Creating and sending an Inbox message

Here's an example of an inbox message that is configured in the UI and how it displays on an iOS device:

Before you begin

Before you create your message, review the list in the article, How does a marketer create and send a mobile app message?:

When these steps are completed, you're ready to create and send the message.

Process

Complete the steps below to send an inbox message.

1. Create a new mobile app message. Go to Mobile > Message drafts, and then click New Draft.
2. Set up your message by entering message details. Message details include the app group, contact source, and optionally A/B testing configuration.
   • The App Group is a group of iOS and/or Android apps that are registered with the mobile app service and then pre-configured in the system by your mobile app developer. If you select an app group that contains both iOS and Android services, you will see both content areas in Enter Message Content.
   • In Contact Summary, view the contact source that contains the contacts that you want to send your message. By default, the contact source is initialized with the database that is enabled for Mobile App Messages. Because only one database per organization is allowed for mobile apps, the mobile app message draft automatically detects the mobile app-enabled database and loads it.
   • (Optional) In A/B Testing, toggle On if you want to test multiple mobile app messages with a small group of contacts to see which message is most effective. Important: If you're enabling A/B Testing, go to Creating an A/B Test for Mobile App Messages for complete details.
3. Select Inbox and complete the delivery details. You can add the delivery information to the mobile app template, name the mobile app message, choose where you want to save the message, and then name the mobile app campaign.
   • In the Delivery Name field, give the mobile app message a unique name. This is a mandatory field with a maximum number of 255 characters in length. No special characters are allowed.
   • In the Location field, select the location where you would like to save your message. Only you can access content in your private folder. Users in your organization can access the content in the organization's shared folder. If you want to publish the message to Programs or use it in an API call, save your message in a shared folder.
   • In the Campaign Name field, give a meaningful campaign to uniquely identify the mobile app marketing campaign that includes this mobile app message and all associated email and SMS emails.
4. Open or select an inbox template. Inbox templates are configured by your mobile app developer and may include video and image templates and/or optional HTML content blocks. You'll need to set up the message separately for each device.

   Note: If only one inbox template exists, the system will automatically show it. If more than one template is available, click Change and select an alternate template.

   Traditional inbox template

   Create an HTML message that can be accessed from the inbox within the app. This template includes a short preview of the inbox.

   • Title: The title shows as the first line in the message.
   • Inbox Preview: Type the text that will show in the app's inbox.
   • Select Content: Click to select an HTML content block that includes your message and image.

   Image template

   Add an image to your inbox message to create a better UI experience.

   • Content information
     • Main Image URL: This image displays at the top left corner of the inbox message.
     • Title: The title shows as the first line in the message.
     • Subtitle: The subtitle displays under the title in the inbox message.
     • Additional Image URL: This image displays in the inbox message.
     • Notification Message: This notification message appears in the inbox message.
     • Left action
       • Displayed Action Label: Enter the label for the action on the left side of the inbox message.
       • Enter the left action URL: Enter the URL for the action on the left side of the inbox message.
     • Right action
       • Displayed Action Label: Enter the label for the action on the right side of the inbox message.
       • Enter the right action phone number: Enter the phone number for the action on the right side of the inbox message.
     • Center action
       • Displayed Action Label: Enter the label for the action in the center of the inbox message.
       • Enter the center action URL: Enter the URL for the action in the center of the inbox message.

   Video Template

   Add a video to your inbox message to create a better UI experience.

   • Content information
     • Video URL: The video displays in the inbox message.
     • Title: The title shows as the first line in the message.
     • Subtitle: The subtitle displays under the title in the inbox message.
     • Main Image URL: This image displays in the inbox message.
     • Notification Message: This notification message appears in the inbox message.
   • Left action
     • Displayed Action Label: Enter the label for the action on the left side of the inbox message.
     • Enter the left action URL: Enter the URL for the action on the left side of the inbox message.
   • Right action
     • Displayed Action Label: Enter the label for the action on the right side of the inbox message.
     • Enter the right action phone number: Enter the phone number for the action on the right side of the inbox message.
   • Center action
     • Displayed Action Label: Enter the label for the action in the center of the inbox message.
     • Enter the center action URL: Enter the URL for the action in the center of the inbox message.

   Want to alert the customer that they have an unread inbox message in their Mobile app? See Inbox Message Badge Management for information.

