Plivo Blog | News, Industry Trends and Analysis, and Best Practices by the Plivo Team

But what if you could send rich, interactive messages with branded content, images, buttons, and carousels straight to your customers’ native messaging apps?

Rich communication services (RCS) makes that possible.

If you’re ready to explore how RCS marketing can transform your engagement strategy, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know. Let’s get started.

What is RCS marketing?

RCS marketing uses rich communication services to send interactive, branded messages through a customer’s default messaging app. It’s a modern upgrade to SMS that lets businesses share images, buttons, carousels, and more — all without needing third-party apps.

A user on Reddit summed up this perfectly:

Screenshot of a Reddit comment explaining what RCS is — *RCS explained by a Reddit user*

RCS lets you send messages that are visually branded with logos and colors while remaining interactive. This turns static updates into an app-like experience inside a message.

This shift is part of a broader industry move, led by Google and backed by major mobile carriers, to upgrade messaging infrastructure and make RCS the default standard on Android devices.

As support continues to grow, businesses are adopting RCS as part of their customer engagement strategy. Platforms like Plivo make that adoption easier with a reliable, enterprise-grade gateway to deliver rich, reliable RCS campaigns at scale.

RCS vs. SMS marketing: A quick comparison

Marketers today are looking for ways to deliver more interactive and visual communication, and RCS is clearly leading the way.

While SMS still works well for simple alerts, it lacks the creativity and engagement that RCS marketing offers.

Let’s take a quick look at RCS vs. SMS marketing.

Key feature	SMS marketing	RCS marketing
Message length	Limited to 160 characters; with longer messages split	Up to 8,000 characters in a single message
Multimedia	Supports only plain text and links; needs MMS for multimedia	Natively supports high-resolution photos, videos, audio, and GIFs
Security and verification	No built-in sender verification	Includes verified sender profiles with business name, logo, and custom colors
Read receipts	No standardized way to know if a message was delivered or read	Provides delivery and read receipts for real-time engagement tracking
Typing indicators	Doesn't show when the other party is typing	Displays typing indicators, creating a more conversational feel
Interactive buttons	Not supported; calls to action (CTAs) are limited to plain text links	Allows interactive buttons with predefined replies and actions
User experience	Static, text-heavy, and transactional	Dynamic, visually rich, and conversational — feels more like a mobile app
Analytics and reporting	Basic delivery tracking (if supported by carrier)	Advanced analytics: opens, clicks, conversions, and user behavior tracking

4 key benefits of RCS marketing

RCS marketing makes messaging feel more natural for both you and your customers. And since you can see what’s working and what’s not, it’s easier to pivot your strategy and get better results.

Here are its four key benefits.

1. Improved user interaction

One of the biggest advantages of RCS marketing is how seamless it makes the experience for your customers. Instead of typing out replies or clicking a link to open a website, users can just tap a button right inside the message.

Want them to book a demo, check order status, or browse products? It’s all possible with just a tap.

Fewer steps mean less effort, and that leads to more people following through. In fact, individuals spend up to 37 seconds engaging with RCS messages, which is a lot longer than most other types of mobile messaging.

Image showing the engagement results of RCS messaging — *People engage more with RCS than any other platform*

That extra time and interaction can make all the difference when you’re trying to convert interest into action.

2. Consistent brand experience

RCS marketing doesn’t just tell people who you are — it shows them.

Verified business profiles help people know they’re getting messages from the real brand. Every message shows your brand’s logo, name, colors, and a checkmark. These small details make it clear that the message is coming from a genuine source.

Image showing that MAYI - HOMES sends a verified RCS message with branding — *Verified RCS message from MAYI - HOMES*

This consistency matters because 88% of people are more likely to buy from a brand they trust.

3. In-depth analytics

With RCS marketing, you can track open rates, button clicks, and how people interact with each part of your message.

You get clear visibility into what’s working and where users are dropping off.

This makes it much easier to measure the return on investment (ROI) and fine-tune your campaigns. The more you understand how people engage, the better you can shape your messaging for results.

4. Higher conversion potential

RCS marketing makes it easier for customers to take action — whether that’s browsing products, booking a service, or making a purchase — all within the message itself.

With fewer clicks and no need to switch apps, the path to conversion feels effortless. And when it’s that easy, more people follow through.

For example, EaseMyTrip used RCS to run a post-COVID travel survey. They added quick-tap answer options and followed up with a thank-you coupon. The campaign saw a 4x higher click-through rate than email, 10x more survey completions, and a 2.7% increase in conversion rate.

5 major use cases of RCS marketing

Here are five major use cases showing how brands are using RCS marketing effectively.

1. Product promotions

RCS makes product promotions feel more like browsing a store than reading a message. Brands can send image carousels that customers can swipe through to explore new arrivals, check product details, and see what’s available without leaving their messaging app.

Verified RCS message highlights a 25% off promotion on all items — Verified RCS message from Daily-donuts

Example: A fashion retailer promoting its spring collection could send an RCS message featuring a carousel of outfits with styled images, prices, and buttons like “View Lookbook” or “Shop Now.”

Tapping a button could open a mini product page inside the chat, letting customers browse and buy without switching apps.

2. Abandoned cart reminders

The average cart abandonment rate is over 70%, which means most shoppers never make it to the finish line. RCS marketing can help bring them back by making the reminder more engaging and easier to act on.

You can send a message that shows exactly what they left behind, along with a clear button to complete the purchase. It’s visual, straightforward, and the entire experience stays within their messaging app.

Example: A home electronics store could follow up with customers who left a pair of wireless earbuds in their cart. The RCS message might include a product photo, the price, and a “Buy Now” button that takes them straight to checkout.

3. Appointment confirmations and reminders

A PhD thesis from Manchester Metropolitan University found that forgetfulness is the most common reason people skip their appointments.

RCS makes it easier for both businesses and customers to stay on the same page. You can send a message that shows the appointment details along with a simple calendar view. Add buttons to confirm, reschedule, or cancel — all within the chat.

Image depicting an interactive RCS booking confirmation message — Booking confirmation via RCS with quick action buttons

Example: A dental clinic could use RCS to remind patients of upcoming cleanings. The message might show the date, time, and location of the appointment, plus a “Confirm” button and options to “Reschedule” or “Cancel.”

Patients can respond instantly, helping the clinic manage its schedule more efficiently.

4. Customer surveys and feedback

Getting feedback is important, but most customers lack the time or patience to complete lengthy forms. RCS marketing makes it easier by allowing brands to ask short, targeted questions and receive quick responses.

Plus, the rich features of RCS let you include images, ratings, or multiple-choice options, making feedback feel more like a conversation.

Example: A restaurant could send an RCS message after a meal asking customers to rate their experience with simple buttons like “Excellent,” “Good,” or “Needs Improvement.”

The message might also include a photo of the dish they ordered and a quick question like, “What did you like most?” This quick interaction makes it easy for customers to respond and gives the restaurant valuable insights.

5. Customer support follow-ups

After a support request is resolved, following up shows customers you care and helps close the loop on their experience. But if the follow-up message gets buried in an email inbox or goes unnoticed, that opportunity to connect is lost.

With RCS marketing, you can send a quick message to check if everything’s working fine. You can include helpful buttons like “Change Password,” “Manage Account,” or “Talk to Support.”

