Help Center Message Types

Message Types

Cascade API supports four message types, each optimized for different use cases and channels.

Overview

Type	Purpose	Channels	Interactive
`transaction`	Critical notifications	All	No
`promo`	Marketing campaigns	All	Yes (buttons)
`viber_survey`	Polls and feedback	Viber, SMS	Yes (options)
`flashcall`	Phone verification	Phone call	No

Transaction Messages

Critical notifications like order confirmations, account updates, and system alerts.

Characteristics

High priority delivery
No promotional content
Direct and concise
Time-sensitive
Routed through: Telegram → Viber → RCS → SMS

Use Cases

Order confirmations
Payment notifications
Account alerts
Security notifications
Delivery updates
Password resets

Example

{
  "id": "tx-order-12345",
  "fromName": "YourStore",
  "toPhone": "+380XXXXXXXXX",
  "messageType": "transaction",
  "text": "Order #12345 confirmed. Total: $99.99. Delivery: Jan 25. Track: https://example.com/track/12345",
  "ttl": 86400
}

Best Practices

✅ Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
✅ Include relevant transaction details
✅ Provide tracking links
✅ Use clear, professional language
❌ Don’t include marketing content
❌ Don’t use emojis excessively

Examples by Use Case

Order Confirmation

{
  "messageType": "transaction",
  "text": "Order #12345 confirmed. Total: $99.99. Expected delivery: Jan 25."
}

Payment Notification

{
  "messageType": "transaction",
  "text": "Payment of $150.00 to Merchant ABC successful. Transaction ID: TXN789. Balance: $850.00"
}

Security Alert

{
  "messageType": "transaction",
  "text": "New login detected from iPhone at 10:30 AM. Location: New York. If this wasn't you, secure your account immediately."
}

Delivery Update

{
  "messageType": "transaction",
  "text": "Your package is out for delivery! Expected arrival: 2-4 PM. Track: https://track.example.com/PKG123"
}

Marketing and promotional campaigns with rich media and interactive elements.

Characteristics

Rich media support
Interactive buttons
Call-to-action focused
Longer TTL acceptable
Routed through: Telegram → Viber → RCS → SMS

Use Cases

Product launches
Sales announcements
Event invitations
Newsletter campaigns
Special offers
Brand awareness

Example

{
  "id": "promo-summer-sale",
  "fromName": "YourBrand",
  "toPhone": "+380XXXXXXXXX",
  "messageType": "promo",
  "text": "🌟 Summer Sale! Up to 50% off on selected items. Shop now: https://example.com/sale",
  "ttl": 259200
}

With Variables

{
  "messageType": "promo",
  "text": "Hi %name=1%! Exclusive offer: Use code %name=2% for 20% off. Shop: %short_url=1%",
  "variables": [
    {"id": 1, "type": "name", "value": "John"},
    {"id": 2, "type": "name", "value": "VIP20"},
    {"id": 1, "type": "short_url", "value": "https://store.com/sale?utm=sms"}
  ]
}

Best Practices

✅ Include clear call-to-action
✅ Use engaging language
✅ Add tracking parameters to URLs
✅ Personalize with variables
✅ Test on multiple channels
❌ Don’t spam customers
❌ Don’t use misleading content
❌ Don’t exceed character limits

Examples by Use Case

Product Launch

{
  "messageType": "promo",
  "text": "🎉 NEW ARRIVAL: iPhone 15 Pro now available! Pre-order today and get free shipping. Visit: https://store.com/iphone15"
}

Flash Sale

{
  "messageType": "promo",
  "text": "⚡ FLASH SALE: 2 hours only! Extra 30% off everything. Use code: FLASH30. Shop now: https://store.com/flash"
}

Event Invitation

{
  "messageType": "promo",
  "text": "You're invited! VIP Shopping Event on Jan 25 at 6 PM. Exclusive deals + refreshments. RSVP: https://events.com/vip"
}

Abandoned Cart

{
  "messageType": "promo",
  "text": "Hi %name=1%! You left items in your cart. Complete purchase now and get 10% off with code CART10: %short_url=1%"
}

Viber Survey

Interactive polls and surveys for collecting customer feedback.

Characteristics

2-5 response options
Text limited to 85 characters
Interactive interface on Viber
Fallback to SMS (without interactivity)
Single-question format

Use Cases

Customer satisfaction surveys
Product feedback
Service quality ratings
Market research
Event feedback
Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Example

{
  "id": "survey-satisfaction-001",
  "fromName": "YourBrand",
  "toPhone": "+380XXXXXXXXX",
  "messageType": "viber_survey",
  "text": "How satisfied are you with our service?",
  "surveyOptions": [
    "Very Satisfied",
    "Satisfied",
    "Neutral",
    "Dissatisfied",
    "Very Dissatisfied"
  ],
  "ttl": 604800
}

Constraints

Text: Maximum 85 characters
Options: 2-5 choices
Option Length: Keep under 30 characters each
TTL: Recommended 7-30 days

Best Practices

✅ Ask one clear question
✅ Provide balanced options
✅ Use simple language
✅ Keep options concise
✅ Set appropriate TTL (7+ days)
❌ Don’t ask multiple questions
❌ Don’t use technical jargon
❌ Don’t bias responses

Examples by Use Case

Customer Satisfaction (NPS)

{
  "messageType": "viber_survey",
  "text": "How likely are you to recommend us to a friend?",
  "surveyOptions": [
    "0 - Not at all",
    "1-6 - Unlikely",
    "7-8 - Likely",
    "9-10 - Very Likely"
  ]
}

Product Feedback

{
  "messageType": "viber_survey",
  "text": "How do you rate our new product?",
  "surveyOptions": [
    "⭐️ Excellent",
    "⭐️ Good",
    "⭐️ Average",
    "⭐️ Poor",
    "⭐️ Very Poor"
  ]
}

Service Quality

{
  "messageType": "viber_survey",
  "text": "Was your support experience helpful?",
  "surveyOptions": [
    "Yes, very helpful",
    "Somewhat helpful",
    "Not helpful"
  ]
}

Event Feedback

{
  "messageType": "viber_survey",
  "text": "Would you attend our events again?",
  "surveyOptions": [
    "Definitely yes",
    "Probably yes",
    "Not sure",
    "Probably not",
    "Definitely not"
  ]
}

Flash Call

Phone verification using automated calls instead of SMS codes.

