Channels overview
Active Reach supports six messaging channels. Each has different strengths, reach, and setup requirements. Most businesses start with one or two and expand over time.
Outbound channels (WhatsApp, SMS, Email, RCS) are workspace-scoped, not org-tier — each one is provider-bound to a single brand (Meta WABA, TRAI DLT sender ID, DKIM/SPF, carrier enablement). Configuration lives at Settings → Channels on each workspace. Property-scoped channels are In-app and Push only, because each property is one SDK install with its own VAPID/FCM/APNs keys.
Channel comparison
| Channel | Best for | Reach | Avg. open rate | Setup time | Cost model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conversational commerce, India/SEA, transactional | 2B+ users globally | 90%+ | 5-10 min | Per-conversation (Meta pricing) | |
| Newsletters, nurture sequences, receipts | Universal | 20-30% | 2-5 min | Per-send (provider-dependent) | |
| SMS | OTP, time-sensitive alerts, fallback | Universal (phone required) | 95%+ | 3-5 min | Per-message (carrier rates) |
| Push notifications | Re-engagement, app users, breaking news | App/browser users who opted in | 5-15% | 5-10 min | Free (FCM/APNs) |
| RCS | Rich messaging on Android, carrier-native | 70%+ Android phones | 35-50% | 10-15 min | Per-message (carrier-dependent) |
| In-app | Onboarding nudges, feature announcements, surveys | Active app/web users | 40-60% | SDK install required | Free (bundled) |
Which channel should I start with?
If your audience is in India or Southeast Asia → start with WhatsApp. Highest engagement, lowest friction.
If you’re running an e-commerce store → start with Email (for receipts, abandoned cart) + WhatsApp or SMS (for delivery updates).
If you have a mobile app → start with Push + In-app. Push for re-engagement, in-app for contextual nudges.
If you need transactional messages (OTP, password reset, order confirmation) → SMS is the most reliable fallback.
Managed vs Bring Your Own Messaging (BYOM)
Every channel offers two setup modes:
Managed — Active Reach provisions the infrastructure. Fastest path, no vendor credentials needed. Best for teams without existing channel providers. On Managed, every outlet in a multi-outlet brand gets one Aegis-provided number/sender; additional numbers are billed per MSG91 rental.
BYOM (Bring Your Own Messaging) — connect your existing provider (Twilio, SendGrid, Meta direct, etc.). Best for teams with established infrastructure, negotiated rates, or compliance requirements. BYOM is an admin-gated unlock per channel (flipped via the platform admin power card) — once on, the workspace can register its own credentials, customer-perception rule, and sender-pin overrides.
You can switch modes later, though it requires re-provisioning the channel.
BYOM gating and the per-outlet routing UI are independent. The routing UI mounts whenever the workspace has more than one sender on a channel, regardless of whether BYOM is on. Managed multi-outlet brands therefore still get the routing UI by default.
Multi-channel campaigns
Once you’ve connected two or more channels, you can send multi-channel campaigns — a single campaign that reaches contacts via their preferred channel. Active Reach automatically selects the best channel per contact based on:
- Channel availability (does the contact have a phone number? Email?)
- Engagement history (which channel do they open most?)
- Cost optimization (honor your budget constraints)
Setup guides
Connect a WhatsApp Business Account — managed or BYOB.
WhatsAppSet up email sending — SES, SendGrid, Mailgun, or managed.
EmailConfigure SMS providers — Twilio, MSG91, Gupshup, or managed.
SMSSet up FCM (Android/Web) and APNs (iOS).
Push notificationsRegister an RCS agent and start sending rich messages.
RCSInstall the SDK and configure in-app campaigns.
In-app messaging