Support bot provides instant replies and follow-ups for customer queries — AI-powered support for account management

RCS marketing myths and realities

Despite RCS marketing’s growing adoption and proven results, some common misconceptions still hold businesses back from trying it. Let’s look at a few of the biggest myths and what’s actually true.

Myth 1: RCS marketing is too expensive

At first glance, RCS business messaging can seem like a pricey upgrade. Rich visuals, tap-to-action buttons, and branded layouts look premium, so it’s easy to assume they come with a hefty cost.

But cost alone doesn’t tell the full story.

What you get in return matters more. RCS drives significantly stronger engagement with higher click-through rates, increased interactions, and better overall outcomes.

Take Club Comex, the loyalty program of North American paint brand Comex. They sent two rich and interactive RCS campaigns to their members and saw a 10x higher click-through rate, which helped increase revenue by 115%.

That’s the value side of the equation. Better targeting and richer content mean more people click, engage, and convert.

Myth 2: RCS marketing doesn’t reach enough users to be worth it

This concern made sense in the early days of RCS, when adoption was still catching up. But the landscape looks very different now.

In June 2024, the 12-month growth of RCS users reached 36.3%, showing faster uptake than other messaging channels. More Android devices support RCS by default, and it’s being rolled out across more networks globally. Even Apple has announced support, which means RCS is on track to reach a massive number of smartphone users worldwide.

With that kind of growth and widespread support, the hesitation around RCS is starting to fade. Brands can confidently invest in RCS marketing knowing it will connect with more customers than ever before.

Myth 3: RCS gets treated like spam and ends up ignored just like emails

Unlike email, RCS messages appear directly in the user’s primary messaging app alongside personal conversations. They include rich media and interactive elements, making them more engaging and less likely to be ignored.

This creates a more natural, conversational experience that drives higher open and response rates than traditional marketing channels.

Why choose Plivo for your RCS marketing needs

With RCS, you can turn simple messages into rich, branded conversations that feel more like chatting than broadcasting.

Plivo gives you the tools to make that shift without the hassle. From verified messaging to smart automation, everything works together to help you connect better and respond faster.

When combined with AI Agents and a unified customer data platform, RCS becomes more than just messaging. You can deliver personalized experiences at scale, automate everyday interactions, and keep conversations flowing without lifting a finger.

Here’s what you get with Plivo’s RCS API:

Real-time personalization: AI Agents tailor conversations using customer profiles and behavior triggers to improve engagement and conversions.
Multi-channel fallback: If RCS isn’t supported, messages automatically switch to SMS to ensure delivery and maintain consistent communication.
Conversational automation: AI Agents handle FAQs, process orders, schedule deliveries, and route complex queries within RCS.
All-in-one messaging platform: Manage RCS, SMS, WhatsApp, Voice, and more from a single dashboard.
Reliable performance: 99.99% uptime and global infrastructure keep your campaigns running smoothly.

With Plivo’s no-code tools, you can quickly launch AI-powered RCS messaging across channels and deliver a consistent customer experience from day one.

See how you can launch your first RCS marketing campaign with Plivo by requesting a demo today!

‍

Jun 19, 2025

5 mins

WhatsApp Agent Setup: How to Launch AI-Powered Conversations at Scale

Learn how WhatsApp agent setup works using Plivo to launch AI-powered, no-code agents that handle support, sales, and engagement at scale.

Your customers are on WhatsApp but are your agents?

If you’re still relying on manual replies, scripted chatbots, or email follow-ups, you’re leaving response time and revenue on the table.

The smarter path? AI-powered WhatsApp agents. They’re full-service, no-code agents that can resolve issues, qualify leads, and send personalized offers 24/7.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through WhatsApp agent setup using Plivo and understand how these agents help you automate conversations that convert.

What is a WhatsApp AI agent?

A WhatsApp AI agent is an automation designed to operate over the WhatsApp Business API. Unlike scripted bots, agents are built to understand intent, pull in context from your internal systems, and complete business tasks like answering account-specific questions or initiating transactions.

Plivo’s WhatsApp AI agents can be trained to use your brand voice, integrated with your CRM or helpdesk, and customized to handle specific use cases, such as subscription renewals, cart recovery, refund processing, or customer onboarding.

They are accessible through a no-code interface and support a multilingual, omnichannel customer experience across WhatsApp, SMS, RCS, and voice.

What you need before setting up your agent

To go live with a WhatsApp agent, you need:

A verified Meta Business Account
An active WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) tied to a phone number
Pre-approved message templates for outbound communication
WhatsApp Business API access through a business solution provider (BSP) (Plivo offers this natively)
A platform to design, train, and manage agents (Plivo Agent Studio)

Also read: How to Create WhatsApp Message Templates: A Complete Guide

Optional but recommended integrations:

CRM (like Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zoho)
Helpdesk (like Zendesk or Freshdesk)
E-commerce or billing tools (Shopify, Stripe, etc.)

Pro tip: If you want to fast-track API access and template approval, using a BSP like Plivo saves weeks of back and forth with Meta.

Step-by-step: How to set up a WhatsApp agent with Plivo

Follow this step-by-step guide for a smooth WhatsApp agent setup with Plivo.

Step #1: Choose your primary use case and define agent scope

Don’t build a generic bot. Start with why you’re automating. This could be handling support queries, sending order updates, re-engaging inactive customers, or managing subscription renewals.

Image showing users how to build their own lead qualification agent in Plivo — *Build a WhatsApp AI agent in Plivo*

Plivo provides a library of prebuilt AI agents for common use cases like cart recovery, lead qualification, appointment reminders, and product recommendations. You can choose to use one as-is or customize it to fit your business process. Each agent is compatible with WhatsApp and designed to operate across channels as needed.

Your online pet supply business sells dog food with a typical reorder cycle of 30 days. You want to automate reminders for repeat customers, so they never run out.

The goal is to build a WhatsApp AI agent that:

Identifies past purchase dates
Sends a timely reminder before the next reorder window
Offers a one-click reorder option with a discount
Escalates to a live agent if the customer has special dietary questions

Pro tip: If you're unsure where to begin, look at existing interactions on WhatsApp that are repetitive, time-sensitive, or frequently escalated — these are ideal starting points for automation.

Step #2: Build the agent using Plivo’s no-code platform

Since your API access is already set up, you can begin building your agent in Plivo’s Agent Studio. This is a visual, drag-and-drop builder where you create conversation flows using blocks that represent actions, responses, conditions, and triggers.

Image showing WhatsApp AI agent setup in Plivo without code — *No-code campaign automation in Plivo’s AI Studio*

You can structure your flow to respond to specific keywords, match customer intent, route inquiries to different departments, or escalate to a live agent when needed. Each step in the journey can include media-rich responses like buttons, product carousels, quick replies, and file attachments.

Beyond logic design, you can also configure fallback rules for when the agent is unsure, and add human handoff conditions to ensure escalations happen smoothly with full context transferred to the live agent.

Image demonstrating smart handoff from AI agents to human agents in Plivo — *Human handoff conditions in Plivo*

Example: In Agent Studio, you set up a trigger to activate the agent 25 days after a customer’s last dog food purchase.

The agent starts with: “Hi Alex! It’s almost time to restock Luna’s Chicken & Brown Rice dog food. Want us to ship it today with 10% off?”

