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Overview of the message types

Last updated: 11 September 2024

Chatbots are capable of sending messages in a variety of formats. Using these messages types will help you create an excellent and engaging chatbot experience.

Some message types are only compatible with specific chatbot channels. If a channel does not support a certain message type or button, the message will not send. Read the table below carefully to understand the implications of replying on specific message types for your chatbot experience.

All the available message types

There are 13 different message types. All are illustrated below using the Converse widget.

Standard message

A standard message is plain text (including emojis).

Quick Reply message

A quick reply message is plain text along with up to 10 small postback buttons.

Use the double-lines next to each button to re-order them.

Action message

documentation_action_message.png

An action message is plain text along with up to 5 big buttons. These buttons can: 

  • Callto: Trigger a phone call. Accepts any phone number, with or without area code (e.g. +44).

  • Mailto: Trigger an email.

  • URL: Link to a web page. Must include http:// or https://.

  • File: Link to a file hosted on your chatbot platform.

  • Postback: Link to another chatbot action.

  • Content: Link to one of your knowledge base articles.

Use the double-lines next to each button to re-order them.

General message

A general message is a card that includes:

  • An image, with the option to display it in full size or fit to the card.

  • An optional image link, which users will be sent to if they click the image. Select a tracked link or type one from scratch.

  • An image description (to be read by accessibility screen readers, not visible inside the chatbot).

  • A title

  • A subtitle

  • Up to 5 buttons (PostbackURLFile, Content, and Mailto/Callto). See Action message for more info on buttons.

Carousel message

A carousel message is a group between 2 and 20 general messages put together in a swipe-able format.

Image message

An image message is an image, hosted on your chatbot platform. It can also include an optional bit of text.

Supported formats: GIF, PNG, JPEG.

Video message

A video message is a video, hosted on either YouTube or Vimeo. To create a video message, you will need:

  • To select its host (YouTube or Vimeo)

  • Its URL

It can also include an optional bit of text.

Content message

A content message is a bit of text and a link allowing the user to view additional, rich content. The additional content is hidden behind a button (View). 

From your chatbot platform, you can create the additional content by giving it a title and structured text. Text can be structured with your typical word processing features:

  • Paragraphs

  • Bold, italic, underline

  • Bullet and numeric lists

  • Tables

  • Links

  • Images

You may also use markdown or HTML to format your content.

Content messages are great to provide users with a short answer to a quick and an option to read more.

When a user clicks the View button, your additional content appears in a slide-in panel.

Embed message

An embed message is a bit of text and a link allowing the user to view an embed widget. To create an embed message, you will need:

  • A bit of text

  • A title for your embed

  • An embed URL for your widget

Embed messages are great to display calendar booking tools (e.g. Calendly), survey tools (e.g. Survey Monkey), audio tools (e.g. Vocaroo), and more.

When a user clicks the View button, your embed tool appears in a slide-in panel.

Progress message

A progress message is a bit of text with a looped animation of three flashing dots. 

Progress messages are excellent to make it obvious to the user that something will happen, they just have to wait. They are most used as a placeholder between a chatbot answer and a live chat agent takeover.

Payment message

A payment message is a card containing the various fields required to make a payment through your integrated payment provider. This can include:

  • Card holder’s name

  • Card number

  • Expiry dates

  • CCV

And more.

Event message

An event message is a small, grey plain text message. Contrary to any other message type, event messages don’t appear within a text bubble. 

Event messages act as great notifications from the chatbot. For example, if your chatbot just performed an integration, you could use an event message to let the user know.

Dynamic message

Dynamic messages allow you to programatically create any message by looping over data.

Learn more about designing dynamic messages

Compatibility and fallback across messaging channels

Each messaging channel is slightly different and unique. As such, some message types that might work on Facebook Messenger may not have a corresponding message type available on a channel like Telegram.

Sometimes, a message type may not be available, but it is possible to create a close-second. 

We are unfortunately at the mercy of the features made available (or not) by the messaging channels.

Below are 13 tables, one per message type, each representing their compatibility or potential fallback message type across channels. 

Standard messages

Channels 

Compatibility

Fallback 

Chatbot widget

Compatible

N/A

Embedded chatbot

Compatible

N/A

Full-page chatbot

Compatible

N/A

Facebook Messenger

Compatible

N/A

WhatsApp

Compatible

N/A

Telegram

Compatible

N/A

Microsoft Teams

Compatible

N/A

Instagram

Compatible

N/A

Amazon Alexa (voice)

Compatible

N/A

Amazon Alexa (screen)

Compatible

  • Alexa will display your standard message.

VOIP

Compatible

N/A

SMS

Compatible

N/A

Quick Reply messages

Channels 

Compatibility

Notes 

Chatbot widget

Compatible

N/A

Embedded chatbot

Compatible

N/A

Full-page chatbot

Compatible

N/A

Facebook Messenger

Compatible

N/A

WhatsApp

Adapted

  • Max 3 buttons.

  • Max 20 characters per button label.

