushwoosh creates a copy of the message only for channels set up in the project. A channel that isn’t set up gets the Has errors status, and nothing is sent there.

• RCS (Rich Communication Services) shows messages from your brand in the phone’s built-in messaging app, with buttons, cards, or media instead of plain text. To send it, connect Twilio with your own account credentials and a Messaging Service. A Twilio number without a Messaging Service can’t send RCS. See RCS messages through Twilio.
• WhatsApp: connect your WhatsApp Business account for the project.
• LINE: configure the LINE platform for the project.
• Facebook Messenger: connect your Facebook Page.

Create a rich message

1. Go to Content > Messenger presets.
2. Open the tab of the channel you build the message for: RCS, WhatsApp, Messenger, or LINE. The editor opens with this channel selected in the Channels strip.
3. Click Create rich message. The button appears once the project has at least one rich message.
4. Click Enter preset name next to Rich message at the top and enter a name for the message.

Add languages

The message starts with the Default language, which is sent to users with no matching language. To add translations:

1. Click the plus (+) icon next to the language dropdown.
2. Select the languages you want to add.
3. Switch between languages in the dropdown and fill in the content for each one.

Every language has its own content type and fields. The channel status is the worst one across all languages: if one language has errors in a channel, the whole message has errors there.

Choose the content type

Select a Type in the Content type block before you fill in anything else.

Type	What it is	Use it when
Text	Plain text with no media or buttons.	You only need to tell users something.
Media	Text with an image, video, document, or audio file.	You want to send a file together with the text.
Quick reply	Text with reply buttons.	You want users to answer with one tap. In a journey, each button gets its own branch, so users continue by their answer.
Call to action	Text with buttons that open a link or call a phone number.	You want users to open a page or call a number straight from the message.
List picker	Text with a list of options.	You want users to choose one option from a list. Works only in WhatsApp, inside the 24-hour window.
Card	One block with media, a title, text, and buttons.	You present one item with a picture and buttons.
Carousel	Two to ten cards in one message.	You present several items at once.
Custom LINE Flex	Your own LINE Flex layout.	You already have a LINE Flex layout. Works only in LINE.

List picker and Custom LINE Flex work in one channel each. The other types work in all four channels: RCS, WhatsApp, LINE, and Messenger. A channel where a type doesn’t work gets Has errors, and Pushwoosh sends nothing there.

Next to Type, WhatsApp category sets the category of the WhatsApp template. See Get the WhatsApp template approved.

Fill in the message

Enter the content in the blocks that appear for the type you chose. Each type below lists its blocks and the limits that the editor checks in each channel. Content over a limit gives the channel the Has errors status. See Check channel compatibility.

Text

Use it for a plain message without media or buttons. It works in all channels.

Caution

Don’t use Liquid control tags such as {% if %} or {% for %} in the Body. RCS and WhatsApp send the text as a provider template, which doesn’t support them. A message with these tags gets Has errors for RCS and can’t be submitted as a WhatsApp template.

1. In Type, select Text.
2. Type the message text in Body. You can insert emoji and personalization placeholders.

Body limits: 1,600 characters in RCS, 5,000 in LINE, and 2,000 in Messenger.

Media

Use it to send an image, video, document, or audio file with text. You choose the type of file, then add a link to it.

1. In Type, select Media.
2. Enter the Body.
3. Select the Media type: Image, Video, Document, or Audio.
4. Set the file link in Media URL:
   • For an image, click the attachment icon next to the field and pick a JPEG or PNG file from the media library, or paste an https:// link.
   • For a video, document, or audio file, paste an https:// link. The media library holds images only.
5. For a video, set a Video poster URL the same way as an image.

Body limits: 1,600 characters in RCS and 2,000 in Messenger.

Note

LINE shows a video only with a Video poster URL, so without it the LINE badge has errors. LINE doesn’t send audio or documents: with these media types, the LINE badge has errors and nothing is sent to LINE. In the Media type, LINE doesn’t show the Body, and Messenger sends the file without a caption.

