A complete A–Z glossary of RCS, business-messaging, technical, carrier, compliance, and security terms.
10DLC
Ten-digit long code: the US system for registered application-to-person SMS/MMS over standard local phone numbers. The same brand and campaign registration underpins RCS business messaging.
See also: A2P, The Campaign Registry
5G
The latest generation of cellular network technology. RCS works over 5G like any internet connection (also 4G/LTE or Wi-Fi), since it is IP-based.
See also: RCS
A
A/B testing
Comparing two or more message variants on a subset of an audience to see which performs better before a full send, used to optimize RCS engagement.
See also: Click-through rate, Conversion rate
A2P
Application-to-Person messaging: messages sent programmatically by a business or application to a consumer (alerts, OTPs, marketing), as opposed to person-to-person texting.
See also: P2P, RCS Business Messaging
Abandoned cart recovery
Messaging that reminds customers of an incomplete purchase and invites them to complete it; RCS rich cards with the product image and a one-tap checkout button recover carts SMS and email often miss.
See also: Conversational commerce, Rich card
Agent
In RCS, the verified brand identity through which a business sends and receives messages. Also called an RBM agent or RCS agent.
See also: RBM Agent, Verified sender
Agent ID
The unique identifier for a verified RBM agent, included in API requests so messages are sent from the correct branded sender.
See also: RBM Agent
Agent message
A message sent from an RBM agent to a user via the RCS Business Messaging API, addressed to the recipient's phone number.
See also: RBM Agent, RCS API
Agentic AI
Autonomous AI systems that can take actions on a user's or brand's behalf. RCS is considered an ideal channel for agentic AI because it is native, verified, rich, and two-way.
See also: AI agent, Chatbot
Aggregator
A messaging intermediary that connects businesses to carriers and the RCS ecosystem, handling registration, routing, and delivery. Many RCS providers operate as aggregators.
See also: CPaaS, Carrier
AI agent
An automated conversational assistant that understands requests, offers suggested replies and actions, completes tasks, and hands off to a human when needed — increasingly delivered over RCS.
See also: Chatbot, Agentic AI
Allowlist
A list of approved test phone numbers permitted to receive messages from an RBM agent before it is fully launched, used for development and review.
See also: Test device, Launch
Android
Google's mobile operating system, on which RCS is delivered primarily through the Google Messages app.
See also: Google Messages
Apple
The maker of iPhone and iMessage. Apple added RCS support in iOS 18.1 (2024) and default cross-platform end-to-end encryption in iOS 26.5 (2026).
See also: iOS, iMessage
Apple Messages for Business
Apple's business-chat channel within the Messages app on Apple devices, distinct from RCS. RCS handles cross-platform business messaging to Android and iPhone alike.
See also: iMessage, RCS Business Messaging
B
BAA
Business Associate Agreement: a HIPAA contract governing how a vendor handles protected health information. Relevant when using messaging in regulated healthcare workflows.
See also: HIPAA
Brand
In registration terms, a business's verified legal identity, registered before it can run messaging campaigns. Distinct from a campaign (the specific use case).
See also: Campaign, Brand registration
Brand color
A brand's primary color shown in its verified RCS sender presentation, part of the branded experience that distinguishes RCS from anonymous SMS.
See also: Verified sender, Logo
Brand profile
The configured identity of an RBM agent — name, logo, hero image, color, description, and contact details — shown to recipients.
See also: Verified sender, Agent
Brand registration
The process of registering a business's legal identity with The Campaign Registry (and Google/carriers) as a prerequisite for sending A2P messages, including RCS.
See also: Campaign registration, The Campaign Registry
Brand vetting
Additional verification of a registered brand's legitimacy, improving trust scores and messaging throughput; an enhanced vetting tier is also available at higher cost.
See also: Brand registration
Broadcast
Sending a single message to many recipients at once (bulk messaging), as in a promotion or alert, as opposed to a one-to-one conversation.
See also: Two-way messaging
Bulk messaging
Sending the same message to many recipients at once; synonymous with broadcast.
See also: Broadcast
C
Campaign
A registered, approved messaging use case under a brand (for example marketing, alerts, or support). Both a brand and a campaign are required to send A2P messages.
See also: Brand, Campaign registration
Campaign registration
Registering a specific messaging use case under a brand with The Campaign Registry, including sample messages and opt-in details, before sending.