Depending on the customer’s reply:

“Yes” triggers a checkout link
“No” prompts a snooze option or opt-out
“I have a question” escalates to a human agent with the full order history

This step allows you to fully customize the agent’s tone, workflow, and logic to reflect how your brand communicates.4

Example: In Agent Studio, you set up a trigger to activate the agent 25 days after a customer’s last dog food purchase.

The agent starts with:
“Hi Alex! It’s almost time to restock Luna’s Chicken & Brown Rice dog food. Want us to ship it today with 10% off?”

Depending on the customer’s reply:

“Yes” triggers a checkout link
“No” prompts a snooze option or opt-out
“I have a question” escalates to a human agent with the full order history

Step #3: Train your agent with AI

Plivo supports integration with internal systems like your CRM, order management platform, inventory tools, or helpdesk. This means your agent can access real-time customer data, past orders, preferences, and policies to deliver personalized responses.

You can also connect your knowledge base, including FAQs, SOPs, product documentation, or policy articles. These resources train the agent to respond accurately and contextually, without needing scripted answers.

Dashboard image of Plivo’s AI Studio prompting users to import from a file or sync from a website — *Import external knowledge from various sources into Plivo*

For natural language understanding, Plivo gives you the flexibility to choose the AI model that powers your agent.

Image depicting LLM options for your WhatsApp AI agent in Plivo — *Select the LLM that fits your business best*

You integrate your Shopify store to pull order dates and product SKUs. You also sync your product FAQ sheet so the agent can answer:

“Is this food grain-free?”
“What’s the shelf life?”
“Can I switch to lamb instead of chicken?”

You power the agent using OpenAI to ensure a natural, friendly tone and multilingual support for your Spanish-speaking customers.

Step #4: Test, launch, and monitor your agent

Once your flow is built and trained, run controlled tests:

Check for flow accuracy and intent matching
Review how it handles incomplete or unclear inputs
Test human handoff and see if the agent transfers the full context

Image showcasing WhatsApp AI agent engagement analytics in Plivo — *Monitor agent performance and engagement with Plivo*

Plivo’s real-time dashboard lets you:

Monitor delivery, engagement, and satisfaction metrics
Track where users drop off in conversations
Identify areas to improve agent logic or content
Compare campaign and agent performance across channels

After launch, your agent keeps learning. As more customers interact, you’ll gather insight to improve how it responds or what paths it offers.

You run a test with 50 loyal customers. The data shows that:

72% clicked the reorder button within three hours
18% asked about switching flavors
10% requested a pause or cancel

You adjust the flow by adding a flavor selection block and a “remind me next week” option. The analytics also show high engagement around 8 p.m., so you shift reminder timings accordingly.

Plivo is purpose-built for WhatsApp AI agent deployment

Plivo’s platform is designed to help you move from idea to live AI-powered engagement without requiring engineering support or external consultants. When you use Plivo for WhatsApp agent setup, you get:

Access to prebuilt agents for sales, support, and engagement
Intuitive no-code builder (Agent Studio) that puts you in control
Deep integration with your business systems for real-time, contextual replies
Support for the best LLMs on the market, so your agent is trained with intelligence
Built-in compliance with WhatsApp’s policies and global data laws
Unified interface to manage messaging across WhatsApp, SMS, RCS, and Voice
Enterprise-grade infrastructure with 99.99% uptime and expert onboarding support

Automate outcomes with WhatsApp agent setup in Plivo

Smart WhatsApp automation starts with smart setup. With Plivo's no-code platform, you can automate customer conversations, boost sales, and scale support — all without a development team.

Plivo offers the tools to build agents that reflect your brand, the infrastructure to scale securely, and the intelligence to adapt with your customer needs.

Whether you're trying to cut support wait times, recover abandoned carts, or drive upsells through personalized outreach, a well-built WhatsApp agent can make it happen, and Plivo makes it achievable.

Ready to get started? Request a free trial today!

‍

Jun 19, 2025

5 mins

The Definitive Guide to Automating WhatsApp for Business

Learn how WhatsApp automation can simplify customer communication and scale operations. Know about its key benefits and use cases. Get started today.

Remember when WhatsApp was just a simple messaging app? Launched in 2009, it was a tool for friends and family to stay in touch.

Fast-forward to today, and WhatsApp has become a global powerhouse with over 3 billion monthly active users. Businesses worldwide leverage WhatsApp to connect with customers, share updates, and provide support.

Many businesses struggle to keep up with the growing volume of customer messages on WhatsApp. Manually handling inquiries, sending updates, or following up on leads can quickly become overwhelming and inefficient.

This is where WhatsApp automation steps in.

By automating repetitive messaging tasks, businesses can reduce manual workload, respond faster, and deliver more personalized, timely communication.

In this article, we'll explore what WhatsApp automation is, why it's essential for modern businesses, and how you can implement it to improve customer engagement and operational workflows.

What is WhatsApp automation?

WhatsApp automation is the use of technology to automatically send and manage messages on the platform, especially for business and customer engagement purposes.

It doesn’t require human intervention for every interaction. As a result, businesses can handle customer inquiries, deliver updates, and engage with prospects efficiently.

Image showing WhatsApp with a conversation, highlighting conversational commerce. — A customer engaging with a brand through WhatsApp for shopping -Source

With WhatsApp business automation, you can:

Auto-respond to FAQs and reduce ticket volume.
Reduce customer support load with proactive messaging.
Route complex support queries to live agents only when needed.
Send order confirmations and delivery updates automatically.
Share return instructions based on customer actions.
Run re-engagement campaigns with smart timing.
Integrate with Shopify, Magento, and more for real-time updates.
Trigger workflows from CRMs or e-commerce platforms.
Keep messaging compliant with auto opt-outs and logs.

Here’s a breakdown of the three main types of automated messaging on WhatsApp:

Message Type	Description	Example
Transactional	Messages are triggered by specific customer actions or events.	"Your order has been shipped!"
Promotional	Messages that promote products, services, or special offers.	"Get 20% off your next purchase – limited time only!"
Conversational	Automated responses that simulate a two-way conversation.	"How can I assist you today?"

Key benefits of WhatsApp automation

By automating routine tasks, WhatsApp can help your business stay responsive and consistent across customer touchpoints. Here’s how it can benefit your business:

Reduce manual workloads and response times

When you automate WhatsApp interactions, every department, from marketing to customer service, runs more smoothly.

By automating routine tasks like order updates, FAQs, and customer inquiries, businesses can significantly reduce the manual effort required.

This means your team spends less time on repetitive tasks and more time focusing on high-priority interactions.

Result: Faster response times and more efficient workflows.

Increases the scalability of customer interactions

As your business grows, the number of customer interactions increases. Automation allows you to scale communication efforts without hiring additional staff or losing the personal touch.

Whether you're dealing with 50 or 5,000 customers, automated responses ensure that each inquiry is handled swiftly and consistently.

Enhances customer experience through personalization

Automated WhatsApp messages can be personalized based on customer data, creating a more relevant and tailored experience.

From addressing customers by name to offering product recommendations based on past purchases, personalization makes customers feel valued. This leads to higher engagement rates and improved loyalty.

End result: Higher customer satisfaction and increased loyalty.

