Overview

Instant Messaging (IM) is a cloud-based messaging service provided by CommsEase with technical expertises and industrial practices for over 20 years. The IM service provides full-fledged basic messaging capabilities. You can embed the messaging feature and optimized network capabilities into your applications.

If you are new to Instant Messaging, you can learn about our products, concepts, and service limits in the following product documents:

• Introduction
• Features
• Accounts integration and login
• APIs and limits

Architecture

Integration

Follow the steps below to integrate IM into your application and download IM SDK for Web.

If you have a definite global business, the global nodes are integrated first. To integrate the global service region, see global service region.

1. Create an account

If you do not have a CommsEase account, sign up.

If you already have a CommsEase account, sign in.

2. Create an application and get AppKey

You must create an application in the CommsEase console before you use products or services provided by CommsEase. You can follow the steps for creating an application and get the AppKey of the application.

3. Activate IM Pro

IM Pro supports private chats, group chats, text, image, audio, video, location and other types of messages for different platforms, such as Android, iOS, PC, and Web. You can also create custom messages to meet your personalized needs. Contact the sales using WhatsApp on the CommsEas website for your specific requirements.

Before using IM Pro, you must activate the IM Pro plan in the console.

1. Select the application in the Applications section on the home page in the console, click Services in the left-side navigation pane and Click Free trial or Activate Now to activate Instant Messaging.

2. If you want to try IM Pro for free, specify the service region by selecting Domestic or Overseas (applicable to overseas and international business), and click Try Now.

   Skip this step if you want to activate IM Pro.

   • The free trial period lasts 7 days. After the free trial ends, the application uses IM Free by default, and you will not be able to use the features supported only by IM Pro.
   • After the free trial expires, you can click Upgrade to upgrade to the IM Pro. See Step 3 for activation.

3. If you want to activate IM Pro, specify the service region by selecting Domestic or Overseas (applicable to overseas and international business), and click Activate Now.

4. Configure the service according to the needs. The console will generate an estimated fee, and set the amount that is not less than the estimated fee.

   For information about the specific billing rules, you can see Billing or consult sales.

5. Select **I have read and agree to the CommsEase Terms of Service and Statement on Prohibiting Using CommsEase services in Any Illegal Activities, and click Submit.

6. Click Pay Now to complete the payment. After activation, the status of IM Pro becomes Activated. You can click Settings to configure detailed settings.

   Make sure that your account has sufficient balance to activate the service.

4. Create IM accounts

An Instant Messaging (IM) account is the unique identifier of a user in the IM system and can use various IM services in your application.

If you integrate CommsEase IM with your app, you must register IM accounts and associate them with your app accounts. You can register multiple IM accounts based on your business needs for the account system of your app.

Registration method

Sign up a CommsEase IM account for the following scenarios:

• If you have specific business requirements, you can register an IM account using the server API. For more information, see Register a CommsEase IM account.
• To use IM for a quick test, create an account in the CommsEase console. For more information, see the information below.

• IM Basic and IM Pro are available. Up to 100 accounts are allowed for IM Basic. No limit is applied for IM Pro
• To protect the privacy and security of business accounts, it is necessary to distinguish between test accounts and business accounts. The accounts registered using the server API will not appear in the account list in the CommsEase console.
• After successfully registering an account using the server API, CommsEase will return accid and token. You must manage the accid and token credentials on the application server.

Configure the settings

1. Select the application in the Applications section on the home page, click Services in the left-side navigation pane and select Instant Messaging.

2. On the Basic tab, click Settings for Test accounts.

3. Click Create, enter account, nickname, and password, then click OK.

   The IM accounts created in the console are associated with the accounts created on the server:

   • Account: accid
   • Password: token
   • Username: name

4. (Optional) You can edit the nickname, reset the password, and disable operations in the CommsEase console for the test accounts you have created.

5. Install IM SDK

• Download IM SDK for Web

• Docs

6. Server APIs

• Server APIs

Run sample app

Use the demo app for messaging features, such as P2P chat, group chat, chat room, online status, and chatbot. The demo app is available for iOS, Android, Windows, desktop web, and mobile web. Source code and guide of the demo are available for download.

To run the sample app and download the source code, go to Sample app and source code

For information about how to build the sample app from the source code, see Build the sample app.

Quickstart

• Send a text message
• Integrate IM UIKit