RCS Messaging7 min read
How to Set Up RCS Business Messaging: Step by Step
Brand verification, agent creation, carrier approval, first templates and testing — what it takes to launch RCS Business Messaging.
Launching RCS Business Messaging takes a little more preparation than sending SMS, because your brand is verified and every message appears under your name and logo. Here's the process from start to first campaign.
1. Prepare your brand assets
- Brand name as customers know it.
- Logo and banner image in the required formats.
- Short description, website, contact phone and email.
- Privacy policy and terms of service URLs.
- Brand colour for buttons and highlights.
2. Create your RCS agent
An 'agent' is your brand's identity on RCS. Your platform provider creates it on your behalf in the RCS Business Messaging console and connects it to their messaging infrastructure and your inbox.
3. Brand verification
Before launch, your brand is verified so customers can trust the badge next to your name. Expect to confirm that you're authorised to represent the brand and that the contact details are correct.
4. Carrier launch approval
Your agent is then launched per country and, depending on the market, per carrier. Approvals can take from days to a few weeks. Describe your use case clearly — transactional, promotional or conversational — and show sample messages.
5. Build your first flows
- Start with one transactional use case, such as order confirmations or appointment reminders.
- Design rich cards with a clear title, image and one or two actions.
- Add suggested replies for common responses.
- Configure SMS fallback text for devices without RCS.
- Connect replies to a chatbot or your team inbox.
6. Test, then launch
Test on Android and iPhone, with RCS on and off, across your main carriers. Check how images crop, how buttons behave and what the SMS fallback looks like. Then launch to a small segment before scaling up.
Plan for verification and approvals early — the technical setup is the quick part.
Don't forget consent
RCS marketing messages follow the same rules as SMS marketing in Europe: you need prior consent, a clear sender identity and an easy way to opt out. Transactional messages are typically based on the customer relationship, but check the requirements in each target country.