5. Complete the optional Delivery Option settings fields in the mobile app message draft. This setting is located on the Add Settings page.
   • Tagging: Select a tag from the list. The list includes all tags available to an organization. Add tags to your mobile app message deliveries to help categorize and locate messages. You can also run reports by tag name.
   • Note for this message: Describe the mobile app message delivery. Contacts cannot see these notes, only users in your organization who have access to this draft can see them.
   • Throttling: Enter the maximum number of messages, rounded to the nearest thousandth, that you would like to send per hour. This setting allows you to control the maximum number of messages sent to contacts per hour. After you confirm and send your draft, throttling will commence.

   Here are a few things to consider when using throttling:

   • Throttling does not work with the Use Recipient Timezone setting.
   • The minimum throttling rate is 1,000.
   • The throttling rate is in multiples of 1,000. The system will round the entered number to the nearest thousand. For example, if you enter 1,112 this will be replaced with 1,000; if you enter 1,850 this will be replaced with 2,000. The send is divided into buckets of 1,000 and these buckets are evenly distributed over the course of an hour based on the throttling rate.
   • If you enter a throttling rate greater than the number of contacts, throttling will be overridden and the mobile app message will be sent immediately. For example, if the contact list contains 5,000 contacts and you enter a throttling rate to 10,000, the message will be sent immediately.
   • The 'one hour' send period begins when you click Send Now or, for Scheduled mobile app messages, at the scheduled send time. For example, if the throttling rate is 10,000 and you click Send at 3:15 pm, the message will be sent out to 10,000 contacts over the course of the hour (3:15 pm to 4:15 pm).
6. Finalize your message. You'll need to resolve any warnings and errors before you schedule or send the message. You can schedule the message to send immediately or at a later date or publish the message to make the message available for programs and API calls. You'll also confirm the details of your message before you send it.
   1. Sending the message immediately

      You can send the message now and if available, configure Set Inbox Message Expiration Date to determine when the message will expire.

   2. Scheduling mobile messages

      Schedule a notification or message when you want to send the message in the future and if available, determine when the message expires. After you complete this task, confirm the settings in the message and then send it on the scheduled date and time.

      You can determine when you want to process the contact source and schedule the message to send using a different time zone. If you schedule the message using a different time zone and the scheduled time passed in the alternate or recipient time zone, the message is immediately sent to the recipients.

      • Use alternate time zone: Schedule the send time using a time zone different from the time that is configured in your user profile settings.
      • Use recipient time zone: Schedule the send time using each recipient's local time zone. When you select this option, click Calculate to see a count of recipients and time zones that are included in your contact source and app group. You can also View Details to see the location of your recipients in their respective time zones on an interactive map.

        Do you have large volumes of messages that you want to send at the scheduled time?

        You can pre-process your messages up to one day before the scheduled send. Choose when you want the system to process your contact source: Immediately, 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours, or 1 day before the send.

        Do you want to determine when the mobile message expires and will no longer be available in the app?

        On the Schedule this Message page, choose Set Message Expiration Date. The setting will show if the mobile app developer added it to the template. Choose when you want the message to expire:

        • Default expiration: expires 30 days after the message is sent.
        • Fixed period from send time: expires after a specified number of days or hours that you select.
        • Fixed date: expires on a specified date that you select. The maximum setting is 1 year.
   3. Publishing mobile messages

      Click Publish to use your mobile message in a Program or to use it for APIs. If available, select when you want the message to expire. After the message is published, you can click Go to Programs or Create a New Message.

      Only messages that have been published appear in the Push Step selector for a Push Notification step in a program.

      Notes for publishing on the Confirm and send page:

      • The Contact Source of the Program or API call is used.
      • The Shared/Private Location is ignored since Programs must be a shared resource.
      • The Schedule type defaults to Publish.
   4. Confirm and send

      The Confirm and send page is the last page in the process and is the final step before the message is sent (or is scheduled to send). It shows you a summary of all mobile message settings including message details, delivery options, device actions, and scheduling information.

      Review all of your settings. If you need to make any changes, click Cancel to return to the mobile message draft. Otherwise, click Send Now for immediate sends, Send as Scheduled for scheduled sends, or Publish to make the message available in Programs and the API.

      After the message is sent or scheduled successfully, you can click the Scheduled Message link below the confirmation to see any scheduled and sent messages on the Mobile Messages and Templates page.