Interactive text messaging

Interactive text messaging transforms traditional text message marketing into a dynamic conversation. Instead of static text or media, brands can now send buttons, carousels, and quick replies that guide customers toward the next step—whether that’s making a purchase, confirming an order, or re-engaging with a brand.

With Rich Communication Services (RCS), marketers can finally build app-like experiences directly inside a phone’s text message app—no additional downloads or friction required.

RCS is becoming the gold standard for text message marketing. Here’s why:

– Faster responses: Tappable reply buttons and CTAs eliminate friction and shorten the customer journey.

– Higher engagement: Rich visuals and carousels increase time spent and click-throughs.

– Smarter segmentation: Track every tap and reply to optimize future campaigns.

– Guided journeys: Create decision trees, product quizzes, or re-order flows—right inside the message.

– Mobile-native UX: Meet rising consumer expectations with mobile-first interactivity that feels seamless.

SMS is already a powerful tool for direct communication, but RCS builds on it by transforming texting into a dynamic, two-way channel—similar to chatting inside an app. RCS adds layers of interactivity, personalization, and responsiveness that go beyond what even two-way SMS offers.

Here’s how RCS enables more interactive text messaging:

– Tappable buttons and quick replies: With RCS, you can embed suggested replies or call-to-action (CTA) buttons in your message, like “Shop now” or “Remind me later.” Suggested replies do more than reduce friction, they capture real-time intent and trigger automated flows based on how each customer responds.

– Carousels and rich cards: Think of each RCS message as a mini storefront—letting customers browse, tap, and purchase without ever leaving their message thread. You can send carousel messages featuring multiple products or offers, each with its own image, text, and CTA button. It’s like a mini landing page inside the message. This makes it perfect for showcasing a product collection, offering browsing-like experiences, or running visual campaigns for events or drops.

– Two-way engagement: RCS supports back-and-forth conversations with typing indicators, message threading, and real-time responses. This opens the door to guided shopping or booking flows, feedback collection, product finder quizzes, subscription updates, and support-style exchanges.

– Read and click receipts: Marketers can track exactly how people engage, including who viewed the message, which button they clicked, and when they sent a reply. This creates new opportunities to trigger next steps, optimize messaging, and create better-segmented follow-ups.

Klaviyo makes it easy to create rich, branded, interactive messaging experiences with no code and hundreds of third-party integrations. Whether you want to drive sales, guide product discovery, or offer conversational flows, Klaviyo’s RCS tools help you build campaigns that customers want to engage with.

And if a recipient’s device doesn’t support RCS, your messages automatically fall back to SMS or MMS—so you never lose reach while embracing richer experiences.

Join the waitlist, and then once approved, you can start building interactive messages in Klaviyo as soon as RCS is enabled on your account. Here’s how:

1. Enable SMS with credits in Klaviyo.

2. Register for Rich Business Messaging (RBM) to activate RCS.

3. Create your branded sender profile (logo, name, links).

4. Use Klaviyo’s SMS editor to build messages with buttons, carousels, and replies.

5. Track and optimize based on open and click engagement.

Rich media features—including suggested replies and carousels—roll out in public beta in July 2025, with general availability in September.