Message Center content

See also the Message Center feature guide.

Choosing an editor

The first step in adding content to a Message Center message is choosing an editor: Interactive or Visual. For information about each, see Content editors. See the sections below for access steps and links to configuration details: Creating content: Interactive editor or Creating content: Visual editor.

Creating content: Interactive editor

When creating messages, you configure its appearance in the Content step. In the Delivery step, you can configure content-related features that do not affect the appearance of the message.

In the Content step, click Message Center then Add content:

Then click Interactive editor » Add content » Edit. Now you can configure the message content:

If your message includes HandlebarsHandlebars is Airship’s templating language for personalization. Handlebars expressions use double curly braces wrapped around a content template, ranging from a simple variable, e.g., {{first_name}}, to complex evaluations of personalization data., you can preview how the content will appear. See Previewing personalized content.

1. Add a Title.

   1. Click Add .
   2. Enter a title.
   3. Click Done.

2. Add the Message body.

   1. Click Add .
      • For HTML, select the paste or upload option and add your HTML.
      • For drag-and-drop, select a default or saved layout, or select Blank Layout to design your own. Then you can design your content. See Styling and formatting in the Interactive editor. You can edit any layout after selecting.
   2. Click Done.

3. Click Done to exit the editor.

Now you are ready to complete the remaining steps in the composer.

Add thumbnail image

Message Center supports a message preview, which is how the message appears as listed in the inbox. In the Visual editor you enter a thumbnail image for the preview on the Message Center tab. See: Creating content: Visual editor.

For Message Center messages created with the Interactive editor, add the image while editing a layout:

1. Select Settings in the left sidebar.

2. Enter the HTTPS URL of an image. See Media guidelines.

   If your Airship plan includes CDN support, you can also upload media or select from previously uploaded media. See Insert media in message content in Media library.

Creating content: Visual editor

When creating messages, you configure its appearance in the Content step. In the Delivery step, you can configure content-related features that do not affect the appearance of the message.

Do the following to add only a Message Center message:

1. In the Content step, select Message Center, then Add content.
2. Select Visual editor.
3. Under Rich Page, select Create.

Or you use the Visual editor in the Content step when configuring a push notification or in-app message:

1. Under Actions, select Message Center, then Visual editor.
2. Under Rich Page, select Create.

Now you can configure the message content. Follow the steps in The Visual editor.

Android app reinstallation

Message Center inboxes are associated with channel IDs. On Android, reinstalling an app creates a new channel ID. Messages previously available in an Android user’s inbox will no longer be available after app reinstall.

Hosting and page size

Content is hosted in a CDN , ensuring responsive load times for your users globally. Hosted content — including embedded CSS, images and JavaScript — is limited to 1.5 MB, however the ideal page size is much smaller, given the potential for degraded download speeds on cellular networks. We recommend that you optimize your images and HTML to keep total page sizes under 100 KB.

If you have additional assets to load, you can host them in another location and link to them. Airship offers additional asset hosting options as a Professional Service. Contact Airship Sales  for more information.

Welcome Message

You can create a default message that appears in every new user’s Message Center inbox when they open your app for the first time:

1. Go to Messages, then Welcome Message.
2. Enter a message title.
3. Enter HTML for the message body.
4. Select Save.

After saving, you have the option to delete the message.

Remove a message from a Message Center

You can remove messages from the Message Center inbox from the dashboard.

1. Go to Messages, then Messages Overview.
2. Click for the message you want to remove.
3. Click Remove from inbox and confirm.

After removal, Removed from inbox and the removal date, time, and time zone appears in these locations:

• Messages OverviewA view of all your project’s messages, with options for editing their settings, content, status, and more. — Message Details expanded view
• Message report — Header