Buttons
Customers use Messages for Business buttons to start a conversation with your company. You can also support system features like Maps and Spotlight, so that customers can use them to locate your business and start a conversation. Other ways to help customers contact you are to:
- Enable Message Suggest on your account (see Triggering message suggest)
- Include a URL in an email message (see Starting a message from a URL)
- Add Messages for Business buttons to your app or your company’s website (see Design your website and app for the Messages buttons)
Let people start conversations anytime. Don’t disable buttons or links that initiate conversations outside of your business hours. Even if you only respond to customer service inquiries during certain hours, people should be able to start a conversation anytime. If a customer starts a conversation after hours when live agents aren’t available, an automated agent should send a reply letting them know when a live agent is able to respond.
The following guidelines help you use Messages for Business buttons correctly and refer appropriately to the feature in all your customer-facing communications. To learn how to create screenshots that show customers how Messages for Business interactions work with your company, see Screenshots.
Using Messages for Business buttons
Use Messages for Business buttons in places where customers might want to contact your business. For example, use the buttons in your app, on your website, or in an email to make it easy for people to start a new conversation.
Let the default button title encourage customers to contact you. System-provided button titles like “Message Us,” “Get Help,” “Ask a Question,” or “Contact an Agent” help people understand what the button does. If you use the logo-only button, consider displaying the text "Apple Messages" near the button to help people recognize the service.
Show the buttons on supported devices. If a customer is using an unsupported device, don’t encourage a conversation by displaying a button — on websites, the button hides automatically when it isn’t supported. If the button is hidden, update the layout accordingly and remove the call to action or other related text.
Make sure Messages for Business buttons are discoverable. People generally expect to find the button on contact information, support, order confirmation, product, and order history pages.
Display the button prominently. Messages for Business buttons should be the same size or larger than similar contact initiation buttons, such as an email button.
Use only approved button styles. For guidance, see Design your website and app to include the Messages buttons.
Maintain minimum and maximum button sizes and inner side margins. Use the following values for guidance.
| Max width | Min height | Max height | Min side margins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 pt (2000 px @2x) | 40 pt (80 px @2x) | 150 pt (300 px @2x) | 5% of height |
Don’t make any other visual or functional modifications to buttons. For example, don’t change transparency values or add drop shadows.
Maintain minimum clear space. The minimum amount of clear space required around the buttons is 10% of the button’s height. Don’t let other elements infringe on this space or occlude the button in any way.
Maintain the minimum button size and margin values when manually placing buttons on a webpage. You’re responsible for sizing and placing the buttons correctly.
Use the following margin values for guidance.
| Margin | Minimum value |
|---|---|
| Top and bottom | 15 pt (15 px @1x, 30 px @2x) |
| Left and right | 20 pt (20 px @1x, 40 px @2x) |
| Between buttons | 15 pt (15 px @1x, 30 px @2x) |
For developer guidance, see Starting a message from a URL and Adding a Messages button to your website.
Referring to Apple Messages for Business
In general, use the terms Apple Messages for Business or Apple Messages in customer-facing communications. Avoid using the term Messages by itself, especially when paired with a logo-only button.
Use proper capitalization when mentioning Apple Messages for Business in headlines and copy. Specifically, use four words with an uppercase A, an uppercase M, and an uppercase B, and lowercase for all other letters.
Avoid using other terms to refer to Messages for Business in customer-facing content. For example, avoid using the terms chat or text to refer to a Messages for Business button or flow.
Never use the Apple logo to represent the name Apple in text. Apple Messages for Business is a service mark of Apple Inc.
| Example text | |
|---|---|
 |
Apple Messages for Business |
|
Apple Messages |
 |
Apple messages for business |
|
iMessage |
|
APPLE MESSAGES FOR BUSINESS |
|
Messages for Business |
Referring to Apple products
Adhere to Guidelines for Using Apple Trademarks. Apple trademarks should not appear in your app name or imagery. In text, use Apple product names exactly as shown in Apple Trademark List — never make them plural or possessive.
