RCS Agent Launch Requirements: Information Carriers Need Before Approval

Important: Incomplete or inconsistent information is the most common reason for RCS agent delays or rejections. Make sure all details below are accurate and consistent with your brand.

1. Branding Information

Carriers require clear identification of the business behind the RCS agent.

• Legal name of the brand's parent company
• Website of the brand's parent company (must be publicly accessible)
• Brand name as it should appear to end users

2. Brand Point of Contact

This contact is used by carriers or aggregators for verification questions.

• Full name
• Job title
• Business email address

Note: During brand verification, your contact information is confirmed by a third-party verification agent authorized by the carriers. It's important for the brand contact to respond quickly, since delays here are a common cause of launch delays.

3. Agent Setup & Technical Assets

Before any testing or launch review, your agent's technical profile must be provisioned correctly.

Sender identifiers:

• Sender ID (the value used to send messages from the agent)
• Agent name (displayed to end users on the handset)
• Account ID and Location (where the agent is configured)
• Approved countries (currently limited to the US)

Required image assets:

4. Pre-Launch Testing

Before requesting Commercial Launch, your agent must be tested in a production (pre-launch) environment. Testing is done against a small set of pre-approved test handsets and is not intended for high-volume traffic.

Outbound message testing — validate that each message is received, a delivery receipt is returned, and the presentation is correct:

• Rich Message (text only, no media)
• Rich Media Message (individual media, standalone Rich Card, or Rich Card Carousel) 

Suggested Actions and Replies — confirm the correct suggestion-response webhook fires for each:

• Reply
• Dial Phone
• Show Location
• Create Calendar Event
• Open URL
• Request Location

Fallback testing — disable RCS on a test handset and confirm the message falls back correctly:

• SMS
• MMS

Inbound message testing — confirm a message-received webhook fires correctly:

• Text only
• With media
• Test across both Android and iPhone handsets, and across multiple carriers where possible.

5. Agent Experience & Messaging Behavior

Proof of Opt-In (Required)

You must explain how users consent to receive RCS messages from your brand.

• The opt-in source must belong to the same brand registered for the RCS agent
• If opt-in occurs via a website, provide the exact URL
• If opt-in occurs via a mobile app, provide the app name and store listing URL

  Note: Opt-in data from a different brand or partner will result in rejection.

Actions That Trigger MT Messages

Identify the events that cause mobile-terminated (MT) messages to be sent to users.

• Purchase confirmations
• Order or delivery notifications
• Reservation confirmations or reminders
• Promotional campaign triggers

You must also specify the time interval between the triggering event and when the message is sent.

Interaction Types

Define how users are expected to interact with your RCS agent.

• Primary interactions (e.g., notifications, confirmations, promotions)
• Secondary interactions (e.g., replies, button clicks, follow-up messages)

Proof of Opt-Out and HELP Handling

Explain what happens when a user opts out of receiving messages, and how help requests are handled.

Critical Requirement:
If a user replies with STOP, no additional messages may be sent unless the user explicitly opts back in.

• Your agent must recognize STOP in English
• Your agent must also recognize STOP in every language used for RCS communications
• Provide the opt-out confirmation message sent to the user
• Your agent must also recognize and respond to HELP requests, in every language used
• Provide the exact HELP auto-response message
• Confirm whether STOP/HELP handling is already implemented on your side — if not, it can be temporarily enabled on the provider's end, but the exact auto-response messages for both keywords must be supplied

6. Launch Proof Requirements

Carriers require visual proof of how your agent behaves, generated using the actual agent you intend to submit for launch.

Preferred: a recorded video, filmed from a phone, demonstrating:

• Greeting and opt-in — what the agent offers and how a user opts in (e.g., a Suggested Response button); double opt-in is strongly advised
• Opt-in confirmation and additional actions — the message a user receives after opting in, showing how to request help or opt out; it's best practice to note that message & data rates apply
• Sample message — an example of a message the agent sends, demonstrating the actual use case
• HELP and STOP keyword handling — a demonstration of the agent's response to each

If a carrier does not accept video, provide screenshots instead, covering:

• Web opt-in URL or Call-To-Action (CTA) used to capture consent
• Opt-in confirmation
• Sample message
• HELP and STOP keyword handling

7. Usage & Traffic Expectations

Carriers use this information to assess capacity and compliance risk.

• Expected message traffic spikes (peak days/times)
• Estimated number of users per month
• Estimated number of messages per month
• Average interactions per user per campaign

8. Campaign Start Date

Provide the planned launch date for your RCS campaign or agent.

Tip: If your campaign date is flexible, indicate an estimated range rather than a fixed day.

9. Pre-Submission Checklist Review

Before formally requesting Commercial Launch, your submission should go through a checklist review with your provider. This step catches common errors and friction points ahead of time, maximizing the likelihood of downstream approval. Once the review is complete, you'll be guided on opening a formal Commercial Launch request.

10. Carrier Approval Process

Understanding how approval works helps set expectations:

• Each carrier (or their proxy — for example, Google acts as a proxy for several carriers) reviews the application independently
• Feedback and approvals are not synchronized across carriers   one may approve before another
• Once a carrier approves (Generally Approval take 6 to 8 Weeks), you can begin sending commercial traffic through that carrier, even while other carriers are still pending

11. Post-Launch Notes

• Agent details are locked after launch. Once an agent is commercially launched, none of its details can be changed. Any changes require registering an entirely new agent — so finalize all details before submitting.
• Status tracking: Agents move through stages such as Pending, Pre-launch, Launch Requested, Partially Launched, Launched, or Action Required (if information needs correction). Carrier-level status is also tracked individually per carrier.

Need Help?

If you run into integration or testing issues, reach out to your provider's messaging support team for assistance.