See also: Brand registration, Use case
Capability check
A query to the RCS backend, before sending, to confirm whether a destination number can receive RCS. If not, the message is sent as SMS/MMS instead.
See also: Fallback, RCS routing
Card carousel
An RCS message containing multiple rich cards (2–10) that the user swipes through horizontally; all cards share the same width and media height.
See also: Carousel, Rich card
Card orientation
Whether a rich card is laid out vertically or horizontally. Vertical cards can be combined into a carousel.
See also: Rich card
Carousel
A horizontally swipeable set of 2–10 rich cards in a single RCS message, ideal for showing multiple products, menu items, or properties.
See also: Rich card, Card carousel
Carrier
A mobile network operator that provides cellular service and delivers messages to subscribers. US carriers supporting RCS include AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and UScellular.
See also: MNO, MVNO
Carrier filtering
Spam and abuse filtering applied by carriers to A2P traffic; non-compliant or unregistered messaging can be throttled or blocked, making registration and consent essential.
See also: Spam, Registration
CCMI
Cross-Carrier Messaging Initiative: a joint venture announced by major US carriers in 2019 to deliver a unified RCS experience; it was later dissolved as the industry standardized on Google's platform.
See also: Cross-Carrier Messaging Initiative
CCPA
California Consumer Privacy Act (with CPRA amendments): California privacy law granting disclosure, access, deletion, and opt-out rights that affect how messaging data is handled.
See also: GDPR, Privacy
Chat features
Google Messages' user-facing name for RCS. Turning on chat features enables RCS functionality such as read receipts, typing indicators, and high-resolution media.
See also: RCS, Google Messages
Chatbot
An automated conversational agent delivered through an RCS agent using the MaaP framework, offering suggested replies and actions and handing off to a human or AI as needed.
See also: MaaP, AI agent
Chip list
A row of suggestion buttons (suggested replies or actions) shown below a message or card; up to 11 chips can appear below a rich card.
See also: Suggested reply, Suggested action
Click-through rate
The percentage of message recipients who tap a link or button. RCS click-through commonly runs 15–30%, well above typical SMS.
See also: Conversion rate, Engagement rate
Click-to-chat
An entry point — a link, button, ad, or QR code — that opens a messaging conversation with a business, a common way to start RCS conversations.
See also: QR code opt-in, Two-way messaging
Concatenation
Joining multiple 160-character SMS segments into one longer text, each segment billed separately. RCS avoids this by supporting long messages natively.
See also: SMS segment, GSM-7
Consent
A recipient's permission to receive messages. RCS requires explicit opt-in; marketing needs prior express written consent and transactional needs prior express consent.
See also: Opt-in, TCPA
Content message
The payload of an RBM message, containing text and/or a rich card plus any suggestions, sent to the recipient.
See also: Rich card, Suggestion
Conversation
An ongoing two-way message thread between a user and an agent. Some providers also bill or measure by conversation session.
See also: Session, Two-way messaging
Conversation ID
An identifier grouping the messages of a single conversation/session, used for threading and analytics.
See also: Session, Message ID
Conversational AI
AI that powers natural, automated conversations; combined with RCS it delivers branded, interactive, two-way experiences with human handoff.
See also: AI agent, Chatbot
Conversational commerce
Buying and selling through a chat conversation. RCS can host an entire purchase journey — discover, decide, buy, track, support — in one branded thread.
See also: Carousel, Suggested action
Conversion rate
The percentage of recipients who complete a desired action (purchase, booking). RCS often lifts conversion versus SMS due to richer, one-tap experiences.
See also: Click-through rate, ROI
CPaaS
Communications Platform as a Service: a cloud platform offering messaging, voice, and related APIs. Providers like Twilio, Sinch, and Infobip are CPaaS vendors.
See also: Aggregator, RCS API
Create calendar event action
A suggested action that lets a user add an event to their calendar with one tap, including start/end time, title, and description.
See also: Suggested action
Cross-Carrier Messaging Initiative
A 2019 joint venture by major US carriers to deliver unified RCS; later dissolved as the industry consolidated on Google's RCS platform.
See also: CCMI
CTA
Call-to-action: the message or interface element inviting opt-in, which must disclose the brand, purpose, frequency, data-rate notice, and opt-out instructions.
