Send In-App Messages with Intercom

Prerequisites

• Intercom account with Messenger installed on your app
• User identification set up (passing user ID and properties to Intercom)

Steps

1. Choose your message type. Intercom offers several in-app formats: Chat messages (appear in the Messenger widget), Posts (banner-style announcements), Tooltips (point at specific UI elements), and Custom Bots (interactive flows). Choose based on your goal: chat for support, posts for announcements, tooltips for feature education.

2. Define your audience via API. Use the Intercom REST API to create targeted messages:

   POST /messages
   {
     "message_type": "inapp",
     "body": "Export your data in one step -- CSV export is live.",
     "from": {"type": "admin", "id": "<admin-id>"},
     "to": {"type": "user", "user_id": "<user-id>"}
   }
   

   For audience-wide messages, configure targeting rules using user properties and events: e.g., signed up >7 days ago AND has not used the feature AND plan = "pro".

3. Write concise copy. In-app messages should be under 50 words. Lead with the benefit, not the feature. Bad: "We added CSV export." Good: "Export your data in one step -- CSV export is live." Include a single clear CTA that links directly to the feature.

4. Set display rules. Configure when the message appears: on page load, after a delay (5-10 seconds), or when the user performs a specific action. Set frequency to "show_once" for announcements or "show_until_dismissed" for important notifications.

5. Schedule or trigger. Choose between one-time send (announcements) or ongoing (behavior-triggered). Ongoing messages fire for every user matching audience criteria going forward -- useful for onboarding tips and feature discovery.

6. Measure impact via API. Query message metrics: GET /messages/<id>/stats. Track impressions, engagement rate, and downstream actions. If engagement rate is below 5%, revise the copy or targeting. Remove underperforming messages via DELETE /messages/<id>.