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Send a message

POST
/v1/amb/messages
const result = await bird.amb.send({
  from: "b52d6267-2b62-4f8a-8842-0533d0f1dc07",
  to: "opaque-customer",
  content: { type: "text", body: "Your order is ready." },
});
console.log(result);
Response202
{
  "id": "amb_01krdgeqcxet5s7t44vh8rt9mg",
  "conversation_id": "acv_01krdgeqcxet5s7t44vh8rt9mg",
  "business_id": "abz_01krdgeqcxet5s7t44vh8rt9mg",
  "direction": "outbound",
  "status": "accepted",
  "kind": "text",
  "source": "operator",
  "in_reply_to_message_id": "amb_01krdgeqcxet5s7t44vh8rt9mg",
  "locale": "en_US",
  "category": "order_update",
  "tags": [
    {
      "name": "category",
      "value": "welcome"
    }
  ],
  "cost": {
    "amount": "0.00990",
    "currency_code": "USD",
    "transaction_amount": "0.00790",
    "passthrough_amount": "0.00200"
  },
  "last_error": {
    "code": "bird:business_not_registered",
    "description": "Apple refused the message with HTTP status 404."
  }
}
Send a message in an existing Apple Messages for Business conversation. from is the Apple business identifier and to is the customer’s opaque identifier for that business. An unknown conversation returns 404; a closed conversation returns 422. Only the customer can reopen a conversation.
Choose text, rich_link, or interactive content. Interactive content contains a quick reply, list picker, event, form, or custom iMessage app. Native payment and authentication requests are not available through this public operation. Device support varies; an unsupported interaction returns 422.
Supply attachment URLs or reusable Apple references. Bird downloads source URLs and uploads the files before sending. Interactive images must be PNG files up to 200 kB each, totaling at most 5 MB. Each attachment must be smaller than 100 MB. A media or provider failure after acceptance changes the message status to send_failed.
The 202 response confirms acceptance, not delivery. Read the message to obtain its final status and any reusable reference returned by Apple.
Request Payload
from
string
required
Apple business identifier of the brand sending the message. Read it from the business’s apple_business_id. The customer must have opened the conversation with this business.
to
string
required
Apple’s opaque customer identifier for this business, available as the conversation’s opaque_user_id. The conversation must exist and be open.
source
string
Who this message is sent as. A signed-in session may send as operator or automation; an API key may send as api or automation. Omit it to take the default for your credential. Naming a source your credential cannot use is refused with a 422 AMBMessageSourceNotPermitted.
Possible values: operator, automation, api
content
object
required
Message content in Apple’s native text, rich_link, or interactive family.
Show child parameters
content.type
string
required
Always text.
Value: text
content.body
string
Text displayed in the message. Use one U+FFFC object replacement character per attachment to control placement.
content.subject
string
Subject displayed above the message body.
content.attachments
array
Ordered attachments. Each object supplies a source URL or an encrypted Apple reference.
Show child parameters
content.attachments.source_url
string
required
HTTPS URL Bird downloads and uploads to Apple.
content.attachments.name
string
Display filename.
content.attachments.mime_type
string
Media type of the attachment.
category
string
Free-form reporting label; it does not change sending or suppression policy, for example order_update. Omit it to send with the default empty category.
metadata
object
Arbitrary JSON object for per-message context. Maximum 2 KB serialized. Top-level keys beginning with __bird are reserved. Returned in the send response, message reads and customer message webhooks.
tags
array of object
Structured {name, value} labels for filtering. Maximum 20 tags per send.
Show child parameters
tags.name
string
required
Tag name. ASCII letters, digits, underscore, and hyphen only. Case-sensitive. Maximum 32 characters.
tags.value
string
required
Tag value. ASCII letters, digits, underscore, and hyphen only. Case-sensitive. Maximum 64 characters.
group
string
Department identifier for this message.
intent
string
Purpose of this conversation.
locale
string
Apple locale identifier, for example en_US. Defaults to the conversation locale.
Response Payload
id
string
required
ID of the message, assigned when it is accepted or received. Pass it as message_id to the get-message and list-events endpoints.
conversation_id
string
required
The conversation this message belongs to.
business_id
string
required
The business the message was sent from or received by.
from
string
Apple business identifier on outbound messages, or the customer's opaque Apple identifier on inbound messages. Omitted when that address is unavailable on a historical record.
to
string
Customer's opaque Apple identifier on outbound messages, or the Apple business identifier on inbound messages. Omitted when that address is unavailable on a historical record.
direction
string
required
Whether a message was sent by the business or received from the customer:
  • outbound: A reply the business sent into the conversation.