See also: Opt-in, Consent
CTIA
The US wireless industry association whose Messaging Principles and Best Practices set consent, content, and opt-out standards for A2P messaging, including RCS, enforced by carriers.
See also: TCPA, SHAFT
Customer journey
The end-to-end path a customer takes across touchpoints. RCS can carry much of it — discovery, decision, purchase, support — in one thread.
See also: Conversational commerce, Funnel
D
Deep link
A URL that opens a specific location inside an app rather than a website, often used in suggested actions to drive app actions.
See also: Open URL action
Default messaging app
The app a phone uses to send and receive texts. RCS works in the default app — Google Messages on Android, the Messages app on iPhone.
See also: Native messaging app, Google Messages
Deliverability
How reliably messages reach recipients, influenced by registration, trust scores, carrier relationships, and fallback handling.
See also: Delivery rate, Fallback
Delivery rate
The percentage of sent messages confirmed delivered to recipient devices, reported via delivery receipts.
See also: Delivery receipt, Deliverability
Delivery receipt
A webhook event confirming a message reached the recipient's device.
See also: Read receipt, Webhook event
Delivery window
A time range within which a scheduled message should be delivered, configurable via the API.
See also: Scheduled message, Validity period
Dial action
A suggested action that opens the phone dialer pre-filled with a number, letting the user call with one tap.
See also: Suggested action
DNC
Do Not Call: registries and internal lists of contacts who must not be solicited; suppression of opted-out and DNC contacts is a compliance requirement.
See also: Opt-out, TCPA
Double opt-in
A consent method where the user confirms a subscription (for example by replying YES) after signing up, proving the number belongs to them.
See also: Opt-in, Consent
Drip campaign
An automated sequence of messages sent over time based on triggers or schedules, used for onboarding, nurturing, or re-engagement.
See also: Broadcast, Segmentation
Dynamic content
Message content that changes per recipient using variables (name, order, balance), enabling personalization at scale.
See also: Variables, Personalization
E
E.164
The international standard format for phone numbers (country code plus number, e.g., +14155550123), used to address RCS and SMS messages.
See also: Phone number
E2EE
End-to-end encryption: encryption readable only by sender and recipient. Personal RCS chats are E2EE (Universal Profile 3.0 via MLS); business RCS is encrypted in transit but not end-to-end.
See also: MLS, TLS
Emulator
A developer tool that simulates how RCS messages render and behave, used to build and test payloads without consuming live carrier quota.
See also: Sandbox, Test device
End-to-end encryption
See E2EE — encryption where only the communicating users can read the messages.
See also: E2EE, MLS
Engagement rate
A measure of how much recipients interact with messages (opens, reads, clicks, replies). RCS typically drives higher engagement than SMS or email.
See also: Click-through rate, Read rate
Express written consent
The standard of consent required for marketing messages: a clear, signed (including electronically) agreement to receive them.
See also: Prior express consent, Consent
F
Failover
Automatic switching to an alternate path or channel (such as SMS) when primary delivery fails, ensuring messages still reach recipients.
See also: Fallback, Deliverability
Fallback
Automatic downgrade of an RCS message to SMS or MMS when the recipient can't receive RCS, so the message still arrives.
See also: SMS fallback, Capability check
FCC
Federal Communications Commission: the US regulator that administers and enforces the TCPA, including consent and revocation rules for messaging.
See also: TCPA, Revocation
File transfer
RCS's ability to send files such as high-resolution images, video, and PDFs over the internet, well beyond MMS limits.
See also: Media message, High-resolution media
First-party data
Customer data a business collects directly, with consent. It underpins compliant, personalized RCS messaging and reliable opt-in records.
See also: Consent, Personalization
FTC
Federal Trade Commission: the US consumer-protection regulator whose Telemarketing Sales Rule requires keeping consent records for at least five years.
See also: Telemarketing Sales Rule
Funnel
The stages a prospect moves through toward conversion. RCS can compress the funnel by enabling discovery-to-purchase within one conversation.
See also: Conversion rate, Conversational commerce
G
GDPR
General Data Protection Regulation: the EU privacy law governing personal-data processing, including consent and data-subject rights, relevant when messaging EU contacts.
See also: CCPA, Privacy
Google Jibe
Google's RCS platform and backend, powering RCS delivery for most carriers and the Google Messages app. See Jibe.
