---
title: "RCS Launch Checklist: Go Live With a Verified Agent"
description: "An RCS launch checklist for brands: agent assets, brand verification, operator approval, test devices, message design, SMS fallback and how to measure a pilot."
canonical: "https://omnichannels.ai/blog/rcs-launch-checklist/"
language: "en"
updated: "2026-10-10"
publisher: "BroadNet Technologies"
brand: "OmniChannels.ai"
category: "sms"
primaryQuery: "rcs launch checklist"
keywords: ["how to launch rcs business messaging", "rcs agent launch approval", "rcs brand verification", "rcs test devices", "rcs message design", "rcs pilot metrics", "rcs sms fallback"]
published: "2026-10-10"
author: "OmniChannels.ai Editorial Team"
reviewer: "BroadNet Messaging Solutions Team"
readingMinutes: 12
answer: "To launch RCS business messaging, pick one use case, confirm operator coverage in each target country, and prepare the agent's name, logo, banner, description, privacy policy and opt-out handling. Submit brand verification and launch approval, test on registered devices, and design each message with an SMS equivalent. Go live with capability checks, message expiry and SMS fallback, then compare results against an SMS control group before you scale."
takeaways: ["Google requires brand verification by an authorized brand contact before an agent's first launch, and the review may be run by Google, by carriers or by both.", "Before launch, an RBM agent can only message test devices that have been registered and have accepted the invitation.", "Google's documentation recommends a capability check before messaging a user and returns an error when the device or network cannot receive RCS, so fallback is the sender's job.", "Setting a message expiration (ttl or expireTime) revokes undelivered RCS messages automatically and is the natural trigger for an SMS fallback.", "A pilot should compare cost per completed action against an SMS control group, because price per message alone does not show whether RCS pays off."]
faq: 
  - q: "How long does it take to launch an RCS agent?"
    a: "There is no fixed timeline. Brand verification, Google's review and each operator's approval run in sequence or in parallel depending on the carriers you select, and some operators require a direct agreement with the brand. Plan per operator, prepare all assets before submitting, and treat the first launch as a project measured in weeks. Your provider confirms the expected steps for each market during onboarding."
  - q: "Can I launch RCS in the UAE, Saudi Arabia or other GCC countries?"
    a: "Availability depends on whether each operator in the country has launched RCS business messaging and approves your agent. This varies by operator and changes over time, so there is no single answer per country. Ask your provider for per-operator coverage in each target market; with OmniChannels.ai this is confirmed during onboarding, and SMS fallback covers recipients who cannot receive RCS."
  - q: "What assets do I need for RCS agent approval?"
    a: "Expect to supply the agent's display name, logo, banner image, brand colour, a short description, contact details such as a phone number, website and email, and links to your privacy policy and terms. Google's launch review also asks for a description of the agent experience, the declared use case, how users are triggered and opt out, and a preview video or transcripts."
  - q: "Can customers message my RCS agent first?"
    a: "According to Google's documentation, users cannot start a conversation with an RBM agent. The business sends the first message, triggered by an event such as an order or booking, and the user can then reply. If you need customers to start conversations from your website or ads, WhatsApp click-to-chat links or SMS keywords are better suited to that job."
  - q: "Do I still need SMS after launching RCS?"
    a: "Yes. RCS reaches only recipients whose device, messaging app and operator support it, and some users will be offline or have RCS turned off. Keep an SMS version of every message and send it when the platform returns an error or the RCS message expires undelivered. This keeps the experience consistent for every customer while RCS coverage grows."
  - q: "How should I measure an RCS pilot?"
    a: "Use a control group that receives the same message by SMS, then compare delivery rate, read rate where read receipts are available, action rate on buttons or links, and cost per completed action. Read receipts depend on user settings, so treat them as a signal rather than a complete count. Decide to scale only when the completed-action numbers justify the extra effort."
sources: 
  - title: "Launch approval — RCS for Business, Google for Developers"
    url: "https://developers.google.com/business-communications/rcs-business-messaging/guides/launch/launch-approval"
  - title: "Brand verification — RCS for Business, Google for Developers"
    url: "https://developers.google.com/business-communications/rcs-business-messaging/guides/launch/brand-verification"
  - title: "Send messages — RCS for Business, Google for Developers"
    url: "https://developers.google.com/business-communications/rcs-business-messaging/guides/build/messages/send"
  - title: "Capability checks — RCS for Business, Google for Developers"
    url: "https://developers.google.com/business-communications/rcs-business-messaging/guides/build/capabilities"
  - title: "Best practices — RCS for Business, Google for Developers"
    url: "https://developers.google.com/business-communications/rcs-business-messaging/guides/learn/best-practices"
---