  • inbound: A message the customer sent.
Possible values: outbound, inbound
status
string
required
Send status:
  • accepted: Accepted and queued for delivery to Apple.
  • sent: Handed to Apple. There is no delivery or read receipt on this channel, so sent is the furthest an outbound message's status advances.
  • send_failed: Sending stopped because of a business or conversation restriction, a recipient opt-out, an Apple refusal, or exhausted attempts. An earlier attempt may have reached Apple if its response or the local record of success was lost. See last_error for why sending stopped.
  • rejected: Refused by Bird before any send attempt and never charged: the destination has no price, the wallet could not fund the send, or the content cannot be sent yet. See last_error.
  • received: Received as an inbound message.
Possible values: accepted, sent, send_failed, rejected, received
kind
string
required
Derived content classification for filtering and statistics.
Possible values: text, attachment, rich_link, quick_reply, list_picker, time_picker, form, apple_pay, authenticate, imessage_app, interactive
source
string
Who sent this message. Absent on an inbound message, which has no source to report.
Possible values: operator, automation, api
content
object
required
Native message content. Outgoing interactions contain requests; incoming interactions contain replies.
Show child attributes
content.type
string
required
Always text.
Value: text
content.body
string
Text displayed in the message. Use one U+FFFC object replacement character per attachment to control placement.
content.subject
string
Subject displayed above the message body.
content.attachments
array
Ordered attachments. Each object supplies a source URL or an encrypted Apple reference.
Show child attributes
content.attachments.source_url
string
required
HTTPS URL Bird downloads and uploads to Apple.
content.attachments.name
string
Display filename.
content.attachments.mime_type
string
Media type of the attachment.
content.rich_link_data
object
Show child attributes
content.rich_link_data.url
string
required
HTTPS URL opened by the preview.
content.rich_link_data.title
string
required
Preview title.
content.rich_link_data.assets
object
required
Show child attributes
content.rich_link_data.assets.image
object
required
Show child attributes
content.rich_link_data.assets.image.source_url
string
required
HTTPS URL of a PNG preview image up to 200 kB. Bird fetches and encodes it when sending.
content.rich_link_data.assets.image.mime_type
string
PNG media type required by Apple. Defaults to image/png.
Value: image/png
content.rich_link_data.assets.video
object
Show child attributes
content.rich_link_data.assets.video.url
string
required
HTTPS video URL fetched by Apple.
content.rich_link_data.assets.video.mime_type
string
Media type of the video. Defaults to video/mp4; supply the actual type for other formats.
content.rich_link_data_ref
Reusable Apple content reference. Supply the decryption key, or the signed bid and data_ref_sig returned by Apple.
Show child attributes
content.rich_link_data_ref.title
string
Title supplied by Apple for the preview.
content.rich_link_data_ref.url
string
required
Location of the encrypted preview.
content.rich_link_data_ref.owner
string
required
Owner identifier supplied by Apple.
content.rich_link_data_ref.signature_base64
string
required
Signature supplied by Apple.
content.rich_link_data_ref.key
string
required
Decryption key supplied by Apple.
content.rich_link_data_ref.size
integer
required
Size of the encrypted preview in bytes.
content.interactive_data
A built-in interaction or custom iMessage app. Custom apps require the app metadata and both message bubbles.
Show child attributes
content.interactive_data.session_identifier
string
Session UUID to preserve across interactions. Apple creates one when omitted.
content.interactive_data.data
required
Exactly one built-in interaction. Protocol versions are managed by Bird.
Show child attributes
content.interactive_data.data.request_identifier
string
Correlation identifier for this interaction. Bird generates one when omitted.
content.interactive_data.data.images
array of object
Images referenced by identifier.
Show child attributes
content.interactive_data.data.images.identifier
string
required
Identifier referenced by a bubble, item, or event.
content.interactive_data.data.images.source_url
string
required
HTTPS URL of a PNG image up to 200 kB. Total interactive image data must not exceed 5 MB.
content.interactive_data.data.images.description
string
Accessibility description read by VoiceOver.
content.interactive_data.data.quick_reply
object
required
Show child attributes
content.interactive_data.data.quick_reply.summary_text
string
required
Text used for the device notification and shown in the transcript after the customer chooses an item. Send a separate text message to introduce the choices.
content.interactive_data.data.quick_reply.items
array of object
required
The buttons offered to the customer. Apple requires between two and five; outside that range the request is refused with a 422 AMBQuickReplyItemsInvalid. For more choices, send list_picker content instead.
