RCS takes business messaging well beyond what's possible with traditional MMS, and video is one of its most powerful features. Whether you're launching a new product, running a promotion, or telling your brand story, video captures attention in ways static images simply can't.
When building a Card or Carousel in Flow Builder, you can include video in both campaigns and automations. Subscribers receive the message with an optional thumbnail and can tap to play it right in the conversation, no links or redirects needed.
How to Add Video to an RCS Message
Select Messaging in the side menu of your Postscript dashboard, then select Automations or Campaigns.
Choose the message that you'd like to add the video to.
Add or open an RCS Message action in your flow.
Select Card or Carousel as your message format.
In the media section, upload your video file or click Media URL to paste a publicly accessible video link.
(Optional) Upload a thumbnail image. This displays in place of the video before the subscriber taps play. Without a thumbnail, a default play icon is shown.
Complete the rest of your message content (title, description, suggested actions).
Select Save.
Your RCS message will now include a playable video in the Card or Carousel.
Supported Video Formats and Limits
Supported formats: MP4, M4V, MPEG, WEBM, H263
Max file size: 100MB per video for standalone Cards. For Carousels, individual cards are capped at 10MB total media, and the combined size across all cards cannot exceed 100MB.
Thumbnail images: Optional. JPEG or PNG format
Recommended specs: MP4 format, 720p resolution, 10–15MB or smaller for optimal loading. Short clips (6–15 seconds) tend to perform best.
What Subscribers See
When a subscriber receives an RCS message with video, they'll see:
The video thumbnail (or a default play icon if no thumbnail was added)
The card title and description
Any suggested actions or replies you've configured
Subscribers must tap the video to play it — videos do not autoplay.
Fallback Message Behavior
If a subscriber cannot receive RCS messages, they will receive your fallback SMS or MMS message instead.
Video assets are not automatically included in the fallback message. The card description text will carry over, and you can optionally attach an image for an MMS fallback. A note will appear in the editor reminding you that video is not supported in fallback messages.
Best Practices
Keep videos short — 6 to 15 seconds tends to work best for engagement.
Aim for file sizes under 10–15MB for faster loading on mobile devices.
Use 720p resolution as a default.
Add a thumbnail image for a polished look before the subscriber taps play. Match the thumbnail to the video's aspect ratio and keep it under 100KB (ideally under 50KB).
If using Carousels, remember the 10MB-per-card media limit and plan your video file sizes accordingly.
Things to Know
Videos do not autoplay — subscribers must tap to play.
There is no way to track whether a subscriber watches or engages with the video. RCS does not support video engagement analytics.
Video is only supported in Card and Carousel formats, not standalone RCS text messages.
Adding video does not change message cost — Cards and Carousels are already billed as RCS Media messages.
Merchants can upload a file directly or paste a publicly accessible URL. The URL must point to a supported video file type (e.g., ending in
.mp4,.mpeg).
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