# Text messages

You can send text messages over RCS Business Messaging by adding a text object containing your message to the conversation bubble.

[block:image]
{
  "images": [
    {
      "image": [
        "https://files.readme.io/66ecfd4f578f73f1f8fbcdd6fe52abbc2b446d54523dfb633a454a3c909fb4af-RCS_Text.jpeg",
        "",
        ""
      ],
      "align": "center"
    }
  ]
}
[/block]

## **Text Requirements**

### SMS Fallback

If your recipient is not RCS-capable, they can receive an SMS message with fallback text instead. To enable this fallback option, contact your account representative for configuration assistance.

### Message Length

A Basic Message has a maximum length of 160 UTF-8 characters. If the message contains more than 160 characters, it becomes a Single message.

### Character Count Considerations

When constructing your message, keep the following in mind:

* Standard UTF-8 characters count as 1 byte each
* Special characters, emoji, and multi-byte character sets may consume 2-4 bytes (or more) per character
* These multi-byte characters count against your 160-character limit accordingly

Example: A message with 80 standard characters and 20 emojis could exceed the Basic Message limit, as each emoji may consume multiple bytes.

### Link Previews

RCS clients may automatically generate link previews for URLs included in text-only messages. When a Basic Message contains a website URL, RCS can display a preview image, providing a richer user experience.

[block:image]
{
  "images": [
    {
      "image": [
        "https://files.readme.io/c01df6ff6da13ffc69a69726de1e8bb52f333d17e56f9f8aa31cbb53b3e158ae-RCS_TextLinkPreview.jpeg",
        "",
        ""
      ],
      "align": "center",
      "sizing": "500px"
    }
  ]
}
[/block]

## **Text message example**

```json
{
   "messages":{
      "msg":[
         {
            "from":"RCS Sender Name",
            "allowedChannels":["RCS"],
            "body":{
               "type":"auto",
               "content":"Fallback text"
            },
            "to":[
               {
                  "number":"0031612345678"
               }
            ],
            "richContent":{
               "conversation":[
                  {
                     "text":"A RCS text message"
                  }
               ]
            }
         }
      ]
   }
}
```