# RCS Launch Checklist: Go Live With a Verified Agent

Canonical: https://omnichannels.ai/blog/rcs-launch-checklist/
Language: en
Publisher: OmniChannels.ai by BroadNet Technologies

This checklist is for marketing, CRM and product teams that have decided to try RCS business messaging and now need to get an agent live without losing weeks to rework. It walks through every stage, from choosing the first use case to reading pilot results. If you still need the basics of what RCS is and how it differs from SMS, start with [RCS Business Messaging explained](/blog/rcs-business-messaging-explained/) and come back here.

## What does an RCS launch involve?

An RCS launch has five stages: scope, assets, approval, build and test, and pilot. Most delays come from the first three, not from engineering, because approvals depend on brand evidence and on each operator's process.

RCS Business Messaging (RBM) runs through Google's RBM platform, which Google now calls RCS for Business. A brand is represented by an "agent": the verified sender profile with your name, logo and description. Your messaging provider connects your systems to the platform, and mobile operators decide whether RBM traffic reaches their subscribers.

| Stage | Main output | Who is involved | Typical blocker |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Scope | One use case, target countries and operators | Product, marketing, provider | Trying to launch every use case at once |
| 2. Assets | Logo, banner, description, policies, opt-out wording | Brand, legal | Missing privacy policy or unclear use case |
| 3. Approval | Brand verification and launch approval | Brand contact, Google, operators | Unreachable brand contact; operator contracts |
| 4. Build and test | Messages, fallback, webhooks, test results | Engineering, provider | No SMS equivalent designed for each message |
| 5. Pilot | Results against an SMS control group | CRM, analytics | Measuring opens instead of completed actions |

## Stage 1: How do you choose the first use case?

Pick one use case where rich content clearly beats plain text and where you already send SMS, so you have a baseline. A narrow first launch is approved faster and gives cleaner results.

Google's launch review asks you to declare the agent's use case. The categories in its documentation are OTP, transactional, promotional and multi-use. Your declared use case shapes what reviewers expect to see in your triggers, content and opt-out handling, so be precise.

Good first candidates:

- **Order and delivery updates.** A rich card with the item image, delivery window and "Track" or "Reschedule" actions replaces a long SMS with a link.
- **Appointment reminders.** A card with date, time and location, plus suggested replies such as "Confirm" and "Reschedule" and an "Add to calendar" action.
- **Branded OTP.** A short code message from a verified sender, which helps customers tell genuine codes from phishing. Keep SMS as the guaranteed path; see our [OTP messages guide](/blog/otp-authentication-messages-guide/).
- **Targeted promotions.** A carousel of products for customers who opted in to marketing. Promotions face the strictest review and consent expectations, so they are rarely the best first launch.

### Map countries and operators

List your target countries and, within each, the operators that carry most of your customers. RBM reaches a subscriber only if that operator has launched RBM and approved your agent. In the GCC and wider MENA region, availability depends on operator and country and is confirmed during onboarding; do not plan around a country-level "RCS is live here" claim.

## Stage 2: What assets do you need before submitting?

Prepare every asset before you submit, because changes after submission restart parts of the review. The agent profile is also what customers see, so treat it as brand work, not paperwork.

### Agent profile checklist

1. **Display name** that matches your consumer brand exactly, not a legal entity name customers do not recognize.
2. **Logo** in the format and dimensions your provider specifies, readable when shown small and cropped to a circle.
3. **Banner image** for the agent's information page, with no small text.
4. **Brand colour** with enough contrast for text on buttons.
5. **Short description** saying what the agent sends, for example "Order updates and delivery scheduling from Rawda Home."
6. **Contact options**: at least one of phone, website and email, all working and monitored.
7. **Privacy policy and terms of service** on a public website, linked from the agent.
8. **Languages**: decide whether the agent will message in Arabic, English or both, and prepare content in each.