See also: Jibe, Google Messages
Google Messages
Google's messaging app, the primary RCS client on Android and the default on many devices.
See also: Android, Jibe
Group chat
A conversation among multiple participants. RCS group chats offer richer features than SMS/MMS group texts for participants who have RCS.
See also: RCS messaging
GSM-7
The default 7-bit SMS character encoding that limits a single SMS to 160 characters; longer texts are split into segments. RCS has no such cramped limit.
See also: SMS segment, Concatenation
GSMA
The GSM Association, the global mobile-operator body that owns and maintains the RCS Universal Profile standard.
See also: Universal Profile
H
HELP keyword
A standard keyword that, when received, should return help or contact information to the user, as expected by CTIA and TCPA guidance.
See also: STOP keyword, CTIA
Hero image
The main banner image at the top of a verified agent's profile or a rich card, part of the branded RCS experience.
See also: Logo, Rich card
High-resolution media
Full-quality images and video that RCS sends natively, without the heavy compression and size limits of MMS.
See also: File transfer, Media message
HIPAA
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act: US law protecting health information. RCS can be used in healthcare with safeguards, avoiding sensitive clinical detail since business RCS is not end-to-end encrypted.
See also: BAA, E2EE
I
iMessage
Apple's proprietary messaging service for Apple devices. Distinct from RCS, which Apple supports for cross-platform messaging with Android since iOS 18.1.
See also: RCS, iOS
In-app messaging
Messages shown to users inside a mobile app while they use it. Unlike RCS, it only reaches active in-app users.
See also: Push notification
Inbound message
A message or event sent from a user to an agent (mobile originated), delivered to the business's webhook.
See also: Mobile Originated, Webhook
Interoperability
The ability of RCS to work consistently across different carriers, devices, and apps, ensured by the GSMA Universal Profile.
See also: Universal Profile, GSMA
iOS
Apple's mobile operating system. RCS is supported on iPhone since iOS 18.1 (2024); iOS 26.5 (2026) added default cross-platform end-to-end encryption.
See also: iMessage, Apple
J
Jibe
Google's hosted RCS backend handling registration, capability discovery, routing, and delivery for most carriers and Google Messages.
See also: Google Jibe, RCS routing
L
Launch
The point at which a verified RBM agent is approved and goes live, able to message production users beyond the test allowlist.
See also: Verified sender, Allowlist
Lead nurturing
Guiding prospects toward conversion with timely, relevant follow-ups. RCS supports this with branded, interactive messages and one-tap actions.
See also: Drip campaign, Re-engagement
Live agent handoff
Transferring a conversation from an automated agent (chatbot/AI) to a human representative within the same RCS thread.
See also: Chatbot, AI agent
Logo
A brand's mark shown with its verified RCS sender, displayed alongside the name and verification badge.
See also: Verified sender, Brand color
Long code
A standard ten-digit phone number used for messaging; registered for A2P use under 10DLC.
See also: 10DLC, Short code
M
MaaP
Messaging as a Platform: the framework enabling chatbots and interactive services within RCS, allowing app-like conversational experiences in the inbox.
See also: Chatbot, RBM Agent
Media height
The fixed display height (short, medium, or tall) of media within a rich card; all cards in a carousel must use the same media height.
See also: Rich card, Carousel
Media message
An RCS message whose primary content is a file such as an image, GIF, video, or PDF.
See also: File transfer, High-resolution media
Message and data rates
The standard disclosure that carrier message/data charges may apply, required in opt-in calls-to-action.
See also: CTA, Opt-in
Message ID
A unique identifier for an individual message, used to correlate sends with delivery, read, and interaction events.
See also: Conversation ID, Webhook event
Message template
A predefined, reusable message structure with placeholders for dynamic content, often pre-approved for a use case.
See also: Variables, Use case
MIVC
Messaging-Initiated Video Calls: the headline feature of Universal Profile 4.0 (2026), letting users start a video call from a text conversation; rollout depends on carriers and devices.
See also: Universal Profile 4.0
MLS
Messaging Layer Security: the protocol underpinning end-to-end encryption added in RCS Universal Profile 3.0 for personal chats.
See also: E2EE, Universal Profile 3.0
MMS
Multimedia Messaging Service: the cellular standard for sending media in texts, limited by heavy compression and small file sizes. RCS supersedes it where supported, with MMS as a fallback.