Cost-effectiveness compared to manual processes

WhatsApp automation eliminates the need for large customer support teams and reduces the time spent on repetitive tasks.

This saves on operational costs and also leads to a more efficient allocation of resources.

Pro tip: Monitor your automation metrics regularly to find areas where you can cut costs further without affecting quality.

5 popular use cases of WhatsApp automation across industries

Businesses everywhere are finding new ways to use WhatsApp automation. Here are five popular examples:

1. Customer support

Automating common FAQs and routine inquiries on WhatsApp helps customers get instant answers anytime. This reduces the number of tickets support teams have to handle, letting them focus on more complex problems.

Example messages:

“Hi! How can I help you today? Here are some quick answers: For billing info, reply 1; For plan details, reply 2.”

“We’ve received your request and will get back to you within 24 hours.”

2. E-commerce operations

Order confirmations, shipping updates, and delivery notifications keep customers informed every step of the way. Automating returns and collecting feedback via WhatsApp speeds up these processes and improves customer satisfaction.

Example messages:

“Thank you for your order #12345! It is being processed and will ship soon.”

“Good news! Your package is out for delivery and should arrive by 5 PM today.”

“Need to return an item? Reply ‘Return’ and we’ll guide you through the process.”

3.Marketing and lead nurturing

Automated lead follow-ups ensure timely, consistent engagement with prospects, boosting conversion chances. Also, you can use personalized re-engagement campaigns to help bring back inactive customers with offers or updates tailored to their interests.

Example messages:

“Hi [Name], thanks for your interest! Ready to take the next step? Book a free demo here: [link]”

“We miss you! Enjoy 15% off your next purchase with code WELCOME15.”

“Exclusive offer just for you, [Name]! Check out our new arrivals: [link]”

4.Event management and invitations

Automated WhatsApp invites, updates, and follow-ups keep your audience informed and engaged, boosting the attendance rate. This helps you stay connected and make every event a success.

5.Appointment scheduling and reminders

Timely reminders help customers remember appointments, reducing cancellations and improving the overall experience. Automation makes scheduling easier and more efficient for both businesses and customers.

Example messages:

“Your appointment with Dr. Smith is confirmed for June 20 at 2 PM. Reply ‘Cancel’ to reschedule.”

“Hi! Just a friendly reminder about your hair salon appointment tomorrow at 11 AM.”

“Need to book an appointment? Reply ‘Book’ and we’ll help you find the perfect time.”

Step-by-step guide to implement WhatsApp automation for your business

To successfully implement WhatsApp automation, follow these key steps that cover planning, setup, and optimization.

Step 1: Define your use cases and goals

Start by identifying which business functions, such as order updates, customer support, or lead follow-ups, will benefit most from automation.

Set clear, measurable goals like:

Reducing response times
Lowering manual workload
Boosting customer engagement

This will guide your automation strategy and help you track success.

Also, ensure compliance from the start. WhatsApp requires businesses to obtain explicit customer opt-in before sending messages. To stay compliant:

Use clear, transparent language when requesting consent.
Collect opt-ins through channels like website forms, checkout flows, or click-to-chat ads.
Log and manage consent within your systems for audit readiness.

Data privacy and compliance are essential for building trust and maintaining long-term customer relationships.

Step 2: Choose the right WhatsApp business API provider

Select a platform that fits your specific needs. Look for features like:

Robust CRM integrations
Audience segmentation
Flexible automation workflows

These capabilities simplify your communication and scale your efforts efficiently.

Make segmentation a priority, use tagging and grouping strategies to target the right customers with the right messages.

With smart tagging and grouping, you can:

Deliver personalized messages
Engage the right people at the right time
Improve conversion and retention

Example: Send exclusive offers to loyal buyers and welcome discounts to new customers. Good segmentation enhances your automation and drives better outcomes.

Step 3: Set up your WhatsApp business account

You must set up a verified WhatsApp Business account to use WhatsApp for automated messaging. This includes:

Registering your business name and details.
Verifying a dedicated phone number.
Getting approval from Meta to use the WhatsApp Business API.

This ensures that your business is recognized as a legitimate sender.

Your WhatsApp API provider will typically assist with onboarding, including submitting documentation and setting up the technical aspects.

Some platforms also offer pre-built tools to help you manage mobile number registration, display name approval, and message template submissions.

Pro tip: To avoid disruptions, choose a phone number that’s not already tied to a personal WhatsApp account.

Step 4: Create and submit message templates

Start by designing message templates for everyday customer interactions, such as:

Promotional messages (e.g., limited-time offers)
Transactional updates (e.g., order confirmations, delivery alerts)
Support messages (e.g., ticket updates or issue resolution)

Each template must follow WhatsApp’s formatting and content policies.

Once your templates are ready, submit them through your WhatsApp API provider for Meta’s approval. Only approved templates can be used for proactive messaging.

Step 5: Build automation workflows

Now that your account and templates are ready, it’s time to connect WhatsApp with the rest of your tech stack. Integrate with:

CRM systems (to access customer data)
Support tools (for query management)
E-commerce platforms (to track orders and actions)

Use event-based triggers, like a new order, a cart abandonment, or a support ticket, to automatically send relevant messages.

Additionally, plan for human fallback. Automation can’t handle everything. Build intelligent workflows that escalate to a human agent when:

A customer requests help
The query is too complex
Sentiment detection flags a negative experience

This keeps your support experience smooth, responsive, and frustration-free.

Step 6: Test, launch, and optimize

Start with a pilot campaign to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Track key metrics:

Response time
Open rate
Conversion rate

Use these insights to refine your workflows, improve message content, and adjust targeting.

Best practices for WhatsApp automation

Following some proven best practices is essential to get the most out of WhatsApp automation. Here’s what you need to know:

Tips for optimizing messaging frequency and timing

To keep your audience interested, it's vital to message thoughtfully and strategically. Here are some quick tips:

Avoid over-messaging to prevent unsubscribes.
Use analytics to identify when your audience is most active and receptive.
Space out messages to keep it natural.
Monitor response rates and adjust based on customer behavior and feedback.

Leverage data analytics for campaign performance

By tracking metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and response times, you gain valuable insights into what works and what doesn’t. Use this data to refine your messaging, target relevant audience segments, and optimize timing.

Regularly reviewing analytics helps you make informed decisions that boost engagement and drive better results over time.

Compliance and customer privacy protection

To protect your customers and stay compliant, focus on these key areas:

Compliance	What it means	Best practise
GDPR	Protects the personal data of EU customers	Obtain consent, allow easy opt-out, and secure data
SOC 2	Ensures security and confidentiality standards	Implement strong data controls and audits
Customer privacy	Respect and protect user information	Be transparent, limit data use, and maintain trust

Enhance customer communication with Plivo’s AI WhatsApp automation

The growing demand for instant, tailored communication on WhatsApp puts pressure on businesses to respond quickly. Customers expect fast, personalized replies around the clock, and doing this manually often leads to delays, inconsistent service, and missed opportunities.

Finding a way to scale these conversations efficiently is critical for businesses looking to stay competitive.

That’s where Plivo comes in, an industry-leading omnichannel platform that automates and personalizes WhatsApp conversations, delivering timely responses at scale.