Telegram

Compatible

N/A

Microsoft Teams

Compatible

N/A

Instagram

Compatible

N/A

Amazon Alexa (voice)

Adapted

  • Alexa will read out your message but not its buttons.

Amazon Alexa (screen)

Compatible

  • Alexa will display your message and up to 9 buttons.

VOIP

Adapted

  • VOIP will read out your message but not its buttons.

SMS

Incompatible

  • Quick reply messages will not send via SMS.

Action messages

Channels 

Compatibility

Notes 

Chatbot widget

Compatible

N/A

Embedded chatbot

Compatible

N/A

Full-page chatbot

Adapted

  • Postbacks won’t trigger behind a link or file click.

Facebook Messenger

Adapted

  • Postbacks won’t trigger behind a link or file click.

  • Facebook only support up to 3 buttons.

  • Facebook do not support mailto and callto. Those buttons will be ignored.

WhatsApp

Adapted

  • Max 3 postback buttons.

  • Max 20 characters per button label.

Telegram

Adapted

  • Postbacks won’t trigger behind a link or file click.

  • Messages containing a file won’t send.

  • Messages containing a mailto or callto will only send the message.

Microsoft Teams

Adapted

  • Up to 10 buttons.

  • Postbacks associated with a link or file button will not trigger.

  • mailto , callto, and content buttons are not compatible. Only the body of the message will be sent (see Standard message).

Instagram

Incompatible

  • Action messages will not send via Instagram.

Amazon Alexa (voice)

Adapted

  • Alexa will read out your message but not its buttons.

Amazon Alexa (screen)

Compatible

  • Alexa will display your message and up to 5 buttons.

  • Clicking a postback will move the conversation along.

  • PDFs and callto are not compatible on Alexa

  • Links and mailto will open a browser and end the conversation.

VOIP

Adapted

  • VOIP will read out your message but not its buttons.

SMS

Incompatible

  • Action messages will not send via SMS.

General messages

Channels 

Compatibility

Notes 

Chatbot widget

Compatible

N/A

Embedded chatbot

Compatible

N/A

Full-page chatbot

Adapted

  • Postbacks won’t trigger behind a link or file click.

Facebook Messenger

Adapted

  • Postbacks won’t trigger behind a link or file click.

  • Facebook only support up to 3 buttons.

  • Facebook do not support mailto and callto. Those buttons will be ignored.

WhatsApp

Adapted

  • Max 3 postback buttons.

  • Up to 10 non-postback buttons.

  • Image and content will be sent in separate messages.

Telegram

Adapted

  • Postbacks won’t trigger behind a link or file click.

  • Messages containing a file won’t send.

  • Messages containing a mailto or callto will only send the message.

Microsoft Teams

Adapted

  • Up to 10 buttons.

  • Postbacks associated with a link or file button will not trigger.

  • mailto , callto, and content buttons are not compatible. The message will send without these buttons.

Instagram

Adapted

  • Postbacks won’t trigger behind a link or file click.

  • Instagram only support up to 3 buttons.

Amazon Alexa (voice)

Adapted

  • Alexa will read out the title of your message but not its subtitle, buttons, image.

Amazon Alexa (screen)

Compatible

  • Alexa will display your title, subtitle, image, and up to 5 buttons.

  • Clicking a postback will move the conversation along.

  • PDFs and callto are not compatible on Alexa

  • Links and mailto will open a browser and end the conversation.

VOIP

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a content message through this channel.

  • Callers trying to reach a General message will get a ‘busy line’ tonality.

SMS

Incompatible

  • General messages will not send via SMS.

Carousel messages

Channels 

Compatibility

Notes 

Chatbot widget

Compatible

N/A

Embedded chatbot

Compatible

N/A

Full-page chatbot

Adapted

  • Postbacks won’t trigger behind a link or file click.

Facebook Messenger

Adapted

  • Postbacks won’t trigger behind a link or file click.

  • Facebook only support up to 3 buttons.

  • Facebook do not support mailto and callto. Those buttons will be ignored.

WhatsApp

Incompatible

N/A

Telegram

Adapted

  • Only the carousel’s images will be sent.

Microsoft Teams

Adapted

  • Up to 10 cards

  • Up to 10 buttons per card.

  • Postbacks associated with a link or file button will not trigger.

  • mailto , callto, and content buttons are not compatible. These cards will send without these buttons.

Instagram

Adapted

  • Postbacks won’t trigger behind a link or file click.

  • Facebook only support up to 3 buttons.

Amazon Alexa (voice)

Adapted

  • Alexa will only read out the title of the first card of the carousel but not its subtitle, image, or buttons nor any element from following cards.

Amazon Alexa (screen)

Compatible

  • Alexa will display up to 20 cards.

  • Alexa will display your title, subtitle, image, and up to 5 buttons.

  • Clicking a postback will move the conversation along.

  • PDFs and callto are not compatible on Alexa

  • Links and mailto will open a browser and end the conversation.

VOIP

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a carousel message through this channel.

