RCS for Business supports both consumer-initiated and brand-initiated conversations. While entry points let consumers reach your brand at their moment of need, outbound messaging, also known as application-to-person (A2P) messaging, lets you proactively initiate a conversation with a consumer.
As with all RCS for Business conversations, every outbound message is sent from your verified Agent Profile, so the consumer sees your brand's display name and logo in their native inbox rather than an anonymous phone number. This builds trust and drives higher engagement than traditional SMS, while reaching consumers directly on Android and iOS with no app install required.
How outbound messages are sent
LivePerson offers two ways to send outbound RCS. The right choice depends on scale and targeting:
- Connect to Messaging (C2M) — best for time-sensitive, personalized, single-recipient outbound: an order update, an appointment reminder, an IVR deflection, or any system-triggered message sent to one consumer via API. See the Connect to Messaging overview.
- Proactive Messaging — best for campaign-based, one-to-many outreach: sending a bulk or segmented campaign to a recipient list, with per-recipient personalization via variables or CSV. See the Proactive Messaging overview.
In short: reach for C2M when you're messaging one consumer in response to an event; reach for Proactive when you're running a campaign to many.
Channel eligibility and fallback
Before an outbound message is sent, LivePerson checks whether the recipient's device is eligible to receive RCS. Channel selection is resolved on a priority basis:
- If the device is RCS-eligible, the consumer receives the rich RCS experience.
- If the device is not eligible, the message automatically falls back to the next channel configured in your channel priority (for example, SMS).
This keeps outbound reliable without requiring you to manage channel selection yourself.
Message content
Outbound messages support the full range of RCS for Business content: simple text, text with quick replies and suggested actions, standalone rich cards, and rich card carousels. For content specifications and limits, see Features.
Consumer replies
When a consumer replies to an outbound message, the reply opens as a conversation in the Agent Workspace, identified as RCS and routed to the skill you configured. Your agents can then pick up and continue the conversation seamlessly.
Measuring performance
Outbound performance is available in the Analytics tab, at both an account level and a per-campaign level. You can track the delivery funnel (Attempted, Eligible, Sent, Delivered, Read), monitor delivery activity over time, and review failure reasons with linked error definitions.
Consent and compliance
Outbound messaging requires valid consumer consent. Before launching a campaign, you must confirm compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and industry best practices: including obtaining prior, valid, express consumer consent, honoring opt-out requests, and sending only during permitted hours in the end user's local time.