Click-to-RCS

The on-ramp that makes RCS adoption easy

Click-to-RCS is the bridge between the channels brands already control (websites, ads, QR codes, emails) and the RCS conversation they want the customer to enter. The user clicks a link or scans a code, the messages app opens with the brand's verified agent loaded, and a starter message is pre-filled or auto-sent.

It is the conceptual cousin of click-to-call and click-to-WhatsApp, but for RCS.

Why it matters

The hardest part of getting a customer into a conversational channel is the first move. They have to know the channel exists, know the brand is on it, and decide to start the thread. Click-to-RCS removes all three steps. One tap on a banner ad, one scan of a poster, one button on a product page, and the customer is talking to the brand inside the most-used app on their phone.

Where brands deploy it

• A "Message us" button on the website that opens RCS instead of a form
• A QR code on a product, in a store, on a billboard, or on a flyer
• A deep link in an email that promotes a faster channel for support or sales
• A paid ad creative that drives directly to a conversational landing
• A retargeting flow that brings cart-abandoners back into a thread

The technical shape

Most platforms expose click-to-RCS as a deep link with the brand agent ID and an optional pre-populated first message. On Android, the link opens Google Messages with the agent loaded. On iOS, behavior depends on iOS version and operator support. A QR code is just that deep link encoded for camera scanning.

A good implementation also handles the "what if RCS is not supported" case gracefully, falling back to SMS, WhatsApp, or a web form depending on the brand's preference.

Measuring it

Treat click-to-RCS like any other top-of-funnel channel. Track clicks, message starts, conversation length, conversion to outcome, and cost per outcome. The big finding for most brands is that a conversation, once started, converts at multiples of a website session, which makes click-to-RCS one of the highest-ROI uses of existing ad and web inventory.