See also: SMS, Fallback
MNO
Mobile Network Operator: a carrier that owns its network infrastructure and spectrum, such as AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile.
See also: Carrier, MVNO
Mobile Originated
A message or event originating from the user's device and sent to the agent (inbound). Abbreviated MO.
See also: Inbound message, Mobile Terminated
Mobile Terminated
A message sent to the user's device from the agent (outbound). Abbreviated MT.
See also: Outbound message, Mobile Originated
Multi-use
An RBM agent use case combining transactional and promotional messaging in one agent, but excluding one-time passcodes (OTP).
See also: Use case, Promotional
MVNO
Mobile Virtual Network Operator: a carrier that resells service on another operator's network. Many MVNOs (Cricket, Metro, Visible) support RCS via Google Messages.
See also: MNO, Carrier
N
Native messaging app
The texting app built into a phone, where RCS operates without any separate download — Google Messages on Android, the Messages app on iPhone.
See also: Default messaging app
Number lookup
Querying attributes of a phone number — such as carrier, line type, or RCS capability — before sending, to route and personalize correctly.
See also: Capability check, E.164
O
Omnichannel
An approach that coordinates messaging across multiple channels (RCS, SMS, WhatsApp, email, voice) so the customer experience is consistent regardless of channel.
See also: CPaaS
Open rate
The share of recipients who open a message. SMS open rates are around 98%; RCS read rates are also high, supporting strong engagement.
See also: Read rate, Engagement rate
Open URL action
A suggested action that opens a web link, optionally in an app or webview, when the user taps it.
See also: Suggested action, Deep link
Opt-in
A recipient's explicit agreement to receive messages, required before a business may send RCS. Must be clear, affirmative, and recorded.
See also: Consent, Opt-out
Opt-in keyword
A word a user texts (for example JOIN or START) to subscribe to a program, a common consent-capture mechanism.
See also: Opt-in, QR code opt-in
Opt-out
A recipient's withdrawal of consent. Senders must honor keywords like STOP, stop within 10 business days, and may send only one confirmation.
See also: STOP keyword, Revocation
OTP
One-Time Passcode: a single-use code sent for authentication. RCS supports a dedicated OTP agent use case, with the verified sender reducing phishing risk.
See also: Use case, Two-factor authentication
OTT messaging
Over-the-top messaging apps (WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram) that run over the internet independent of carriers. RCS differs by living in the native inbox.
See also: WhatsApp Business, iMessage
Outbound message
A message sent from an agent to a user (mobile terminated).
See also: Mobile Terminated, Agent message
P
P2P
Person-to-Person messaging: ordinary texting between individuals, as opposed to A2P business messaging. Personal RCS chats are end-to-end encrypted.
See also: A2P, E2EE
Personalization
Tailoring message content to the individual recipient (name, history, preferences), which lifts RCS engagement and conversion.
See also: Segmentation, Dynamic content
Phishing
Fraudulent messages impersonating a trusted party to steal information. RCS verified senders make brand impersonation far harder than over SMS.
See also: Smishing, Spoofing
Phone number
The mobile number that addresses RCS and SMS messages, formatted in E.164 for APIs.
See also: E.164
Postback
The data returned to a business when a user taps a suggested reply or action; see postbackData.
See also: postbackData, Suggestion
postbackData
A developer-defined string attached to a suggested reply or action, returned to the webhook when the user taps it, so the tap maps to intent without parsing text.
See also: Suggested reply, Webhook event
Prior express consent
The consent standard for non-marketing (transactional/informational) messages: clear permission to be contacted, though not necessarily in writing.
See also: Express written consent, Consent
Privacy
The handling of personal data in messaging, governed by laws such as TCPA, CCPA/CPRA, and GDPR, plus a linked privacy policy at opt-in.
See also: GDPR, CCPA
Promotional
An RBM agent use case for marketing messages (offers, campaigns), which require prior express written consent.
See also: Use case, Multi-use
Provisioning
The carrier-side process of enabling RCS for a subscriber or sender, including registration on the RCS backend.
See also: Registration, Capability check
Push notification
An alert delivered through an installed app. Unlike RCS, it requires the customer to have downloaded the app and enabled notifications.
See also: In-app messaging
Q
QR code opt-in
Subscribing by scanning a QR code that opens a pre-filled opt-in message or sign-up, popular for in-store and print enrollment.