By leveraging Plivo’s WhatsApp AI agents, businesses can manage a wide range of customer communication tasks, from pre-sales inquiries to post-purchase support, without increasing their team size.

Here’s how Plivo can enhance your customer communication:

Brand-aligned AI agents: You can customize the AI agents to reflect your brand’s voice, tone, and style. This makes all customer interactions align with your brand’s identity and deliver a personalized experience.
AI customer service agent: Plivo’s AI agents work around the clock, ensuring your customers receive timely responses, regardless of the time zone. These agents process orders, resolve support issues, and answer questions.

AI customer service agent managing chats and orders. — Plivo’s AI agents provide 24/7 support, processing orders and answering customer questions promptly.

Natural, human-like conversations: With AI agents, you can engage in context-aware conversations, mimicking human interactions. They remember customer preferences and history to provide relevant responses like a human agent would.
Simple, volume-based pricing: Plivo charges a flat fee per conversation rather than per message, making costs predictable and scalable. Volume discounts are available to lower your total spend as your messaging needs grow.

Image showing Plivo’s flat-fee per conversation pricing with volume discounts. — Plivo charges a flat fee per conversation with volume discounts.

Built-in compliance: Plivo ensures compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, and SOC 2 standards.
Guaranteed message delivery with fallback options: The platform delivers billions of messages annually and uses SMS and voice fallback channels to ensure your customers always receive important communications.
24/7 availability: Plivo's AI agents provide instant, 24/7 assistance, answering questions, processing orders, and resolving customer issues.
Multilingual support: With support for 70+ languages, Plivo’s AI agents can engage with customers globally and offer a multilingual customer service experience.
E-commerce platform integrations: Integrate seamlessly with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and Magento to deliver a unified customer experience across all touchpoints.

With Plivo’s vast carrier network spanning over 220 countries, businesses can significantly cut SMS costs by up to 70% while achieving threefold returns on investment.

Many companies using Plivo CX have experienced remarkable results, earning an outstanding $71 for every dollar invested in their SMS marketing efforts.

Book a free demo today and see how Plivo’s AI WhatsApp agents can change your customer communication strategy.

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May 7, 2022

5 mins

Users Love Plivo

Plivo is the highest-ranked cloud communications platform for ease of setup, ease of administration, customer service and support, and user satisfaction.

Company

CPaaS

When you think about purchasing something, what’s the best indication that you’re investing in something worthwhile? It isn’t the price or the specs. The best indication is a glowing recommendation from someone you trust.

Customer satisfaction is the reason retail websites let customers rate and review products they buy (and why vendors try to game the process, but that’s another story). It’s also why enterprise software review sites such as G2, Capterra, FinancesOnline, and Software Advice exist.

Personal recommendations are worth a lot. If you have a friend or colleague who uses Plivo, ask them what they think of our cloud communication platform. If you don’t, check out the software review sites. You’ll find that Plivo is consistently ranked highest in its category for ease of use, customer service, and user satisfaction.

Those high ratings don’t happen by accident. Customer success is a key priority for everyone at Plivo — not just our support team, but also our documentation writers, our customer success managers, and company executives. Even our sales team considers user satisfaction a key result. We won’t get your signature on a sales contract and disappear. Instead, we provide consultative support to get you started quickly on the road to success.

G2, the top peer-to-peer reviews site for enterprise software, shows Plivo ranked number one overall and number one in satisfaction among cloud communications platforms. Read the report, and also check out the G2 Grid for Cloud Communications Platforms. See that green logo all the way over on the right of the Satisfaction axis, ahead of 18 competitors? That’s us.

In the G2 report, we received top-of-the-list rankings in six categories:

Likelihood to recommend
Ease of admin
Ease of doing business with
Quality of support
Ease of setup
Ease of use

Plivo’s overall satisfaction score was 97, making us the highest-rated cloud communication platforms on the market. By comparison, Twilio, our top competitor, scored 75. We received ratings of four or five stars (out of a possible five) from 95% of reviewers. You can get the full comparison report here.

All of that love and approval from people who use our software suggests you owe it to your company to put Plivo on your short list of evaluation candidates. See for yourself how well Plivo meets your business needs. Sign up for a free trial today.

Looking to see how Plivo stacks up to other competitors? Learn why Plivo is the best alternative to Exotel or see why we're the number one Vonage alternative.

May 6, 2022

5 mins

How to Send MMS in Ruby using Plivo’s Messaging API

Plivo's SMS API and Voice API enables businesses to communicate with their customers at global scale. Sign up for free now.

Ruby SDK

SMS API

MMS API

How To

Overview

This guide shows how to send an MMS message to any phone number. Businesses can make messages more meaningful by using MMS instead of SMS and including images, audio, and video to provide context.

Here’s how to use Plivo’s SMS APIs to send outbound MMS text messages.

How it works

Prerequisites

To get started, you need a Plivo account — sign up with your work email address if you don’t have one already. If this is your first time using Plivo APIs, follow our instructions to set up a Ruby development environment.

Create the send MMS application

Create a file called send_mms.rb and paste into it this code.

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require 'rubygems'
require 'plivo'

include Plivo

api = RestClient.new("<auth_id>","<auth_token>")
  response = api.messages.create(
    src:"<sender_id>",
    dst:"<destination_number>",
    text:"Hello, from Ruby!",
    media_urls:["https://media.giphy.com/media/26gscSULUcfKU7dHq/source.gif"],
    media_ids:["801c2056-33ab-499c-80ef-58b574a462a2"],
    type: "mms"
  )
puts response

Replace the auth placeholders with your authentication credentials from the Plivo console. Replace the phone number placeholders with actual phone numbers in E.164 format (for example, +12025551234). In countries other than the US and Canada you can use a sender ID for the message source. You must have a Plivo phone number to send messages to the US or Canada; you can buy a Plivo number from Phone Numbers > Buy Numbers on the Plivo console or via the Numbers API.

Note: We recommend that you store your credentials in the auth_id and auth_token environment variables to avoid the possibility of accidentally committing them to source control. If you do this, you can initialize the client with no arguments and Plivo will automatically fetch the values from the environment variables. You can use ENV to store environment variables and fetch them when initializing the client.

Test

Save the file and run it.

ruby send_mms.rb

Note: If you’re using a Plivo Trial account, you can send messages only to phone numbers that have been verified with Plivo. You can verify (sandbox) a number by going to the console’s Phone Numbers > Sandbox Numbers page.

Haven’t tried Plivo yet? Getting started is easy and only takes minutes. Sign up today.

May 4, 2022

5 mins

How to Receive and Respond to Incoming MMS Messages in Ruby with Rails and Plivo

Plivo's SMS API and Voice API enables businesses to communicate with their customers at global scale. Sign up for free now.

Ruby SDK

SMS API

MMS API

How To

Overview

This guide shows how to receive and automatically respond to incoming MMS messages on a Plivo number, as you might want to do for someone who’s out of the office or who leaves the company.

Here’s how to use Plivo’s SMS APIs to build this use case.

Prerequisites

To get started, you need a Plivo account — sign up with your work email address if you don’t have one already. To receive incoming messages you must have a Plivo phone number that supports MMS; you can rent numbers from the Numbers page of the Plivo console or by using the Numbers API. If this is your first time using Plivo APIs, follow our instructions to set up a Ruby development environment and a web server and safely expose that server to the internet.