The same steps set Header media URL and the media of cards.

Quick reply

Use it when you want users to answer with one tap. In a journey, each button gets its own branch, so you can continue the journey by the user’s answer.

1. In Type, select Quick reply.
2. Enter the Body.
3. Click Add button and enter the button Title.
4. Repeat step 3 for each button.

Limits:

• Buttons: 1–4 in RCS, 1–13 in LINE and Messenger.
• Button title: 25 characters in RCS, 20 in LINE and Messenger.

Note

Pushwoosh gives every button an ID when you save. Journeys branch on that ID, so renaming a button later keeps its branch in journeys that already use it.

Quick reply, Call to action, and List picker also have the Header text, Header media URL, and Footer fields. Only WhatsApp sends them. RCS, LINE, and Messenger leave them out.

Call to action

Use it to send users to a link or let them call a phone number straight from the message.

1. In Type, select Call to action.
2. Enter the Body.
3. Click Add button.
4. Select the Type of action: Open URL or Call phone.
5. Enter the button Title.
6. Fill in the field for the action:
   • For Open URL, enter the URL.
   • For Call phone, enter the Phone number in international format, for example +1234567890.

Limits:

• Buttons: 1–4 in RCS, 1 or more in LINE, 1–3 in Messenger.
• Button title: 25 characters in RCS, 40 in LINE, 20 in Messenger.
• Body: 1,600 characters in RCS and 640 in Messenger. The editor doesn’t check the LINE body.

List picker

Use it to let users choose one option from a list.

1. In Type, select List picker.
2. Enter the Body.
3. In the List block, enter the List button text.
4. Click Add item.
5. Enter the Item name and, optionally, the Item description.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for each item.

Note

Only WhatsApp shows a list, and only inside the 24-hour window, because a list can’t be a WhatsApp template. RCS, LINE, and Messenger get Has errors, and nothing is sent there.

Card and carousel

Use a card for one block with media, text, and buttons. Use a carousel to show two to ten cards in one message.

1. In Type, select Card or Carousel.

2. For a carousel, enter the Body in the Message block.

3. Click Add card for each card, up to ten.

4. Fill in each card:

   • Media URL and Media type
   • Card title
   • Card body (optional)
   • Footer (optional)
   • Buttons: Quick reply, Open URL, or Call phone
   

5. To change how the card looks in RCS, select RCS in the Channels strip, then set Orientation, Height, and Thumbnail alignment under RCS card layout. Leave the fields at Default to use the RCS default layout.

Card rules by channel

The channels accept different cards:

• Carousel Body: RCS and Messenger don’t send it.
• RCS carousel: every card needs an image or a video, a Card body, and one or two buttons. The buttons must be of the same types in the same order on every card. RCS doesn’t show the card Footer in a carousel. In a single card, the footer is shown under the body and can’t contain placeholders.
• Messenger: every card needs a Card title, and card media must be an image. Messenger doesn’t show the card Footer.
• WhatsApp carousel: every card needs an image or a video, a Card body, and one or two buttons. All cards must have the same media type and the same button types in the same order. WhatsApp doesn’t send the Card title or the card Footer in a carousel. To send a carousel outside the 24-hour window, see Submit a carousel.
• LINE: card media must be an image.

The editor also checks these limits:

• Cards in a carousel: 2–10 in all channels.
• Card title: 200 characters in RCS and 80 in Messenger. The editor doesn’t check it in LINE.
• Card body: in RCS, 1,600 characters in a single card, and 160 characters for the title and body together in a carousel. In a WhatsApp carousel, 160 characters. In Messenger, 80 characters. The editor doesn’t check it in LINE.
• Buttons on a card: in RCS, 0–4 on a single card and 1–2 in a carousel. In a WhatsApp carousel, 1–2. In Messenger, 0–3. The editor doesn’t check it in LINE.

