Channels & senders
The messaging channels in Instasent: SMS, RCS and WhatsApp (coming soon).
With Instasent you can message the same audience across several channels — SMS and RCS, and soon WhatsApp — from a single platform. This page shows what each channel offers, how they differ, and how to start sending with them.
Available channels
| Channel | Status | What it's for |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | Available to every project | Plain-text messages worldwide. In some countries a prior setup is needed — registering the sender — before you can send. |
| RCS | Available to every project | Conversational messaging with a verified brand identity: send images, rich cards, carousels, buttons and more. When a contact can't receive RCS, the message is sent automatically over SMS. |
| Coming soon | In development. The section will grow when the channel launches. |
How channels work together
You write once, in the same campaign and automation editor, and pick the channel there. Channels can also be chained: an RCS campaign can fall back to SMS automatically for contacts who can't receive RCS, so nobody is left out. See SMS fallback.
Start sending on each channel
- SMS is available to every project. In most countries you can start right away: add a sender and send. In some, a prior setup is needed — registering the sender — before you can send.
- RCS is available to every project. To start, register at least one RCS agent; from there you can send RCS campaigns.
- WhatsApp is coming soon.
The setup checklist
Each channel has a setup checklist on its overview page that walks you through what's left before you can send. It appears while there's something pending and steps aside once you're ready.
- SMS — create a sender, then send your first SMS campaign.
- RCS — create a sender, register your agent for at least one country, then send your first RCS campaign.
Consent & regulation
Each channel ships with its own default consent policy, designed so you can start sending without friction. Consent is shared sensibly across channels: RCS and SMS share the same consent — they travel to the same phone, so an opt-out on one applies to the other. WhatsApp keeps its own.
- Compliance defaults — what each channel asks for out of the box and what you can adjust.
- Consent & subscriptions — the full model.
- Countries & regulation — per-country rules for senders and delivery.