Adding and configuring the Apple Messages for Business channel

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Adding Apple Messages for Business to your Zendesk configuration lets your end users connect with both live and Ultimate AI agents through the Messages app on their Apple devices. Apple Messages for Business is designed to allow businesses to provide rich, engaging experiences in messaging to their customers on Apple devices, while protecting user privacy and security.

This article includes the following sections:

• About Apple Messages for Business
• Requirements for using Apple Messages for Business with Zendesk
• Adding the Apple Messages for Business channel in the Admin Center
• Configuring the Apple Messages for Business channel
• Additional functionality with Apple Messages for Business

After the channel is configured, agents can respond to Apple Message tickets in the Agent Workspace.

About Apple Messages for Business

With Apple Messages for Business, end-user requests submitted to your Zendesk account through Apple Messages move through your messaging configuration and create a ticket in the Agent Workspace (unless an Ultimate AI agent solves the request).

Live and Ultimate AI agents can view and respond to Apple Messages for Business tickets in the Agent Workspace like any other ticket. In addition, there are rich conversational features specific to Apple Messages for Business agents can use to build a more interactive customer experience.

Use the links in the table for more information from Apple about these features, and see Working with Apple Messages for Business in the Agent Workspace for details on using them in customer interactions.

Feature	Description	End-user experience example
Rich link messages	URLs sent by live or Ultimate AI agents are recognized and sent as rich links. Target websites must use OpenGraph tags for rich link messages to work correctly.
Quick reply messages	Sends quick reply choices to the end user. Recommended for responses with 2-5 options.
List picker message	Allows single selection, multi-selection, and multi-selection with icons for sent and received list pickers and images. Recommended for responses with more than five options, when you want to provide more information with each option, or when you want to include images with options.
Time picker message	Sends time pickers and icons to the end user, allowing them to add the appointment to their calendar, view it on a map, and view calendar conflicts.
Apple Pay message	Sends an Apple Pay payment request to the end user.
Authentication message	Requests OAuth2 inline authentication from the end user.
iMessage apps	Supports iMessage apps for advanced interactions in the conversation.
Form message	Sends pre-defined forms to the end user.
Construct payload API	Supports construct payload API for App Clips in rich link interactions.

Requirements for using Apple Messages for Business with Zendesk

Apple Messages for Business requires all businesses to register with Apple before rolling out the Apple Messages for Business channel. Apple maintains a rigorous process to ensure that all brands using Apple Messages for Business provide high-quality conversational experiences. During the implementation, you’ll need to complete a comprehensive onboarding process. You can see the complete end-to-end checklist of requirements here. See Apple’s Getting Started with Apple Messages for Business page for more information.

To start the process, you’ll first create an internal test account with Apple. After completing the experience review, Apple converts the internal test account into a commercial account in the Apple Business Register. You must submit brand information, including addresses and logos, to Apple for approval. As part of this process, you’re prompted to select a Messaging Service Provider. As a Messaging Service Provider, Zendesk is certified by Apple to provide services and solutions for your Apple Messages for Business needs. At the end of the registration process, you’ll receive a unique Messages for Business ID you’ll use to connect to Sunshine Conversations.

In addition to Apple’s requirements, your Zendesk account must use messaging on a Zendesk Suite or Support Suite plan, or on a Support standalone plan with Chat activated.

Adding the Apple Messages for Business channel in the Admin Center

When your account meets the requirements described above, you can add the Apple Messages for Business channel to your Zendesk account.

To add the Apple Messages for Business channel

1. In Admin Center, click Channels in the sidebar, then select Messaging and social > Messaging.
2. Click Add channel and select Apple Messages for Business.
3. On the Add Apple Messages for Business page, enter the following information:
   • Channel name: The name that appears in the channels list.
   • Business ID: Your Messages for Business account ID. You can get this ID in your Apple Business Register by going to Messages for Business Account Links > Links and copying the ID.

     

4. Click Add channel. The channel’s configuration page opens. You can continue to configure the channel, or click Save settings to use it as-is or configure later.

   Without further configuration, incoming end-user requests from Apple Messages are routed to live or Ultimate AI agents as determined by your account setup.

Configuring the Apple Messages for Business channel

An Apple Messages for Business channel’s settings page has the following configuration tabs:

• Configuring Apple Messages for Business basic settings
• Configuring auto-responder settings
• Configuring the Message Us button

Configuring Apple Messages for Business basic settings

The Basics tab includes the following fields:

• Channel name (editable): The name given to the channel.