Custom LINE Flex

Use Custom LINE Flex when you already have a LINE Flex layout.

1. In Type, select Custom LINE Flex.
2. Paste a Flex container into Flex JSON. The container type must be bubble or carousel.

LINE sends it as is. RCS, WhatsApp, and Messenger get Has errors, and nothing is sent there.

LINE chat-list text

For cards, carousels, calls to action, and Custom LINE Flex messages, LINE takes the chat-list and notification text from the first of these that is filled in:

1. The Body.
2. The title or body of the first card.
3. The SMS text from the SMS fallback block.
4. The message name.

A Custom LINE Flex message has no Body and no cards, so LINE shows the SMS text if it’s filled in, or the message name otherwise. To fill in SMS text for this type, select RCS in the Channels strip: the SMS fallback block appears there for every message type. LINE gets at most 400 characters of this text, and the rest is cut off.

Set the SMS fallback

Phones without RCS get the RCS message as an SMS. Enter its text in SMS text in the SMS fallback block at the bottom of the form. The block appears only while RCS is selected in the Channels strip.

If SMS text is empty, the SMS carries the Body. With both empty, RCS gets Has errors. The SMS can be up to 1,600 characters.

To add a short link, paste the long link into Shorten a link under the field and click Shorten & insert. Pushwoosh adds the short link to the end of the SMS text.

WhatsApp, LINE, and Messenger have no text replacement. A channel that can’t show the message gets Has errors, and nothing is sent there.

Check channel compatibility

The Channels strip under the header shows one badge per channel. Pushwoosh rechecks the message when you leave a field or change a dropdown.

Badge color	Status	What it means
Green	Compatible	The channel sends the message as designed.
Orange	Partially compatible	WhatsApp only: the message goes out only inside the 24-hour window, not to everyone.
Red	Has errors	Nothing is sent to this channel until you fix the errors.
Gray	Not checked	The message hasn’t been checked yet, or the check failed. Edit a field to check again.

Click a badge to see the issues for that channel under the strip and to preview the message in that channel on the right. Each issue names the field and the rule it breaks.

When you select a channel, fields that it doesn’t deliver get a note next to their name in the form, for example (not delivered on RCS), and the preview leaves them out.

In this example, RCS has errors because RCS isn’t set up in the project:

Save the rich message

Click Save. Pushwoosh saves the message and, for every channel without Has errors, creates or updates its copy:

• RCS: an SMS preset with the same name. Pushwoosh creates an RCS template in your Twilio account and attaches it to the preset. Phones without RCS get the SMS fallback.
• WhatsApp: a WhatsApp preset with the same name, available in the WhatsApp journey element and in one-time WhatsApp messages.
• LINE: a LINE preset with the same name.
• Messenger: a Messenger preset with the same name, available in the Facebook Messenger journey element.

Each copy has a Rich message badge and appears in these places:

• RCS: on the SMS tab, because the RCS copy is an SMS preset.
• LINE: on the LINE tab under LINE presets made before rich messages, together with LINE presets created without the rich editor. The rich messages themselves are listed above it. The section appears only if the project has such a preset. Without it, the LINE tab lists only the rich messages and doesn’t show the LINE copies.

You manage a copy through its rich message:

• Edit a copy: click it or its Edit action. The rich message opens in the editor.
• Delete a copy: delete the rich message. You can’t delete a copy on its own, and Pushwoosh deletes all its copies with the message.

Caution

A channel with Has errors keeps its last copy as it was. If a journey already sends that copy, it keeps sending the old content until you fix the errors and save again.

Get the WhatsApp template approved

Outside the 24-hour window that a user’s last message opens, WhatsApp delivers only templates approved by Meta. Until the rich message has an approved template, Pushwoosh sends it on WhatsApp only to users who wrote to you in the last 24 hours, and the WhatsApp badge is orange. If Meta rejects the template and there’s no approved version, the badge turns red.