Show child attributes
content.interactive_data.data.quick_reply.items.identifier
string
required
Opaque choice identifier returned in interactive_data.data.quick_reply.selected_identifier.
content.interactive_data.data.quick_reply.items.title
string
required
Label shown on the button.
content.interactive_data_ref
Reusable Apple content reference. Supply the decryption key, or the signed bid and data_ref_sig returned by Apple.
Show child attributes
content.interactive_data_ref.title
string
Title supplied by Apple for the preview.
content.interactive_data_ref.url
string
required
Location of the encrypted preview.
content.interactive_data_ref.owner
string
required
Owner identifier supplied by Apple.
content.interactive_data_ref.signature_base64
string
required
Signature supplied by Apple.
content.interactive_data_ref.key
string
required
Decryption key supplied by Apple.
content.interactive_data_ref.size
integer
required
Size of the encrypted preview in bytes.
in_reply_to_message_id
string
Original message matched through Apple’s request identifier within the same workspace, business, and conversation. Omitted when no verified match exists.
locale
nullable string
Locale for this message, preserved in Apple’s format, for example en_US. Outbound messages use the request override, then the conversation locale, then the business default. Inbound messages preserve the locale in Apple’s callback. Null when unknown.
category
string
The category this message was sent with, for reporting only. It does not affect sending or suppression policy, or select an Apple department or purpose. Defaults to an empty string when a send names no category. Absent on an inbound message, which has no category to report.
metadata
object
Arbitrary JSON object for per-message context. Maximum 2 KB serialized. Top-level keys beginning with __bird are reserved. Returned in the send response, message reads and customer message webhooks.
tags
array of object
Structured {name, value} filter labels applied to this message. Absent on an inbound message.
Show child attributes
tags.name
string
required
Tag name. ASCII letters, digits, underscore, and hyphen only. Case-sensitive. Maximum 32 characters.
tags.value
string
required
Tag value. ASCII letters, digits, underscore, and hyphen only. Case-sensitive. Maximum 64 characters.
cost
nullable object
required
Recorded message charge. Null in the initial send response and while unpriced. The AMB charge is the transaction amount; no passthrough component is priced.
Show child attributes
cost.amount
string
required
Total charged, as a decimal string: the sum of the components below. Net of tax, which applies to your wallet balance rather than to an individual charge.
cost.currency_code
string
required
ISO 4217 currency code. Every component is denominated in this currency.
cost.transaction_amount
nullable string
required
What we charged to carry the message, as a decimal string. null when this component was not priced; "0.00000" when it priced at zero.
cost.passthrough_amount
nullable string
required
Third-party fees we pass on, as a decimal string, such as US 10DLC carrier surcharges. null when this component was not priced; "0.00000" when it priced at zero.
last_error
nullable object
Failure detail on a message whose send failed or that Bird rejected before any send attempt. Omitted when there is no failure detail.
Show child attributes
last_error.code
string
required
Machine-readable reason a send failed, in one of two namespaces: bird: for a reason Bird's own pipeline assigned (for example bird:business_not_registered), or apple: followed by the HTTP status Apple's API returned for the send attempt (for example apple:404). This is an open, growing set in both namespaces; accept unrecognized values.
last_error.description
string
required
The failure in words. Free-form, so branch on code and show this to a human.
last_error.occurred_at
string
required
When the failure occurred.
created_at
string
required
The moment this message was accepted (outbound) or received (inbound). This is the timestamp the outbound statistics families bucket and attribute on; there is no separate accepted_at field.
sent_at
nullable string
When the selected sending outcome occurred. Null unless the current status is sent and the message is outbound. For older messages without a retained sending event, the stored record time is used.
data_ref
Reusable encrypted content reference returned by Apple after a successful send. Absent until Apple returns one.
Show child attributes
data_ref.title
string
Title supplied by Apple for the preview.
data_ref.url
string
required
Location of the encrypted preview.
data_ref.owner
string
required
Owner identifier supplied by Apple.
data_ref.signature_base64
string
required
Signature supplied by Apple.
data_ref.key
string
required
Decryption key supplied by Apple.
data_ref.size
integer
required
Size of the encrypted preview in bytes.
group
string
Apple department identifier carried by this message. Omitted when absent from the message or unavailable on a historical record.
intent
string
Apple purpose identifier carried by this message. Omitted when absent from the message or unavailable on a historical record.

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