Create a Rails server to receive MMS messages

Change to the project directory and run this command to create a Rails controller for inbound messages.

$ rails generate controller Plivo sms

This command generates a controller named plivo_controller in the app/controllers/ directory and a respective view in the app/views/plivo directory. We can delete the view as we don’t need it.

$ rm app/views/plivo/sms.html.erb

Create the autoresponder application using Rails server

Edit app/controllers/plivo_controller.rb and paste into it this code.

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include Plivo
include Plivo::Exceptions
include Plivo::XML

class PlivoController < ApplicationController
  skip_before_action :verify_authenticity_token
  def receive-mms
		from_number = params[:From]
		to_number = params[:To]
		text = params[:Text]
		media_url = params[:Media0]
      	puts "Message received - From: #{from_number}, To: #{to_number}, Text: #{text}, Media: #{media_url}"

		if text.downcase == "hi"
			text = "Hello!"
	   		media = ["https://media.giphy.com/media/888R35MJTmDxQfRzfS/giphy.gif"]
		elsif text.downcase == "bye"
			text = "Bye and have a nice day!"
			media = ["https://media.giphy.com/media/QM5lHSyFjz1XW/giphy.gif"]
		else
		    text = "I'm glad that we connected"
	        media = ["https://media.giphy.com/media/888R35MJTmDxQfRzfS/giphy.gif"]
		end
		
		api = RestClient.new("<auth_id>","<auth_token>")
		response = api.messages.create(
		src:to_number,
		dst:from_number,
		text:body,
		media_urls: media,
		type: "mms"
  )
  	render json: response.to_s
	end
end

Add a route

Edit config/routes.rb and change the line

Rails.application.routes.draw do
  get 'plivo/sms' 
end

Rails.application.routes.draw do
  post 'plivo/receive-mms/' => 'plivo#receivemms'
end

Test

Start the Rails server

$ rails server

You should see your basic server application in action at http://localhost:3000/plivo/receive-mms/.

Replace the auth placeholders with your authentication credentials from the Plivo console

Note:

We recommend that you store your credentials in the auth_id and auth_token environment variables, to avoid the possibility of accidentally committing them to source control. If you do this, you can initialize the client with no arguments and Plivo will automatically fetch the values from the environment variables. You can use os module(os.environ) to store environment variables and fetch them when initializing the client.
Sending and receiving MMS is only available in the United States and Canada.

Expose your local server to the internet.

Create a Plivo application

Associate the Rails server you created with Plivo by creating a Plivo application. Visiting Messaging > Applications and click Add New Application. You can also use Plivo’s Application API.

Give your application a name — we called our Receive-MMS. Enter the server URL you want to use (for example https://<yourdomain>.com/receive-mms/) in the Message URL field and set the method to POST. Click Create Application to save your application.

Assign a Plivo number to your application

Navigate to the Numbers page and select the phone number you want to use for this application. From the Application Type drop-down, select XML Application. From the Plivo Application drop-down, select Respond-MMS (the name we gave the application).

Click Update Number to save.

Test

Send a text message to the Plivo number you specified using any phone. The message should be replied to the destination number you specified.

Note: If you’re using a Plivo Trial account, you can make calls only to phone numbers that have been verified with Plivo. You can verify (sandbox) a number by going to the console’s Phone Numbers Sandbox Numbers page.

Haven’t tried Plivo yet? Getting started is easy and only takes minutes. Sign up today.

Apr 27, 2022

5 mins

How to Send MMS in .NET using Plivo’s Messaging API

Plivo's SMS API and Voice API enables businesses to communicate with their customers at global scale. Sign up for free now.

.NET SDK

SMS API

MMS API

How To

You can use Plivo’s SMS API to send an MMS message to any phone number. Businesses can make messages more meaningful by using MMS instead of SMS and including images, audio, and video to provide context.

How it works

Prerequisites

Create the send MMS application

In Visual Studio, in the CS project, open the file Program.cs and paste into it this code.

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using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using Plivo;
using Plivo.Exception;

namespace SdkTestDotnet
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            var api = new PlivoApi("<auth_id>","<auth_token>");
            try
            {
                var response = api.Message.Create(
                    src:"<sender_id>",
                    dst:"<destination_number>",
                    text:"Hello, from .NET!",
                    type:"mms",
                    media_urls: new string[]{"https://media.giphy.com/media/26gscSULUcfKU7dHq/source.gif"},
                    media_ids: new String[]{"801c2056-33ab-499c-80ef-58b574a462a2"}
                );
                Console.WriteLine(response);
            }
            catch (PlivoRestException e)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Exception: " + e.Message);
            }
        }
    }
}

Note: We recommend that you store your credentials in the auth_id and auth_token environment variables to avoid the possibility of accidentally committing them to source control. If you do this, you can initialize the client with no arguments and Plivo will automatically fetch the values from the environment variables. You can use the Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable method to store environment variables and Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable to fetch them when initializing the client.TestSave the file and run it.

Note: If you’re using a Plivo Trial account, you can send messages only to phone numbers that have been verified with Plivo. You can verify (sandbox) a number by going to the console’s Phone Numbers > Sandbox Numbers page.

Haven’t tried Plivo yet? Getting started is easy and only takes minutes. Sign up today.

Apr 23, 2022

5 mins

How to Handle SMS and Voice Communications Using Ruby

Send and receive SMS text messages and make and receive voice calls with Ruby, the Plivo Ruby SDK, and Plivo APIs.

Ruby SDK

Voice API

SMS API

How To

Apr 22, 2022

5 mins

How to Integrate Plivo Tasks into a Tray Workflow

Plivo's SMS API and Voice API enables businesses to communicate with their customers at global scale. Sign up for free now.

Integration

How To

Tray is an application integration platform that lets users connect applications to create complex workflows. It supports Plivo, so you can create workflows that trigger Plivo to send an SMS or MMS message or make a voice call and speak text.

To start using Plivo with Tray, you need a Tray account — sign up for a free trial — and a voice- or SMS-enabled Plivo phone number. You can purchase numbers from the Phone Numbers page of the Plivo console, or by using the Phone Number API.

A sample Plivo/Tray integration

To see how Tray works, we’ll create a workflow that integrates Plivo and Salesforce. In this workflow, every time a Salesforce Opportunity record is updated, a trigger gets fired. If the change that fired the trigger was to update the stage name to “Closed Won,” then Tray will call Plivo to send an MMS message with the opportunity details.

To get started, open Tray’s Workflow Editor and click New workflow. Give your workflow a name (we used Salesforce Opp Trigger), then click Next. On the next screen you can choose how the integration gets triggered. Tray offers eight options, or you can choose an external application. That’s what we need — choose Salesforce, then click Create workflow.

Click on the Salesforce trigger to configure it. At the top of the properties panel at the right of the screen select “On Record Update” as the action.
Click Describe and rename the tool Salesforce Opp Trigger.
Click Authenticate and enter your Salesforce credentials.
Click Input data, and from the Record type drop-down, select “Opportunity.”

With that, we’ve told Tray to trigger the workflow every time a Salesforce Opportunity record is updated.

When the workflow is triggered, we want to check whether the new value of the Stage field is “Closed Won,” and if it is, we want to take another action — namely, send a text message.

