Definition
Suggested replies and actions are tappable chips in RCS Business Messaging. A reply sends predefined text back to the business. An action triggers a device function such as opening a URL, dialling a number, sharing a location or adding a calendar event.
According to Google's documentation, a single message supports a maximum of 11 suggestions in total, and each suggestion label can be up to 25 characters. Rich cards hold up to four persistent suggestions inside the card, and transient chips appear below it. Persistent suggestions count towards the 11.
When a user taps a suggested reply, the agent receives an event with the reply text and postback data, which can be up to 2,048 characters. That makes routing reliable without free-text parsing. Suggested actions include opening a URL (Google Messages shows the destination URL inside the button), dialling, viewing or sharing a location, and creating a calendar event.
Suggestions are the RCS equivalent of WhatsApp reply buttons and are central to conversational flows, surveys and self-service menus.
Keep chips short, action-oriented and distinct. Do not offer more than the user needs, and make sure the agent also handles typed replies and the STOP keyword.