Conversation flows

Sending and receiving messages and events are the core aspects of communication between an agent and a user. Agents send messages, events, and requests to users via HTTP POST requests to the RBM API but receive user-created messages and events as JSON from Cloud Pub/Sub.

Below is an example conversation flow that uses sample data to illustrate how messages, events, and requests can create useful and meaningful interactions.

Hello, World!

A basic conversation between an agent and a user.

In this example, the agent sends Hello, World! as a message to the user, and the user responds with Hello to you!.

A sequience diagram of a message from an agent and a response from a user.

  1. The agent sends a capability check request to verify that the user's device is RBM-capable.

    The agent sends:

    GET
/v1/phones/+12223334444/capabilities?requestId=147547143069602483572&agentId=welcome-bot
HTTP/1.1
Host: us-rcsbusinessmessaging.googleapis.com
Content-Type: application/json

  2. The RBM platform sends the agent a capability check response indicating that the user's device can receive RBM messages.

    The agent receives:

    {
  "rbmEnabled": true,
  "features": [
    "REVOCATION",
    "RICHCARD_STANDALONE",
    "RICHCARD_CAROUSEL",
    "ACTION_CREATE_CALENDAR_EVENT",
    "ACTION_DIAL",
    "ACTION_OPEN_URL",
    "ACTION_SHARE_LOCATION",
    "ACTION_VIEW_LOCATION"
   ]
}

  3. The agent sends the Hello, World! message to the RBM API, which passes it to the user's device.

    The agent sends:

    POST
/v1/phones/+12223334444/agentMessages?messageId=123&agentId=welcome-bot
HTTP/1.1
Host: us-rcsbusinessmessaging.googleapis.com
Content-Type: application/json
{
  "contentMessage": {
    "text": "Hello, World!",
  }
}

  4. The RBM platform sends the message to the user's device and sends a DELIVERED event to the agent.

    The agent receives:

    {
  "senderPhoneNumber": "+12223334444",
  "agentId": "welcome-bot@rbm.goog",
  "eventType": "DELIVERED",
  "eventId": "Ms6oOiEli6QS-fe8QFrmhfIg",
  "messageId": "123"
}

  5. The user opens the message on their device, which sends a READ event to the agent.

    The agent receives:

    {
  "senderPhoneNumber": "+12223334444",
  "agentId": "welcome-bot@rbm.goog",
  "eventType": "READ",
  "eventId": "Ms6oOiEli6QS-ge9ZFsmgTj",
  "messageId": "123"
}

  6. The user writes and sends a reply to the agent.

    The agent receives:

    {
  "senderPhoneNumber": "+12223334444",
  "agentId": "welcome-bot@rbm.goog",
  "messageId": "msg000999888777a",
  "sendTime": "2018-12-31T15:01:23.045123456Z",
  "text": "Hello to you!",
}

  7. The RBM platform automatically sends the user's device a DELIVERED event when it receives the user's message.

  8. The agent sends a READ event in response to the user's message to let them know it was received and acknowledged.

    The agent sends:

    POST
  /v1/phones/+12223334444/agentEvents?eventId=1234&agentId=welcome-bot
  HTTP/1.1
  Host: us-rcsbusinessmessaging.googleapis.com
  Content-Type: application/json
  {
    "eventType": "READ",
    "messageId": "msg000999888777a"
}