### Review evidence checklist

Google's launch documentation lists what a Google-managed review needs. Prepare:

1. A working, publicly accessible website for the brand.
2. Links to the privacy policy and terms of service.
3. A description of the agent experience, with a preview video or detailed conversation transcripts.
4. The declared use case.
5. Descriptions of how users are triggered, how they interact, and how they opt out, consistent with the use case.
6. STOP handling in every language the agent uses, including a confirmation that the user is unsubscribed.

Write transcripts that show real flows, including what happens when a user replies with free text you do not expect.

## Stage 3: How do brand verification and launch approval work?

Brand verification confirms that an authorized person at the brand approves the agent's information and your provider's right to manage it. According to Google, it is required before the first launch and happens after the launch request is submitted.

You will name a brand contact: an employee with the authority to confirm the agent. Google, operators or both may contact this person, depending on the launch type. The most common avoidable delay is a contact who is on leave, does not recognize the request, or forwards it to an inbox nobody reads. Brief them in advance.

Launch approval is then handled by Google, by operators, or by both, depending on the operators you select. Google's documentation notes that some operators run their own review and require a direct agreement with the brand, and that those operators reject a launch if no contract is in place. That is why the launch plan should be built per operator, not per country.

### Approval checklist

- [ ] Brand contact named, briefed and reachable during the review window.
- [ ] Use case declared and consistent with all transcripts and triggers.
- [ ] Operator list confirmed with your provider, including any that need a direct contract.
- [ ] Opt-out wording approved by legal in every language.
- [ ] Internal owner assigned to answer reviewer questions quickly.

After launch, Google Messages shows a verification checkmark next to the agent's name, and the agent's details page states who verified it.

## Stage 4: How should you build and test RCS messages?

Build each message as a pair: the RCS version and the SMS version carrying the same essential information. Then test on real devices before launch.

### Design rules for each message type

Google's documentation sets limits you should design within: text messages of up to 3,072 characters, rich cards with up to four suggestions each, carousels of 2 to 10 cards, up to 11 suggestions on a message, and suggestion labels of up to 25 characters. Media files have size limits too.

| Message type | Use it for | Design rule | SMS equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text with suggested replies | Confirmations, quick choices | Two to four replies with short, distinct labels | Text with a reply keyword or link |
| Rich card | Orders, bookings, reminders | One image, one clear title, one primary action | Text with the key facts and one link |
| Carousel | Product or option choice | Few cards; each must stand alone | Text with a link to a list page |
| Suggested actions | Open URL, dial, location, calendar | Label says the outcome, such as "Track order" | The same URL or number in text |
| Media and PDF | Tickets, invoices, menus | Check size limits; add a text summary | Link to the file |

Practical rules that hold across types:

- **Put the essential facts in text**, not only inside an image. Some recipients will get the SMS version, and screen readers need text.
- **Use suggestion labels that act as verbs**, such as "Reschedule" or "Pay now", and keep them under the documented limit in both languages; Arabic labels often need separate editing.
- **Do not overbuild.** A ten-card carousel for a simple reminder adds friction and review questions.
- **Handle free-text replies.** Route unexpected replies to a person or a clear menu instead of ignoring them.

### Build the delivery logic

Google's documentation recommends checking a user's capabilities before starting a conversation and only using features the device supports. Capability checks return what a device supports when the number has connected to RCS recently; Google also offers bulk checks that estimate how many numbers are reachable without revealing device features.

Plan for three outcomes when you send:

1. **Accepted and delivered.** You receive a DELIVERED event at your webhook, and possibly a READ event if the user has read receipts on.
2. **Rejected at send.** Google returns 404 NOT_FOUND when the device does not support RCS, RCS is off, or your agent is not launched on that network, and 400 INVALID_ARGUMENT when the message uses a feature the device does not support. Send the SMS version immediately.
3. **Accepted but not delivered.** The user may be offline. Google queues undelivered messages for up to 30 days, so set a message expiration with `ttl` or `expireTime`. When it expires, the platform revokes the message and notifies you, and you send the SMS version.

Google also recommends confirming that a message was not delivered before sending it again, and using unique message IDs, so customers do not receive duplicates. Our [channel fallback strategy guide](/blog/channel-fallback-strategy/) covers timeouts and duplicate prevention across WhatsApp, RCS and SMS in detail.