To check the value, click the plus sign under the connector to add another Salesforce service connector, but this time set the action at the top of the properties panel to “Find records.”

In the properties panel, click Describe and rename the tool Get Opportunity Details.
Click Authenticate and enter your Salesforce credentials.
Click Input Data, and from the Record type drop-down, select “Opportunity.”
Under Fields, click Add to Fields and add the Name, Account ID, Stage, Amount, and Close Date fields. We’re retrieving more than just the Stage field because we plan to use the values of the other fields in our future text message.
Now we specify that we want these field values only from the record with the Opportunity ID that triggered the workflow. Under Conditions, click Add to Conditions. A new condition will appear. Set Field to Opportunity ID and Operator to Equal to. For Value, click on the datatype dropdown and choose jsonpath. Then click in the field to pick the ID, which then shows up in the box as $.steps.trigger.events[0].Id. Alternatively, you can drag the mouse from the Value setting to the Salesforce Opp Trigger icon and select the ID field there.

Now we can check whether the Stage is Closed Won.

Click the plus sign again to add another connector at the bottom, and this time choose Boolean under Logic Tools. Click Boolean Condition.

In the properties panel, click Describe and rename the tool Check If Closed Won.
Click Input data and fill in some required values.
For 1st Value field, click the datatype drop-down and choose jsonpath. Then click in the field and choose Stage, which will show up as $.steps.salesforce-1.records[0].StageName. Alternatively, you can drag the mouse from the 1st Value setting to the previous step in the workflow and select the stage name field there.
For Comparison type, use Contains.
For 2nd Value, enter “Closed Won” (without the quotation marks).

If the boolean test returns false, meaning it’s not a Closed Won, we don’t have to do anything. But if the test returns true, we have to retrieve the account name from the Account record so we can include it with the other information we already retrieved in our text message.

Click the empty box in the True branch and add another Salesforce service connector.

In the properties panel, click Describe and rename the tool Get Account Details.
Set the action at the top of the configuration pane to “Find records.”
Set Record type to “Account.”
Under Fields, click Add to Fields and add the Account Name field.
Under Conditions, click Add to Conditions. A new condition will appear. Set Field to Account ID, Operator to Equal to, and Value to $.steps.salesforce-1.records[0].AccountId. Alternatively, you can drag the mouse from the Value setting to the previous step in the workflow and select the stage name field there. This gives us access to the Account Name of the Account record whose ID matches the Account ID we retrieved earlier, which we’ll use in the text message we plan to send.

Now we have all the information we need to send a text message. Click the plus sign under the previous connector and choose the Plivo service connector.

In the properties panel, click Describe and rename the tool Celebrate Using Plivo.
Set the action at the top of the properties panel to “Send an MMS.”
Click Authenticate, then enter your Plivo authentication information. You can find your Plivo Auth ID and Auth Token on the overview page of the Plivo console.
Click Input data. For Source, enter the number you want to be the caller ID for the text message. Set Destination to be the phone number you want to receive the text message. Set Text to: New opportunity closed won, let’s celebrate! Account Name: {$.steps.salesforce-2.records[0].Name} Owner Name: {$.steps.salesforce-1.records[0].Opportunity_Owner_Name__c} Closed Date: {$.steps.salesforce-1.records[0].CloseDate} To enter the variable names, begin typing {$ and you’ll see a list of values from which to select. Click Add to Media URLs. Set Media URL to “” which is the address of a happy GIF file. If you left this off, you could send an SMS message instead of MMS; the process is otherwise the same.

Your workflow is now complete. Click Enable workflow at the bottom of the page, then test your configuration by marking an opportunity in a Salesforce Opportunity record Closed Won and checking the device associated with the destination phone number for the message you’re expecting.

Haven’t tried Plivo yet? Getting started is easy and only takes minutes. Sign up today.

Apr 8, 2022

5 mins

How to Turn Liquid into Communications Gold

How to use Liquid template elements to pass dynamic payloads to PHLO

PHLO

Features

A cloud communications platform can help businesses automate communication with their customers and prospects. Businesses can programmatically send and receive calls and text messages using Plivo’s voice API or SMS API for a variety of use cases.

Plivo’s APIs make coding communication applications simple — and we make developers even more efficient by providing a tool for building applications through a graphical user interface. PHLO (Plivo High-Level Objects), our visual workflow design studio, is a no-code/low-code environment that lets you construct applications using visual building blocks and invoke them either from a program, using just a few lines of code, or directly from a web page. We’ve written a slew of use case guides that show you how to build feature-rich voice and messaging applications.

In PHLO you can use parameters such as phone numbers in your applications in two ways: either by specifying the exact values you want to pass or by using template elements.

Liquid is an open source template language originally developed by Shopify. Web developers use template languages to build web pages that combine static content (text and graphics that are the same on multiple pages) and dynamic content, which changes from one page to the next. Liquid elements act as placeholders; at run time, they’re replaced by values you pass through them.

Static and dynamic payloads

How does this work in PHLO? Consider the simple case of sending an SMS message. Suppose you work for a professional practice that has multiple locations, and you want to send your clients an appointment reminder on the day before they’re scheduled to meet with you. Your application needs to be aware of three fields: the number you’re sending the message from, the number you’re sending the message to, and the text of the message.

In this case you would probably use a static field for the message sender — your business’s long code phone number. You would pass the destination number as part of your API payload using a Liquid element. And the text message would be partly static and partly dynamic — something like “Don’t forget your meeting with us tomorrow at <time> in our <town> office, <address>.”

Map out the workflow in PHLO

Here’s what the PHLO logic looks like for this use case.

This PHLO starts with a Start node, as every PHLO does. When the PHLO is called by a program making an API request, it triggers a Send Message node. Conceptually, it’s pretty simple. You could make it more elegant by adding logic to be triggered when the message is sent or if it fails, but we don’t need to do that right now.

Configure the Start node

Once we understand the workflow, we have to configure each node to send the message properly. Clicking on a node brings up a configuration pane at the right of the PHLO canvas. Here’s what the Start node’s looks like.

Notice the payload key-value pairs under API Request. The key names match the dynamic fields we plan to pass to the PHLO. Plivo prepends the string “Start.http.params.” before each key name to create a Liquid element — for example, .

Configure the Send Message node

We then reference those keys in the configuration pane for the Send Message node.

As you can see, the From field is a static value — it’ll be the same every time you invoke the PHLO. The To field is dynamic — it’ll hold whatever value is passed from the code that invokes it. And the Message field is a combination of the two.

To specify a Liquid element when you’re configuring a field, start typing two braces (“{{“). PHLO will instantly display a list of defined elements, and you can arrow down to the one you want to insert.

Calling the PHLO

Now we need to run a little code to call the PHLO. In Python, the code might look like this. Strings in <angle brackets> are placeholders for actual values that the program would take from a database or a cloud application that holds client appointment information.

import plivo
auth_id = '<auth_id>'
auth_token = '<auth_token>'
phlo_id = '<phlo_id>'
payload = {"To" : "<destination_number>",
  "time" : "<appt_time>",
  "town" : "<location>",
  "address" : "<address>"}
phlo_client = plivo.phlo.RestClient(auth_id=auth_id, auth_token=auth_token)
phlo = phlo_client.phlo.get(phlo_id)
response = phlo.run(**payload)
print str(response)

You’ll notice we didn’t pass the From field. That’s because it’s static, so we don’t have to pass it to the PHLO. All of the other fields get passed as part of the API payload when we call the PHLO.

