Sending messages

The Channels API supports many of the features of Google RCS; however, due to the omni-channel nature of the API, there may be some differences between the Channels API message and the native Google RCS API.To send a Google RCS message, you must have an active Google RCS channel and perform an HTTP request to the following endpoint with a valid access key

When sending outbound messages as well as setting the receiver information you must set message body field in all cases except for sending a message template when you must only set the template field

Body

{
 "receiver": {
   "contacts": [
     {
       "identifierKey": "phonenumber",
       "identifierValue": "+31612345678"
     }
   ]
 },
 "body": {...}
}

Template

{
 "receiver": {
   "contacts": [
     {
       "identifierKey": "phonenumber",
       "identifierValue": "+31612345678"
     }
   ]
 },
 "template": {...}
}

You can send messages to users who have opted in to receiving messages from your Google RCS Agent and are also on a carrier that you have launched your Agent with.

The Channels API supports many of the features of Google RCS; however, due to the omni-channel nature of the API, there may be some differences between the Channels API message and the native Google RCS API. Here is an overview of the Google RCS message types and Channels API message types:

Google RCS API type

Channels API

basic message

image

video

location

rich messages + suggestions

rich card

carousel

Supported file types

Content Type

MIME type

Channels API

Image

image/jpeg, image/jpg, image/gif, image/png

Video

video/h263, video/m4v, video/mp4, video/mpeg, video/mpeg4, video/webm

File

application/pdf

Outbound messages

Text

Text message

Text message with reply buttons

Text message with postback actions

Text message with reply and postback actions

Image

Single image message

Single image message with text

Multiple image message

Single image message with postback actions

Single image message with label and reply actions

Single image message with label, postback and reply actions

Multiple images message with labels and postback actions

Multiple images message with reply actions

Multiple images message with labels, postback and reply actions

File

Single file message

Multiple files message

Location

With Coordinates

Carousel

Single card with title, description and actions

Single card with image, title, description and actions

Multiple cards with title, description and actions

Multiple cards with image title, description and actions

Template

Basic text template with variable

Rich card template with button and variables

Last updated 6 months ago

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curl -L \ --request POST \ --url '/workspaces/{workspaceId}/channels/{channelId}/messages' \ --header 'Authorization: Bearer jwt' \ --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \ --data '{ "sender": { "connector": { "identifierValue": "channels@bird.com", "annotations": { "name": "text" } } }, "receiver": { "contacts": [ { "id": "a1405560-c8d3-4b1a-877d-3f449ad95352", "identifierKey": "emailaddress", "identifierValue": "channels@bird.com", "type": "cc", "identifiers": [ { "identifierKey": "emailaddress", "identifierValue": "channels@bird.com" } ], "platformAddress": "text", "platformAddressSelector": "text" } ] }, "reference": "my-own-identifier", "template": { "name": "text", "projectId": "a1405560-c8d3-4b1a-877d-3f449ad95352", "version": "a1405560-c8d3-4b1a-877d-3f449ad95352", "locale": "text", "attachments": [ { "mediaUrl": "https://example.com", "filename": "text", "inline": true } ], "shortLinks": { "enabled": true, "domain": "text" }, "variables": { "default": "text", "ANY_ADDITIONAL_PROPERTY": "text" }, "utmParameters": [ { "key": "text", "value": "text" } ], "parameters": [ { "type": "string", "key": "text", "value": "text" } ] }, "meta": { "extraInformation": { "ANY_ADDITIONAL_PROPERTY": "anything" }, "referral": { "source": "text", "title": "text", "text": "text", "group": "text", "metadata": { "source_id": "text", "source_url": "text", "media_url": "text", "tracking_id": "text" } }, "order": { "products": [ { "externalCatalogId": "text", "externalProductId": "text", "quantity": 1, "price": { "amount": 1, "exponent": 1, "currencyCode": "text" } } ] }, "referredProduct": { "externalCatalogId": "text", "externalProductId": "text" }, "email": { "subject": "text", "headers": { "ANY_ADDITIONAL_PROPERTY": "text" }, "from": { "username": "text", "displayName": "text" } }, "pushNotifications": { "gatewayTypeOverride": "apns" }, "navigatorId": "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000", "navigatorMessageId": "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000", "flow": { "id": "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000", "name": "text", "stepId": "text", "runId": "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000" }, "journey": { "id": "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000", "name": "text", "stepId": "text", "runId": "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000" }, "campaign": { "id": "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000", "name": "text" } }, "replyTo": { "id": "text", "order": 1, "type": "message" }, "body": { "type": "text", "text": { "text": "text", "attachments": [ { "mediaUrl": "https://example.com", "filename": "text", "inline": true } ], "actions": [ { "type": "link", "link": { "text": "text", "url": "text" } } ], "metadata": { "subject": "text", "headers": { "ANY_ADDITIONAL_PROPERTY": "text" }, "whatsapp": { "previewUrl": true }, "line": { "emoji": { "items": [ { "index": 1, "productId": "text", "emojiId": "text" } ] } }, "telegram": { "parseMode": "Markdown" } } } }, "notification": { "url": "text" }, "capFrequency": true, "enableLinkTracking": true, "ignoreQuietHours": true, "ignoreGlobalHoldout": true, "tags": [ "text" ], "shortLinks": { "domain": "text" }, "scheduledFor": "2025-03-28T19:10:36.651Z", "validity": 1 }'