• Business ID (view-only): The Messages for Business account ID.

• OAuth secret (editable): The OAuth (or client) secret created to verify authentication messages.

To edit the Basics tab

1. In Admin Center, click Channels in the sidebar, then select Messaging and social > Messaging.
2. Click the Apple Messages for Business channel you want to configure to open its settings page.
3. On the Basics tab, update the channel name or OAuth client secret.
4. Click Save settings.

Configuring auto-responder settings

The Responses tab configures the auto-responder, which sends messages automatically to an end user when you receive their messages. See Sending automatic responses to social messages for more detailed information on using and configuring the auto-responder.

The tab also lists any conversation bots added to the Apple Messages for Business channel.

To use the auto-responder for your Apple Messages for Business channel

1. In Admin Center, click Channels in the sidebar, then select Messaging and social > Messaging.
2. Click the Apple Messages for Business channel you want to configure to open its settings page.
3. Click the Auto-responder tab.
4. Click Enable auto-responder, then enter a message for your end users.
5. Click Save settings.

Configuring the Message Us button

Adding a Message Us button to your website, mobile app, or help center lets your end users discover and connect to your Apple Messages for Business account.

To display a Message Us button, you’ll need to configure the button’s visual elements and add the HTML code snippet to each page on the website or mobile app where it should be displayed.

Configuring visual elements

You can customize the appearance of the Message Us button using Apple’s pre-approved options.

To customize the Message Us button

1. In Admin Center, click Channels in the sidebar, then select Messaging and social > Messaging.
2. Click the Apple Messages for Business channel you want to configure to open its settings page.
3. Click the Message Us button tab.
4. Configure the following options:
   • Language: Use the dropdown menu to select the language your button is using.
   • Style: Use the dropdown menu to select one of Apple’s approved messages. The options in this menu are determined by the language selected above.
   • Color: Select Dark or Light:

     

5. Click Save settings. You can now add the Message Us button to your website, mobile app, or help center.

Adding the Message Us button

After configuring the options above, you can add the code snippet to your website, mobile app, or help center.

To add the Message Us button to a website or mobile app

1. In Admin Center, click Channels in the sidebar, then select Messaging and social > Messaging.
2. Click the Apple Messages for Business channel you want to configure to open its settings page.
3. Click the Message Us button tab.
4. Copy the code snippet to your clipboard.
5. On each page where the button should appear, paste the snippet into the HTML before the closing tag.

To add the Message Us button to your Zendesk Guide help center

1. In Admin Center, click Channels in the sidebar, then select Messaging and social > Messaging.
2. Click the Apple Messages for Business channel you want to configure to open its settings page.
3. Click the Message Us button tab.
4. Copy the code snippet to your clipboard.
5. In Guide, click Guide Admin at the top of the page, then the Customize design icon () on the sidebar.
6. On the theme you want to edit, click Customize, then click Edit Code.
7. In the Templates section, click the template you want to modify and add the snippet before the template’s closing tag.
8. Click Save.

Additional functionality with Apple Messages for Business

When added to your Zendesk configuration, Apple Messages for Business includes the following capabilities:

• Creating rich messages
• Closing conversations

Creating rich messages

To build a rich experience for your end users, you can create rich message templates that your live or Ultimate AI agents can send to the end user. You can create rich message templates using API or by installing the Interactive Messaging Templates app on your Zendesk Suite Professional or higher account. This free app was developed in partnership with Zendesk.

When the Interactive Messaging Templates app is installed, admins can create a library of rich messages for Apple and any other channel, any agents can use those rich messages right from within the ticket pane.

Closing conversations

End users contacting you through Apple Messages for Business can choose to leave the messaging conversation, which prevents live and Ultimate AI agents from continuing the conversation in the Apple Messages for Business channel.

When an end user leaves a messaging conversation with a live agent:

• The messaging session ends.
• In the composer, the Apple Messages for Business channel option is deactivated for that conversation. Agents can’t respond to the end user in the messaging conversation.
• Agents can contact the end user through other available channels.
• Agents can add Internal notes to the related ticket.
• Agents can update the ticket status as needed.
• If the end user sends a reply in the conversation, a new ticket is created.

When an end user closes a conversation with an Ultimate AI agent:

• The Ultimate AI agent can’t send replies to the end user.
• If the end user sends another reply to the conversation a ticket is created in the Agent Workspace and assigned to a live agent or group based on your routing configuration.