Release notes

This page provides information about changes in RCS Business Messaging.

December 23, 2024

New

• RBM supports SMS deeplinks, allowing users to start a conversation with your agent from a URL. By embedding the URL as a link, button, or QR code in emails, websites, apps, or even physical locations, you can provide users with a frictionless way to connect with your agent.

December 19, 2024

Changed

• RBM now supports two formats for phone numbers in the chatbot information: either the full E.164 format (for example, "[phone]") or an unformatted local/toll-free phone number without '+', prefix, or country code (for example, "6502530000"). Emergency numbers are not allowed.

December 18, 2024

Changed

• The bulk capability check now requires between 500 and 10,000 unique phone numbers per request. Requests with fewer than 500, more than 10,000, or duplicate numbers will now return an error. For lists exceeding 10,000 numbers, split your requests into batches of 10,000 or fewer.

November 1, 2024

Changed

• We have fully transitioned to the partner-based RBM model. The legacy RBM model has been deprecated, and the associated documentation has been removed. The partner-based model enables the following:
  • Creation of a partner account to centralize management of all the partner's agents
  • Ability for multiple users to access partner and agent data through the Developer Console (with full edit access or read-only access)
  • Use of a partner-level service account so that all the agents share the same credentials to access the RBM API
  • Ability to configure webhooks at the partner level or agent level
  • Full use of the RBM Management API

October 31, 2024

Changed

• The URLs provided in the Open URL suggested action will be rejected if they don't conform to the URI syntax as defined in RFC 3986.

October 21, 2024

New

• The Open URL suggested action now supports webviews, allowing users to open a specified web page (such as a payment platform) right in the messaging app.
• Webviews can display in full-, half-, or tall-screen mode. For more information, see What can agents do?.

Important: Webviews are available in RBM. However, we're gradually rolling out webview support for RBM in Google Messages. To use webviews in Google Messages now, you need to join the Early Access Program for testing. (The feature will become available in Google Messages for production agents at a later date.) To request Early Access for testing webviews in Google Messages, reach out to your RBM contact.

New

• A new suggested action to compose messages opens the user's messaging app to send a text, audio, or video message to a predefined phone number, such as Customer Support. See Compose messages for code samples and screenshots.

Beta: We're gradually rolling out the Compose action in Google Messages, so you may not have access to it right away. To get access before the full rollout, you can join the Messages Open Beta program.

August 30, 2024

New

RBM agents can now send audio files for more accessible and engaging interactions:

• Improve accessibility: Enable communication for users with visual impairments, literacy challenges, or motor skill limitations.
• Enhance customer service: Help users troubleshoot technical issues by offering audio guides, or live advice, with step by step instructions.
• Support multilingual customers: Enable communication in customers' preferred languages—especially valuable for travel or hospitality services.
• Express your brand's personality: Add an element of fun with character voices and sound effects, great for the media and entertainment industries.

See Supported media types for details on compatible audio formats.

August 1, 2024

New

We've clarified the brand verification and agent launch process (the process itself has not fundamentally changed):

• More intuitive Developer Console experience: New instructions in the Verification tab clarify that verification information is required before you can submit the agent for its first launch. To prevent confusion, the Launch tab is now disabled until verification information is provided.
• To ensure that verification is always performed with the most accurate data:
  • You can no longer cancel verification for RBM agents (brands.agents.updateVerification).
  • You can no longer edit verification information after you submit a launch request, unless the launch is rejected (brands.agents.updateVerification).
  • You can't modify agent information if the agent is pending verification or was successfully launched (brands.agents.patch).
• To explain how brand verification works: A new brand verification FAQ covers frequently asked questions.

New

• You can no longer edit your Partner name or Display name in the partner account settings. To request a change to these names, contact [e-mail].

  Important: Your Display name is used as the owner_name in RBM billing reports, which carriers use for validation. If you change your Display name, please inform your carriers to avoid billing issues.

April 1, 2024

New

• Now you can view an agent's launch history in the RBM consoles. Historical data is available from March 7, 2024 onwards.
  • Partners can use the Developer Console to track changes to an agent's launch status across all relevant carriers.
  • Carriers can use the Administration Console to track changes to an agent's launch status on their network.
• To view the most recent change in launch status, see the agent Overview. For a historical record of launch status updates, see Agent history. Details include what the change was, who made it, when, and (in the case of suspension or rejection) why.

March 26, 2024

New

• Now all partners using the partner-based RBM model have access to the RBM Management API. This API replicates the capabilities of the Developer Console, so partners can programmatically do the following by API:
  • Create brands and agents
  • List all agents created for a brand
  • Retrieve and edit agent information
  • Submit agents for brand verification and retrieve the verification status
  • Submit agents for launch on selected carriers and retrieve the launch status
  • Add and remove agent webhook integrations

New

• Carriers (and partners working on behalf of carriers) now have access to the RBM Operations API for managing RBM agent approvals on their networks. This API replicates the capabilities of the Administration Console, so mobile network operators can programmatically do the following by API:
  • Get a list of all RBM agents submitted for launch on their network
  • Review agent information
  • Retrieve agent launch status and questionnaire
  • Launch or reject pending agents
  • Suspend and terminate live agents

February 27, 2024

New

• In your agent information, now you can provide either an email contact or a phone number. (Only one form of contact is required, though both are encouraged.)