  • Callers trying to reach a carousel message will get a ‘busy line’ tonality.

SMS

Incompatible

  • Carousel messages will not send via SMS.

Image messages

Channels 

Compatibility

Notes 

Chatbot widget

Compatible

N/A

Embedded chatbot

Compatible

N/A

Full-page chatbot

Compatible

N/A

Facebook Messenger

Adapted

  • Images with text will only send text.

WhatsApp

Compatible

  • Image and text will be sent in separate messages.

  • Image description will not be sent.

Telegram

Compatible

N/A

Microsoft Teams

Compatible

N/A

Instagram

Adapted

  • Images with text will only send the image.

  • QR codes created within your platform are SVG files, which are not compatible with Instagram.

Amazon Alexa (voice)

Adapted

  • Alexa will read out the optional message copy.

Amazon Alexa (screen)

Compatible

N/A

VOIP

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send an image message through this channel.

  • Callers trying to reach an image message will get a ‘busy line’ tonality.

SMS

Incompatible

  • Image messages will not send via SMS.

Video messages

Channels 

Compatibility

Notes 

Chatbot widget

Compatible

N/A

Embedded chatbot

Compatible

N/A

Full-page chatbot

Compatible

N/A

Facebook Messenger

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a video message through this channel.

WhatsApp

Adapted

  • A link to the video will be sent.

  • The video link and the message will be sent in two different messages.

Telegram

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a video message through this channel.

Microsoft Teams

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a video message through this channel.

Instagram

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a video message through this channel.

Amazon Alexa

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a video message through this channel.

VOIP

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a video message through this channel.

  • Callers trying to reach a video message will get a ‘busy line’ tonality.

SMS

Incompatible

  • Video messages will not send via SMS.

Content messages

Channels 

Compatibility

Notes 

Chatbot widget

Compatible

N/A

Embedded chatbot

Compatible

N/A

Full-page chatbot

Compatible

N/A

Facebook Messenger

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a content message through this channel.

WhatsApp

Incompatible

N/A

Telegram

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a content message through this channel.

Microsoft Teams

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a content message through this channel.

Instagram

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a content message through this channel.

Amazon Alexa

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a content message through this channel.

VOIP

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a content message through this channel.

  • Callers trying to reach a content message will get a ‘busy line’ tonality.

SMS

Incompatible

  • Content messages will not send via SMS.

Embed messages

Channels 

Compatibility

Notes 

Chatbot widget

Compatible

N/A

Embedded chatbot

Compatible

N/A

Full-page chatbot

Compatible

N/A

Facebook Messenger

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send an embed message through this channel.

WhatsApp

Incompatible

N/A

Telegram

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send an embed message through this channel.

Microsoft Teams

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send an embed message through this channel.

Instagram

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send an embed message through this channel.

Amazon Alexa

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send an embed message through this channel.

VOIP

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send an embed message through this channel.

  • Callers trying to reach an embed message will get a ‘busy line’ tonality.

SMS

Incompatible

  • Embed messages will not send via SMS.

Progress messages

Channels 

Compatibility

Notes 

Chatbot widget

Compatible

N/A

Embedded chatbot

Compatible

N/A

Full-page chatbot

Compatible

N/A

Facebook Messenger

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a progress message through this channel.

WhatsApp

Compatible

N/A

Telegram

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a progress message through this channel.

Microsoft Teams

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a progress message through this channel.

Instagram

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a progress message through this channel.

Amazon Alexa (voice)

Compatible

N/A

Amazon Alexa (screen)

Compatible

  • Alexa will display the text.

VOIP

Compatible

N/A

SMS

Compatible

N/A

Payment messages

Channels 

Compatibility

Notes 

Chatbot widget

Compatible

N/A

Embedded chatbot

Compatible

N/A

Full-page chatbot

Compatible

N/A

Facebook Messenger

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a payment message through this channel.

WhatsApp

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a payment message through this channel.

Telegram

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a payment message through this channel.

Microsoft Teams

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a payment message through this channel.

Instagram

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a payment message through this channel.

Amazon Alexa

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a payment message through this channel.

VOIP

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send a payment message through this channel.

  • Callers trying to reach a payment message will get a ‘busy line’ tonality.

SMS

Incompatible

  • Payment messages will not send via SMS.

Event messages

Channels 

Compatibility

Fallback 

Chatbot widget

Compatible

N/A

Embedded chatbot

Compatible

N/A

Full-page chatbot

Compatible

  • Event messages display like a normal message.

Facebook Messenger

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send an event message through this channel.

WhatsApp

Compatible

N/A

Telegram

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send an event message through this channel.

Microsoft Teams

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send an event message through this channel.

Instagram

Incompatible

  • No fallback provided. The chatbot will not send an event message through this channel.

Amazon Alexa

Compatible

  • Alexa will read out the text.

VOIP

Compatible

N/A

SMS

Compatible

N/A

Dynamic messages

Refer to the compatibility breakdown of the message template you are building and the channel you are building it for.

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