Final thoughts

Whether you use static or dynamic payloads, whether you use PHLO or write your entire use case in your favorite programming language, pay attention to best practices for sending text messages. And if you get hung up when writing PHLOs or calling them, look for answers in our PHLO documentation.

Apr 4, 2022

5 mins

How to Integrate Plivo with EngageBay to Send SMS Messages or Make Calls to EngageBay Contacts

'Engagebay Integration: How to integrate Plivo with EngageBay to send SMS messages or make calls to EngageBay contacts.'

Integration

How To

EngageBay is an affordable all-in-one marketing, sales, and support CRM platform for small businesses. By integrating Plivo with EngageBay you can send SMS messages and make calls to your EngageBay contacts.

To use Plivo with EngageBay, you’ll need an EngageBay account and a voice- and SMS-enabled Plivo phone number. You can purchase numbers from the Phone Numbers page of the Plivo console, or by using the PhoneNumber API.

Set up Plivo in EngageBay

To get started, log in to the EngageBay dashboard, click on the Profile drop-down at the top right, then Preferences > Gadgets > Plivo (click Enable).

Enter your Plivo Auth ID and Auth Token, which you can find on the overview page of the Plivo console, and click Validate.

Configure your Plivo auth ID and auth token

Once you validate your credentials, the next screen will prompt you to choose the Plivo phone numbers you want to enable on EngageBay. Choose the options you want and click Save.

Now you can use your Plivo number within EngageBay to send SMS messages and make voice calls.

Send SMS messages using Plivo

To send a text message, navigate to the contact you want to send a message to. Under the phone number in the left pane click SMS, then select Plivo from the drop-down menu.

Navigate to your contact list and send SMS

A pop-up appears that prompts for the From number and message text you want to use. Fill in the details, then click Send. EngageBay will send the message to the contact’s phone number using Plivo as the SMS provider in the background.

Choose your Plivo number as Source number and fill the message body

Make calls using Plivo

To make a call, navigate to the contact you want to call to. Under the phone number in the left pane click Call, then select Plivo from the drop-down menu.

Navigate to your contact list and make calls

You’ll be asked to choose one of the Plivo numbers as the caller ID for the call. Once you select the phone number, EngageBay will call the contact’s phone number using Plivo as the voice provider in the background.

Choose your Plivo number as the caller ID for the call

More Plivo integrations

You can integrate Plivo with many other integrations using platforms such as Zapier and Microsoft Power Automate. If your company has a SaaS platform and you’d like to integrate Plivo with it so you can give your customers easy access to voice calling and text messaging, let us know.

Mar 30, 2022

5 mins

How to Receive and Respond to Incoming MMS Messages in Python with Flask and Plivo

Plivo's SMS API and Voice API enables businesses to communicate with their customers at global scale. Sign up for free now.

Python SDK

SMS API

How To

MMS API

You can receive and automatically respond to incoming MMS messages on a Plivo number, as you might want to do for someone who’s out of the office or who leaves the company. Here’s how to use Plivo’s SMS API to build this use case.

Prerequisites

To get started, you need a Plivo account — sign up with your work email address if you don’t have one already. To receive incoming messages you must have a Plivo phone number that supports MMS; you can rent numbers from the Numbers page of the Plivo console or by using the Numbers API. If this is your first time using Plivo APIs, follow our instructions to set up a Python development environment and a web server and safely expose that server to the internet.

Create a Flask server to receive MMS messages

Create a file called receive_mms.py and paste into it this code.

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from flask import Flask, request
import plivo

app = Flask(__name__)


@app.route("/receive-mms/", methods=["GET", "POST"])
def receive_mms():
   # Receive MMS
   from_number = request.values.get("From")
   to_number = request.values.get("To")
   text = request.values.get("Text")
   media_url = request.values.get("Media0")
   print("MMS message received - From: %s, To: %s, Text: %s, Media: %s"% (from_number, to_number, text, media_url))

   if text.lower() == "hi":
       text = "Hello!!"
       media = ["https://media.giphy.com/media/888R35MJTmDxQfRzfS/giphy.gif"]

   elif text.lower() == "bye":
       text = "Bye and have a nice day!"
       media = ["https://media.giphy.com/media/QM5lHSyFjz1XW/giphy.gif"]
   else:
       text = "I am glad that we connected"
       media = ["https://media.giphy.com/media/888R35MJTmDxQfRzfS/giphy.gif"]

   # Reply recipient using Send MMS API
   client = plivo.RestClient("<auth_id>", "<auth_token>")
   response = client.messages.create(
       src=to_number,
       dst=from_number,
       text=text,
       media_urls=media,
       type_="mms"
   )
   print(response)

   return "MMS responded", 200


if __name__ == "__main__":
   app.run(host="0.0.0.0")

Replace the auth placeholders with your authentication credentials from the Plivo console

Note: We recommend that you store your credentials in the auth_id and auth_token environment variables, to avoid the possibility of accidentally committing them to source control. If you do this, you can initialize the client with no arguments and Plivo will automatically fetch the values from the environment variables. You can use os module(os.environ) to store environment variables and fetch them when initializing the client.

Test

Save the file and run it.

$ python receive_mms.py

You should see your basic server application in action at http://localhost:5000/receive-mms/.

Note: Sending and receiving MMS is only available in the United States and Canada.

Expose your local server to the internet.

Create a Plivo application

Associate the Flask server you created with Plivo by creating a Plivo application. Visiting Messaging > Applications and click Add New Application. You can also use Plivo’s Application API.

Assign a Plivo number to your application

Assign Application to Plivo Phone Number

Click Update Number to save.

Test

Send a text message to the Plivo number you specified using any phone. The message should be replied to the destination number you specified.

Note: If you’re using a Plivo Trial account, you can make calls only to phone numbers that have been verified with Plivo. You can verify (sandbox) a number by going to the console’s Phone Numbers Sandbox Numbers page.

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Key upcoming trends:

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5 major use cases of RCS marketing

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Myth 1: RCS marketing is too expensive

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Myth 3: RCS gets treated like spam and ends up ignored just like emails

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What you need before setting up your agent

Step-by-step: How to set up a WhatsApp agent with Plivo

Step #1: Choose your primary use case and define agent scope

Step #2: Build the agent using Plivo’s no-code platform

Step #3: Train your agent with AI

Step #4: Test, launch, and monitor your agent

Plivo is purpose-built for WhatsApp AI agent deployment

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What is WhatsApp automation?

Key benefits of WhatsApp automation

Reduce manual workloads and response times

Increases the scalability of customer interactions

Enhances customer experience through personalization

Cost-effectiveness compared to manual processes

5 popular use cases of WhatsApp automation across industries

1. Customer support

2. E-commerce operations

3.Marketing and lead nurturing

4.Event management and invitations

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Step-by-step guide to implement WhatsApp automation for your business

Step 1: Define your use cases and goals

Step 2: Choose the right WhatsApp business API provider

Step 3: Set up your WhatsApp business account

Step 4: Create and submit message templates

Step 5: Build automation workflows

It’s easy to get started. Sign up for free.