Characteristics

Cost-effective verification
Faster than SMS (1-3 seconds)
No visible code in notifications
Resistant to SIM swap attacks
Phone call only (no Telegram/Viber)

Use Cases

User registration
Login verification
Phone number validation
Two-factor authentication
Account recovery
Transaction confirmation

Example

{
  "id": "verify-user-12345",
  "fromName": "YourApp",
  "toPhone": "+380XXXXXXXXX",
  "messageType": "flashcall",
  "ttl": 300
}

How It Works

User enters phone number
API initiates flash call
Call terminates after 1-2 rings
App captures caller ID
Caller ID verified against pattern
User authenticated

Best Practices

✅ Set short TTL (60-300 seconds)
✅ Implement caller ID detection
✅ Provide SMS fallback
✅ Handle permission requests
✅ Show clear instructions
❌ Don’t use for promotional purposes
❌ Don’t set long TTL

Example with Fallback

{
  "id": "verify-001",
  "fromName": "YourApp",
  "toPhone": "+380XXXXXXXXX",
  "messageType": "flashcall",
  "ttl": 300,
  "fallback": {
    "messageType": "transaction",
    "text": "Your verification code: 123456"
  }
}

Choosing the Right Type

Decision Tree

Is it time-critical or transactional?
├─ Yes → transaction
└─ No
   └─ Is it promotional?
      ├─ Yes → promo
      └─ No
         └─ Is it a survey?
            ├─ Yes → viber_survey
            └─ No → Is it for verification?
               ├─ Yes → flashcall
               └─ No → transaction (default)

Comparison Matrix

Feature	Transaction	Promo	Survey	Flash Call
Rich Media	❌	✅	❌	❌
Interactive	❌	✅	✅	❌
Personalization	✅	✅	✅	❌
Typical TTL	Hours	Days	Week	Minutes
Cost	Medium	Medium	Medium	Low
Delivery Speed	Fast	Fast	Fast	Fastest

Implementation Example

class CascadeMessageBuilder {
  constructor(apiKey) {
    this.apiKey = apiKey;
  }

  buildTransaction(id, fromName, toPhone, text, ttl = 86400) {
    return {
      id,
      fromName,
      toPhone,
      messageType: 'transaction',
      text,
      ttl
    };
  }

  buildPromo(id, fromName, toPhone, text, ttl = 259200) {
    return {
      id,
      fromName,
      toPhone,
      messageType: 'promo',
      text,
      ttl
    };
  }

  buildSurvey(id, fromName, toPhone, text, options, ttl = 604800) {
    if (text.length > 85) {
      throw new Error('Survey text must be under 85 characters');
    }

    if (options.length < 2 || options.length > 5) {
      throw new Error('Survey must have 2-5 options');
    }

    return {
      id,
      fromName,
      toPhone,
      messageType: 'viber_survey',
      text,
      surveyOptions: options,
      ttl
    };
  }

  buildFlashCall(id, fromName, toPhone, ttl = 300) {
    return {
      id,
      fromName,
      toPhone,
      messageType: 'flashcall',
      ttl
    };
  }

  async send(message) {
    // Implementation to send message
  }
}

// Usage
const builder = new CascadeMessageBuilder('your-api-key');

// Transaction
const transaction = builder.buildTransaction(
  'order-123',
  'Store',
  '+380XXXXXXXXX',
  'Order confirmed'
);

// Promo
const promo = builder.buildPromo(
  'promo-001',
  'Brand',
  '+380XXXXXXXXX',
  'Sale now on!'
);

// Survey
const survey = builder.buildSurvey(
  'survey-001',
  'Brand',
  '+380XXXXXXXXX',
  'Rate our service?',
  ['Excellent', 'Good', 'Average', 'Poor']
);

// Flash Call
const flashCall = builder.buildFlashCall(
  'verify-001',
  'App',
  '+380XXXXXXXXX'
);

Next Steps

Send Messages - Start sending cascade messages
Message Variables - Personalize messages
SMSBAT API - Explore SMSBAT features

Search Results

Message Types

Overview

Transaction Messages

Characteristics

Use Cases

Example

Best Practices

Examples by Use Case

Order Confirmation

Payment Notification

Security Alert

Delivery Update

Promo Messages

Characteristics

Use Cases

Example

With Variables

Best Practices

Examples by Use Case

Product Launch

Flash Sale

Event Invitation

Abandoned Cart

Viber Survey

Characteristics

Use Cases

Example

Constraints

Best Practices

Examples by Use Case

Customer Satisfaction (NPS)

Product Feedback

Service Quality

Event Feedback

Flash Call

Characteristics

Use Cases

Example

How It Works

Best Practices

Example with Fallback

Choosing the Right Type

Decision Tree

Comparison Matrix

Implementation Example

Next Steps