See also: Opt-in keyword, Click-to-chat
Quick reply
An informal name for a suggested reply — a tappable button that sends a predefined response.
See also: Suggested reply
Quiet hours
Time windows (often overnight) during which marketing messages should not be sent, per regulations and best practice.
See also: TCPA, Compliance
R
Rate limiting
Limits on how many API requests or messages can be sent in a time window, to protect platform stability; high-volume senders manage throughput accordingly.
See also: TPS, Throughput
RBM
RCS Business Messaging: the framework and ecosystem for verified brands to send rich, interactive RCS messages to customers, with SMS fallback.
See also: RCS Business Messaging, RBM Agent
RBM Agent
A brand's verified sender identity in RCS Business Messaging, carrying its name, logo, and verification, with an assigned use case and an agent ID.
See also: Agent, Verified sender
RCS
Rich Communication Services: the GSMA's open standard that upgrades SMS/MMS into a rich, interactive, internet-based messaging experience in the native inbox, with SMS fallback.
See also: Rich Communication Services, Universal Profile
RCS Agent
Synonym for RBM agent — a business's verified RCS sender identity with a use case and agent ID.
See also: RBM Agent, Agent
RCS API
The REST interface for sending RCS messages from a verified agent and receiving interactions via webhooks, after a capability check, addressed by agent ID.
See also: Webhook, Capability check
RCS Business Messaging
The application-to-person side of RCS, managed by Google, that lets verified brands send rich, branded, interactive messages with SMS fallback. Abbreviated RBM.
See also: RBM, A2P
RCS messaging
Sending and receiving messages over the RCS protocol — richer for consumers and verified, interactive, and branded for businesses.
See also: RCS
RCS routing
How RCS messages are directed: a capability check determines RCS versus SMS/MMS, then RCS-capable messages travel over IP through the backend to the device.
See also: Capability check, Jibe
Re-engagement
Messaging lapsed or inactive customers to win them back; RCS reaches them in the inbox even if they abandoned a brand's app.
See also: Lead nurturing, Drip campaign
Reaction
An emoji response applied to a message (e.g., a thumbs-up), supported in RCS like modern chat apps.
See also: RCS messaging
Read rate
The percentage of delivered messages that recipients read, reported via read receipts; RCS read rates are typically high.
See also: Read receipt, Engagement rate
Read receipt
A webhook event (or chat indicator) confirming the recipient opened/read a message. Users can disable read receipts in personal chats.
See also: Delivery receipt, Seen
Registration
Enrolling a brand, campaign, and sender with the registry, Google, and carriers so a business can send compliant RCS.
See also: Brand registration, Campaign registration
REST API
A web API style using standard HTTPS requests and JSON. The RCS API is RESTful, so any language that makes HTTPS calls can use it.
See also: RCS API
Revocation
A recipient's withdrawal of consent by any reasonable means. Under FCC rules (effective April 2025) senders must honor it within 10 business days.
See also: Opt-out, TCPA
Rich card
A single RCS message combining optional media, a title, a description, and tap-to-act buttons (at least one of media/title/description required), with up to four suggestions.
See also: Carousel, Suggestion
Rich Communication Services
The full name of RCS: the GSMA standard modernizing SMS/MMS with rich, interactive, branded messaging in the native app.
See also: RCS
Rich text formatting
Text styling (bold, italics, strikethrough) added to RCS in Universal Profile 4.0 (2026); availability depends on carrier and device rollout.
See also: Universal Profile 4.0
Roaming
Using a mobile network outside the home network's coverage. RCS works while roaming with a data connection and supporting networks; otherwise it falls back to SMS.
See also: Fallback
ROI
Return on investment: incremental revenue minus all-in cost, divided by cost. RCS ROI is often strong because higher engagement lowers cost per outcome.
See also: Conversion rate, Click-through rate
S
Sandbox
A non-production environment for building and testing RCS integrations without sending to live users.
See also: Emulator, Test device
Scheduled message
A message queued to send at a future time or within a delivery window, configured via the API or app.
See also: Delivery window, Validity period
Schema markup
Structured data (Schema.org) added to web pages so search and AI systems understand content.
Seen
A read indicator/event signaling the recipient viewed the message; equivalent to a read receipt.
See also: Read receipt
Segmentation
Dividing an audience into groups by attributes or behavior to send more relevant, personalized messages.