1. Next to Type, select the WhatsApp category: Marketing or Utility. Meta prices and reviews templates by category.
2. If you haven’t saved the message yet, save it. Submit for WhatsApp approval is available only for a saved message.
3. If you saved the message in step 2, open it again from the WhatsApp tab, because saving closes the editor.
4. Click Submit for WhatsApp approval. Pushwoosh saves your changes and sends a template for every language to Meta. If the button is unavailable, see When you can’t submit.

Submit a carousel

Meta accepts a carousel only as a Marketing template. Set the WhatsApp category to Marketing before you submit it. With Utility, Submit for WhatsApp approval is unavailable.

Every card must also follow the WhatsApp carousel rules in Card rules by channel. If a card breaks one, the WhatsApp badge gets Has errors, and you can’t submit the carousel until you fix it.

Check the review state

The line under the Channels strip shows the review state after WhatsApp template:. Before you submit, it reads not submitted:

The state changes as Meta reviews the template:

State	What it means
not submitted	The template hasn’t been sent to Meta. WhatsApp gets the message only inside the 24-hour window.
pending review	Meta is reviewing the template. Until it’s approved, WhatsApp gets the message only inside the 24-hour window.
approved	WhatsApp sends the template to any user.
the latest change is pending review, the approved version is sent	You edited and resubmitted an approved message. Outside the 24-hour window, users get the previously approved version.
rejected	Meta rejected the template, and the reason follows the state. Fix the content and submit it again.

Pushwoosh checks the review state with Meta every few minutes. To check right away, click Refresh status. With several languages, the state shown is the one furthest from approval.

When you can’t submit

Submit for WhatsApp approval is unavailable when:

• WhatsApp isn’t set up in the project.
• the WhatsApp badge has Has errors because of the message content. A badge that turned red after Meta rejected the template doesn’t block a new submission.
• the type is Carousel and the WhatsApp category is Utility: Meta accepts carousels only in Marketing templates.
• the type is Carousel and it has fewer than two cards.
• WhatsApp can’t build a template from the type, for example List picker or Custom LINE Flex.

For a carousel or a type that can’t be a template, the editor shows the reason under the review state. For a Utility carousel, it asks you to switch the WhatsApp category to Marketing or change the type to Card.

Edit an approved message

Editing an approved message doesn’t stop it: outside the 24-hour window, the approved version keeps going out until Meta approves the new one. Submit the message again after each edit.

Send a rich message in a journey

Select the copy in the element of its channel:

• RCS: in the SMS element, select the SMS copy as the preset. See Branch on RCS reply buttons.
• LINE: select the LINE copy as the preset. See Branch on reply buttons.
• WhatsApp: select the rich message in the Content dropdown, where it has a Rich message badge. See Use a rich message.
• Facebook Messenger: select Preset, then the Messenger copy. See Branch on reply buttons.

To send users whose rich message the provider refused to a separate branch, for example to try another channel:

1. In the settings of the SMS, WhatsApp, LINE, or Facebook Messenger element, turn on Branch when the provider rejects the message.
2. Save the element.
3. On the canvas, connect the Rejected by provider branch to the next element.

For when a user takes this branch, see SMS, WhatsApp, LINE, and Facebook Messenger.

Send a rich message as a one-time WhatsApp message

In a one-time WhatsApp message, select the rich message in the template dropdown on the Content step. See Send a rich message.

An approved rich message goes to any audience. Without an approved template, it goes only to contacts with an open 24-hour window, and the audience and sending time are fixed.

Manage rich messages

Rich messages are listed on the RCS, WhatsApp, Messenger, and LINE tabs, each with a badge for every channel. A channel tab lists the rich messages that this channel can send.

Open the ⋮ menu of a message to:

• Edit it.
• Duplicate it. The duplicate gets its own copies in every channel without Has errors.
• Delete it. Pushwoosh deletes its copies too. You can’t delete a rich message while a journey sends one of its copies: remove it from the journey first.