### Test on registered devices

Before launch, an RBM agent can only message test devices that you register and that accept the invitation. Use them deliberately:

- [ ] At least one test device per major operator in each target market, with SIMs active.
- [ ] Android with Google Messages, and iPhone on a carrier where business RCS is supported, if your audience includes both.
- [ ] Every message rendered in Arabic and English, including right-to-left layout in cards.
- [ ] Every suggested reply and action tapped, and every reply received by your webhook.
- [ ] STOP and its equivalents tested in each language, with confirmation sent.
- [ ] A device with RCS turned off, to confirm the SMS fallback fires.
- [ ] An offline device, to confirm expiry triggers fallback and nothing arrives twice.

## Stage 5: How do you run and measure an RCS pilot?

Run the pilot against a control group that receives the same message by SMS, and judge it on completed actions per unit of cost.

### Pilot checklist

1. **Define the action** you care about: delivery scheduled, appointment confirmed, payment made.
2. **Split the audience** among RCS-capable recipients: most get RCS, a holdout gets SMS only. Comparing RCS users against non-capable users mixes channel effect with audience differences.
3. **Track per message**: sent, delivered, read where available, action taken, fallback triggered, opt-outs.
4. **Treat read receipts carefully.** They depend on user settings, so a missing READ event does not prove the message was unread.
5. **Calculate cost per completed action** for RCS, including fallback SMS, and for the SMS-only group. Your provider's rate card gives per-message costs; see [pricing](/pricing/).
6. **Review opt-outs and replies** for signs that frequency or content is wrong.
7. **Decide**: scale, adjust and rerun, or stop.

## Worked example: a Gulf furniture retailer's first RCS agent

"Rawda Home" (synthetic) is a furniture retailer selling in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. It sends delivery-scheduling SMS today, and many customers call the contact centre to change slots.

- **Scope.** The team chooses one transactional use case: delivery scheduling. Its provider confirms which operators in each country have launched RBM; coverage differs by operator, so the pilot runs only where the agent is approved.
- **Assets.** Marketing supplies the consumer brand name, logo, banner and an Arabic and English description. Legal confirms the privacy policy link and STOP wording in both languages. The head of e-commerce is named as brand contact and briefed.
- **Messages.** A rich card shows the product image, the proposed delivery window, and three suggested replies: "Confirm", "Change slot" and "Talk to us". "Change slot" opens a carousel of available windows. The SMS version carries the same window and a link to a scheduling page.
- **Delivery logic.** Each send has an expiration set well before the delivery day's cut-off. A 404 response or an expiry sends the SMS version, and the system records which channel delivered so nobody gets both.
- **Pilot.** Among RCS-capable customers, a holdout group receives SMS only. After the pilot, the team compares the share of deliveries confirmed without a call, and the cost per confirmed delivery, before deciding whether to add order tracking as a second use case.

## What are the common launch mistakes?

Most failed or slow RCS launches trip over the same few issues.

- **Launching several use cases at once.** Each adds review questions and content to approve.
- **Using a legal entity name** as the display name, which customers do not recognize.
- **An unprepared brand contact**, which stalls verification.
- **Assuming country-wide coverage.** Reach is decided per operator, per device and per user setting.
- **No SMS version of each message**, so non-capable recipients get nothing.
- **No message expiration**, so offline users receive stale OTPs or expired offers days later.
- **Resending without checking delivery**, which creates duplicates.
- **Treating read rates as complete**, when receipts depend on user settings.
- **Ignoring consent.** RCS promotions need the same opt-in and opt-out discipline as SMS; see our [consent guide](/blog/opt-in-consent-multichannel-campaigns/).

**Limits of this checklist:** Google's requirements, operator processes and device support change. Confirm current rules in Google's documentation and with your provider before each launch. This is practical guidance, not legal advice.

## How OmniChannels.ai helps

OmniChannels.ai provides [RCS business messaging](/channels/rcs/) through BroadNet Technologies, a Google RBM partner. You get a verified branded sender, rich cards, carousels of up to 10 cards, suggested replies and actions, and automatic SMS fallback where RCS is not available, using BroadNet's direct operator connectivity for [SMS](/channels/sms/). Delivery statuses from every channel arrive in one webhook format. Developers can start with the [RCS API documentation](/developers/rcs/). Operator coverage for your markets is confirmed during onboarding.