See also: Personalization, Broadcast
Sender ID
The identity a message appears to come from. In RCS this is a verified agent (brand name, logo, badge), unlike easily-spoofed SMS sender IDs.
See also: Verified sender, Spoofing
Session
A bounded period of two-way conversation between a user and agent; some pricing and analytics are session-based.
See also: Conversation
SHAFT
Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco: content categories restricted or prohibited in A2P messaging; carriers can penalize senders for prohibited content.
See also: CTIA, Compliance
Share location action
A suggested action that prompts the user to share their current location with the agent in one tap.
See also: Suggested action, View location action
Short code
A 5–6 digit number used for high-volume A2P messaging, leased and approved through carriers; an alternative addressing option to 10DLC long codes.
See also: Long code, 10DLC
Smishing
SMS phishing: fraudulent text messages designed to steal information. RCS verified senders help recipients distinguish genuine brand messages.
See also: Phishing, Spoofing
SMPP
Short Message Peer-to-Peer: a protocol for high-volume SMS exchange between applications and carriers, offered by some providers alongside REST APIs.
See also: SMS, REST API
SMS
Short Message Service: the original 160-character plain-text cellular messaging standard. Universal and reliable, it is the fallback layer beneath RCS.
See also: MMS, Fallback
SMS fallback
Automatically delivering a message as SMS (or MMS) when the recipient cannot receive RCS, preserving reach.
See also: Fallback, Capability check
SMS segment
A single 160-character (GSM-7) unit of an SMS message; long messages are split into multiple billed segments. RCS sends long messages without segmentation.
See also: GSM-7, Concatenation
Spam
Unsolicited bulk messaging. RCS reduces it through enforced opt-in, registration, and verified senders, with carriers filtering abusive A2P traffic.
See also: Carrier filtering, Consent
Spoofing
Faking a sender's identity. SMS sender IDs are easily spoofed; RCS resists this through verified, vetted senders shown with a badge.
See also: Verified sender, Phishing
Standalone card
A single rich card sent on its own (not in a carousel), combining media, title, description, and suggestions.
See also: Rich card, Carousel
STOP keyword
A universal opt-out keyword; receiving it (or QUIT, END, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE, OPT OUT, REVOKE) requires the sender to stop messaging.
See also: Opt-out, HELP keyword
Streaming video
Video that plays within a rich card, added to business messaging in Universal Profile 4.0 (2026); rollout depends on carriers and devices.
See also: Universal Profile 4.0, Rich card
Subscribe event
A webhook event signaling a user opted in to an agent, used for consent management.
See also: Unsubscribe event, Opt-in
Suggested action
A tappable button that triggers a device action — open URL, dial, view/share location, or create a calendar event — with display text and postbackData.
See also: Suggested reply, postbackData
Suggested reply
A tappable button that sends a predefined response in one tap (up to ~25 characters), returning postbackData to the webhook — the cleanest way to capture intent.
See also: Suggested action, Chip list
Suggestion
An umbrella term for suggested replies and suggested actions — the tappable buttons that make RCS interactive.
See also: Suggested reply, Suggested action
Super app
A single app combining many services (chat, commerce, payments, services). RCS is increasingly described as evolving toward a super-app surface in the inbox.
See also: Conversational commerce, MIVC
T
TCPA
Telephone Consumer Protection Act: the US federal law governing automated calls and texts, including consent and opt-out rules, enforced by the FCC and via private lawsuits.
See also: CTIA, Consent
Telemarketing Sales Rule
An FTC rule governing telemarketing that, among other things, requires keeping consent records for at least five years.
See also: FTC, Consent
Test device
A phone on the agent's allowlist used to preview and test messages before launch.
See also: Allowlist, Sandbox
The Campaign Registry
TCR: the US registry managing brand and campaign registration for A2P messaging, charging brand, vetting, and campaign fees that providers pass through.
See also: 10DLC, Brand registration
Throughput
The rate at which messages can be sent, often expressed as transactions per second; influenced by trust scores and provider limits.
See also: TPS, Rate limiting
Time zone targeting
Scheduling messages to arrive at an appropriate local time for each recipient, improving engagement and compliance with quiet hours.
See also: Scheduled message, Quiet hours
TLS
Transport Layer Security: the encryption protecting RCS messages in transit between user, provider, and backend. Business RCS uses TLS but is not end-to-end encrypted.