New

• Now you can use RBM to send one-time passwords (OTPs) for automatic user verification in apps that are registered with the SMS Retriever API.
  • By leveraging the SMS Retriever API, you can streamline user verification without extra development work.
  • Users benefit from a faster, smoother verification process due to improved latency, higher verification success rates, and the convenience of automatic OTP entry.

December 21, 2023

New

• Now partners who register with RBM gain access to the partner-based RBM model. The partner-based model enables the following:
  • Creation of a partner account to centralize management of all the partner's agents
  • Ability for multiple users to access partner and agent data through the Developer Console (with full edit access or read-only access)
  • Use of a partner-level service account so that all the agents share the same credentials to access the RBM API
  • Ability to configure webhooks at the partner level or agent level
  • Full use of the Management API when it launches (it's currently available in an Early Access Program)

December 20, 2023

Changed

• You can no longer delete an RBM agent.

December 8, 2023

Changed

• Our Acceptable Use Policy has been updated.

November 29, 2023

New

• Message expiration is critical for time-sensitive messages like OTPs, urgent notifications, reminders, and limited-time offers. Now you can simplify your developer logic and set a message expiration to help ensure that messages are delivered on time. By setting the new expiration field, you can revoke messages automatically if they're not delivered by a certain time and then reroute them to a fallback channel.

November 13, 2023

New

• Now your agent can send a PDF file by uploading the file or specifying a publicly available URL.

October 16, 2023

New

• Now you can specify a thumbnail image when you use the file upload method to send media in a rich card.

September 30, 2023

New

• Google has extended RBM reachability to users with more unstable connectivity. As a result, you may see higher message delivery rates and higher delivery latency to these users. To ensure that users still receive their messages on time, set a message expiration or manually revoke messages and send them through an alternate channel.

July 03, 2023

Changed

• Updated Python First Agent sample to Python 3, removed unused dependencies and upgraded to latest libraries.

June 23, 2023

New

• An overview of data security information about RBM is now available on the Support page.

May 10, 2023

New

• RBM's new integration with Google Wallet lets you issue boarding passes through a rich conversation in Messages by Google. This means that users of Wallet and Messages can complete the check-in process, receive their boarding pass, and add it to their wallet entirely from Google's Messages app.
• A new use case describes how to seamlessly add a boarding pass to Google Wallet from Google's Messages app. The use case includes a sample conversation with technical steps and design tips for a complete check-in flow.

April 14, 2023

New

• Empty carrier report files can now be generated upon request.

April 13, 2023

New

• Added C# code snippet for Pub/Sub pull.

Changed

• Kitchen Sink C# sample updated to Visual Studio 2019 and latest library dependencies.

April 11, 2023

Changed

• First C# sample updated to Visual Studio 2019 and latest library dependencies.

December 13, 2022

New

• More information on sending messages to offline users.
• Clarifying when activity events are generated.
• Pub/Sub event information about delivery, read and typing notifications.
• An explanation of the Basic Message length.
• Added version history to carrier Terms of Service.

Changed

• Updated carrier console links to match recent console changes.

November 15, 2022

Changed

• Our Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy have been updated.

New

• The use case is now a required field for agent creation that identifies the nature of the RBM conversations and helps businesses comply with business rules.

New

• Block and report is now more visible to users with the new persistent and dismissable user interface affordance.

November 3, 2022

New

• RBM developer registration. Google Accounts used by RBM developers must now be tied to corporate email addresses and not Gmail accounts.

November 02, 2022

New

• The Billing Category is now a required field for agent creation that identifies whether the agent supports conversations or discrete messages.
• Carrier Billing event reports documentation has been updated to reference the impact of the agent Billing Category
• RBM Admin Console documentation has been updated to reference the agent Billing Category.

August 26, 2021

New

• The agentId field identifies the agent a user-generated message or event belongs to. See Receive messages and Events.

May 03, 2021

New

• Agents can perform bulk capability checks on up to 10,000 phone numbers per API call with users.batchGet. See Capability checks.

Changed

• The Bulk Capability Check Script (Sign in to download) now uses users.batchGet. to perform bulk capability checks.

April 2, 2020

New

• RBM agents can now set a fallbackUrl for DialAction, ViewLocationAction, CreateCalendarEventAction, and ShareLocationAction for clients that don't support the native application. See the guide and reference.
• All samples and client libraries updated for fallbackUrl support. See samples.

December 20, 2019

New

• RBM agents can now upload media file binaries in addition to uploading files by URL. See the guide and reference.

December 2, 2019

New

• The Bulk Capability Check Script (Sign in to download) demonstrates how to use the RBM SDK to check a large set of devices for RBM capability. To run this script against devices that aren't registered as testers, your agent must be launched.

Changed

• Capability checks now covers configuration and usage for the Bulk Capability Check Script.
• Samples now includes a Tools section.