{ "id": "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000", "channelId": "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000", "sender": { "connector": { "id": "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000", "identifierValue": "text", "annotations": { "name": "text" }, "types": [ "text" ] } }, "receiver": { "connector": { "id": "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000", "identifierValue": "text", "annotations": { "name": "text" }, "types": [ "text" ] } }, "meta": { "extraInformation": { "ANY_ADDITIONAL_PROPERTY": "anything" }, "referral": { "source": "text", "title": "text", "text": "text", "group": "text", "metadata": { "source_id": "text", "source_url": "text", "media_url": "text", "tracking_id": "text" } }, "order": { "products": [ { "externalCatalogId": "text", "externalProductId": "text", "quantity": 1, "price": { "amount": 1, "exponent": 1, "currencyCode": "text" } } ] }, "referredProduct": { "externalCatalogId": "text", "externalProductId": "text" }, "email": { "subject": "text", "headers": { "ANY_ADDITIONAL_PROPERTY": "text" }, "from": { "username": "text", "displayName": "text" } }, "pushNotifications": { "gatewayTypeOverride": "apns" }, "navigatorId": "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000", "navigatorMessageId": "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000", "flow": { "id": "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000", "name": "text", "stepId": "text", "runId": "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000" }, "journey": { "id": "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000", "name": "text", "stepId": "text", "runId": "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000" }, "campaign": { "id": "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000", "name": "text" } }, "reference": "my-own-identifier", "parts": [ { "platformReference": "text" } ], "status": "accepted", "reason": "text", "direction": "incoming", "origin": { "type": "text", "id": "text" }, "replyTo": { "id": "text", "order": 1, "type": "message" }, "lastStatusAt": "2025-03-28T19:10:36.651Z", "createdAt": "2025-03-28T19:10:36.651Z", "updatedAt": "2025-03-28T19:10:36.651Z", "details": "text", "failure": { "code": 1, "description": "Unsupported media type", "source": { "code": "text", "name": "text" } }, "tags": [ "text" ], "shortLinks": { "domain": "text" }, "scheduledFor": "2025-03-28T19:10:36.651Z", "body": { "type": "text", "text": { "text": "text", "attachments": [ { "mediaUrl": "https://example.com", "filename": "text", "inline": true } ], "actions": [ { "type": "link", "link": { "text": "text", "url": "text" } } ], "metadata": { "subject": "text", "headers": { "ANY_ADDITIONAL_PROPERTY": "text" }, "whatsapp": { "previewUrl": true }, "line": { "emoji": { "items": [ { "index": 1, "productId": "text", "emojiId": "text" } ] } }, "telegram": { "parseMode": "Markdown" } } } } }

Outbound messages