Create an in-app automation
Set up messages that appear in your app when users meet certain conditions.
To get started, click and select In-App Automation. After completing a step, click in the header to move on. Click if you want to name the message or flag it as a test.
Style
Select a message style: banner, modal, fullscreen, or Custom HTML.
After selecting Custom HTML, the settings available in this composer are reduced to only those applicable to the Custom HTML message style.
Layout
Select a layout to determine how the elements of message (media, header, body/text) appear for the selected style. Layout options vary by message style.
If your account includes Personalization features and you selected the modal or fullscreen style for your message, you will not have a layout selection step.
Settings
Enter a message name, then configure optional features. The name appears in reporting and Messages OverviewA view of all your project’s messages, with options for editing their settings, content, status, and more. .
After configuring your settings, click Audience to select the audience for this scene.
Audience
Select your message audience:
- All Users: Display the message to your entire audience.
- Test Users: Predefined recipient groups. After choosing Test Users, select from the Test Groups dropdown menu that appears. See: Preview and Test Groups.
- Target Specific Users: Create a recipient group based on available conditions. See: Target Specific Users: In-App Automation.
Content

Configure the content of your message. If you selected Custom HTML as the message style, upload your HTML now. For other message styles, this section describes using our classic editor.
A preview updates as you type and make selections. Available fields and options vary per message style. The Custom Keys option is available for all message styles.
Footer: Fullscreen messages include a Footer field, which is designed to link to your Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, or additional information to help the user make a more informed decision about the actions they could take in this message. The footer inherits the styling of the body text and functions as a button. Enter text for the footer.
Media: Enter an HTTPS URL that will be accessible by your mobile audience. If your Airship plan includes CDN support, you can also upload media or select from previously uploaded media.
- Select Upload and click Insert Media.
Click Choose file and select a file to upload, or select from previous uploads.
- The default sort order is most recent upload first.
- You can search by file name or keyword.
- A file preview appears after upload or selection. Click to preview audio and video files.
(Optional) Add or edit keywords for the file to help organize your uploads.
- Enter a term in the search field below the preview and select from results, or click Add keyword: [term].
- Click to remove a keyword.
Click Insert selected media.
Upload to or insert from the media library See also: Media library. Contact Support if you are interested in enabling CDN media hosting.
- Select Upload and click Insert Media.
Buttons: Enter button label text and click Add button. Banner and modal messages support up to two buttons. Fullscreen messages support up to five buttons. If there are two buttons total, choose a button layout: separate, joined, or stacked.
Custom KeysAdditional key-value pairs in your push notification payload for use by custom code in your app. You can use custom keys to pass additional campaign identifiers for analytics, pass user information to the device, control the look and feel of the app, provide image links, etc. : Enter a key and value. Click Add another for additional keys.
Template and Interactive Editor
For accounts that include Personalization features, if you selected modal or fullscreen as the message style, you have three available methods in the Content step.
Select a method, then complete the configuration:
Classic — Select a layout, then proceed with the steps as described in the Content section above.
Template — Select a TemplateReusable message content that saves you the trouble of having to rewrite a message. Templates support merge fields and other logic, letting you personalize the resulting messages. , then click Continue with selected template to return to the Content step.
If you want to change the design, click Edit, then click Edit to open the template in the WYSIWYG editor. Click Done to save your changes in the WYSIWYG editor, then click Done to return to the Content step. Any edits affect the current message only and will not be saved for the selected template.
Interactive Editor — You can provide your own HTML or design using the WYSIWYG editor. Click Add for the message body, then:
- For HTML, click Paste HTML or Upload HTML file, and add your HTML.
- For the WYSIWYG editor, select a default or saved layout, or select Blank Layout to design your own; you can edit any layout after selecting. Then design your message. See the WYSIWYG editor for details.
Click Done to save your changes, then click Done to return to the Content step.
After adding content, you can configure Custom KeysAdditional key-value pairs in your push notification payload for use by custom code in your app. You can use custom keys to pass additional campaign identifiers for analytics, pass user information to the device, control the look and feel of the app, provide image links, etc. . Enter a key and value. Click Add another for additional keys.
Actions
Assign an action for each button in the message, then configure options. See: Button Actions.
If you selected Custom HTML as the style, there are no options available in the Actions step. You must set actions in your custom HTML file.
Design
Optionally override the default design settings set for your project. Enable Background, Text, or Buttons, and make your changes.
- Changes apply to the current message only and do not affect the project’s default design settings.
- The available options are the same as those available when setting design defaults for your project.
Behavior
Configure the trigger that will cause the message to appear to users. You can also configure cancellation events, display conditions, and set a tag when the message is displayed.
Review
Review your message. If you want to make changes, click EDIT, make your changes, then either click or click the central navigation dot to return to the Review step. If you exit before this final step, the message is still a draft and not yet active.
Click Finish to make the message active.
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