See also: E2EE, MLS
Toll-free messaging
A2P messaging over toll-free numbers, a verified alternative to short codes and 10DLC long codes for business texting.
See also: Short code, 10DLC
TPS
Transactions Per Second: the throughput limit governing how many messages an account can send per second.
See also: Throughput, Rate limiting
Tracking link
A URL with parameters that records clicks, letting senders measure engagement from message buttons and links.
See also: URL click tracking, Click-through rate
Transactional
An RBM agent use case for non-marketing notifications (confirmations, updates, alerts), which require prior express consent.
See also: Use case, Promotional
Trust badge
A general term for the verification checkmark and branded identity that signal a genuine, vetted RCS business sender.
See also: Verification badge, Verified sender
Trust score
A rating of a registered brand's or campaign's legitimacy that influences messaging throughput and deliverability; better vetting raises it.
See also: Brand vetting, Throughput
Two-factor authentication
Verifying identity with a second factor, commonly a one-time passcode. RCS can deliver these via a verified OTP agent.
See also: OTP
Two-way messaging
Conversational messaging where recipients can reply and interact, enabling support, surveys, and commerce — native to RCS.
See also: Conversation, Chatbot
Typing indicator
The animation showing that the other party is composing a message, supported in RCS but not SMS.
See also: Read receipt, RCS messaging
U
Universal Profile
The GSMA specification defining RCS features and technical enablers so implementations interoperate across carriers and devices.
See also: GSMA, Interoperability
Universal Profile 3.0
The RCS Universal Profile version (March 2025) that introduced end-to-end encryption for personal chats via the MLS protocol.
See also: Universal Profile, MLS
Universal Profile 4.0
The RCS Universal Profile version finalized March 2026, adding Messaging-Initiated Video Calls, rich-text formatting, and streaming video in rich cards; rollout depends on carriers and devices.
See also: MIVC, Streaming video
Unsubscribe event
A webhook event signaling a user opted out of an agent, used to suppress further messaging for consent compliance.
See also: Subscribe event, Opt-out
URL click tracking
Measuring taps on links within messages, often via tracking links, to gauge engagement and conversion.
See also: Tracking link, Click-through rate
UScellular
A US carrier that supports RCS, alongside the three major operators; it also applies per-message A2P carrier surcharges.
See also: Carrier
Use case
The defined purpose of an RBM agent or campaign — OTP, transactional, promotional, or multi-use — governing what it may send.
See also: Transactional, Promotional
V
Validity period
How long a message remains valid for delivery before it expires if undeliverable.
See also: Delivery window, Scheduled message
Variables
Placeholders in a message or template (such as name or order number) replaced with recipient-specific values at send time.
See also: Dynamic content, Message template
Verification badge
The checkmark shown with a verified RCS sender, signaling that Google and carriers have vetted the brand — RCS's anti-spoofing cue.
See also: Verified sender, Trust badge
Verified sender
A business RCS identity vetted by Google and carriers, displayed with the brand's name, logo, and verification badge — the core anti-spoofing feature of RCS.
See also: Verification badge, RBM Agent
Verified SMS
Google's earlier feature that displayed brand verification on SMS, a precursor to the verified senders now native to RCS Business Messaging.
See also: Verified sender, SMS
Vetting
The review process that validates a brand's legitimacy for messaging, affecting trust scores and throughput; enhanced vetting is available at higher cost.
See also: Brand vetting, Registration
Video calling
Starting a video call from a conversation, introduced to RCS as Messaging-Initiated Video Calls in Universal Profile 4.0 (2026).
See also: MIVC, Universal Profile 4.0
View location action
A suggested action that opens a map at a specified location (latitude/longitude with a label) when tapped.
See also: Share location action, Suggested action
W
Webhook
An HTTPS endpoint where the RCS platform sends real-time events — inbound messages, suggestion taps, delivery and read receipts, typing, and opt-in/out.
See also: Webhook event, RCS API
Webhook event
A single notification delivered to a webhook, such as delivered, read, inbound message, suggestion response, typing, failure/fallback, or subscribe/unsubscribe.
See also: Webhook, postbackData
WhatsApp Business
Meta's business-messaging product on the WhatsApp app. It offers rich, two-way messaging but requires the app, unlike RCS which lives in the native inbox.
See also: OTT messaging, iMessage