# Message Center content

Create messages for your Message Center inbox.

See also the [Message Center](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/features/messaging/message-center/) feature guide.

## Choosing an editor

The first step in adding content to a Message Center message is choosing an editor: Interactive or Visual. For information about each, see [Content editors](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/editors/about/). See the sections below for access steps and links to configuration details: [Creating content: Interactive editor](#interactive-editor) or [Creating content: Visual editor](#visual-editor).

## Creating content: Interactive editor {#interactive-editor}

<p>When creating messages, you configure its appearance in the Content step. In the Delivery step, you can configure content-related features that do not affect the appearance of the message.</p>

In the *Content* step, click **Message Center** then **Add content**:
   ![Selecting Message Center in the Content step](https://www.airship.com/docs/images/content-push_hu_8ed94982804cda87.webp)
   
   *Selecting Message Center in the Content step*

Then click **Interactive editor » Add content » Edit**. Now you can configure the message content:
   ![Configuring Message Center content in the Interactive editor](https://www.airship.com/docs/images/content-mc_hu_2e6ddad08129dd58.webp)
   
   *Configuring Message Center content in the Interactive editor*

If your message includes [Handlebars](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#handlebars), you can preview how the content will appear. See [Previewing personalized content](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/personalization/previewing/).

1. Add a *Title*.
   1. Click **Add **.
   1. Enter a title.
   1. Click **Done**.

1. Add the *Message body*.
   1. Click **Add **.
      <ul>
      <li>For <strong>HTML</strong>, select the paste or upload option and add your HTML.</li>
      <li>For <strong>drag-and-drop</strong>, select a default or <a href="https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/editors/interactive/saving-layouts/">saved layout</a>, or select <strong>Blank Layout</strong> to design your own. Then you can design your content. See <a href="https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/editors/interactive/styling-formatting/">Styling and formatting in the Interactive editor</a>. You can edit any layout after selecting.</li>
      </ul>
   1. Click **Done**.

1. Click **Done** to exit the editor.

Now you are ready to complete the remaining steps in the composer.

### Add thumbnail image

Message Center supports a message *preview*, which is how the message appears as listed in the inbox. In the *Visual editor* you enter a thumbnail image for the preview on the Message Center tab. See: [Creating content: Visual editor](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/messages/content/app/message-center/#visual-editor).

For Message Center messages created with the *Interactive editor*, add the image while editing a layout:

<ol>
<li>
<p>Select <strong>Settings</strong> in the left sidebar.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Enter the HTTPS URL of an image. See <a href="https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/messages/media-guidelines/">Media guidelines</a>.</p>
<p>If your Airship plan includes CDN support, you can also upload media or select from previous uploads in your project&rsquo;s media library. See <a href="https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/features/media/#insert-media-in-message-content">Insert media in message content</a> in <em>Media library</em>.</p>
</li>
</ol>

## Creating content: Visual editor {#visual-editor}

<p>When creating messages, you configure its appearance in the Content step. In the Delivery step, you can configure content-related features that do not affect the appearance of the message.</p>

Do the following to add only a Message Center message:

1. In the Content step, select **Message Center**, then **Add content**.
1. Select **Visual editor**.
1. Under **Rich Page**, select **Create**.

Or you use the Visual editor in the Content step when configuring a push notification or in-app message:

1. Under **Actions**, select **Message Center**, then **Visual editor**.
1. Under **Rich Page**, select **Create**.

Now you can configure the message content. Follow the steps in [The Visual editor](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/editors/visual/).

## Android app reinstallation

<p>Message Center inboxes are associated with channel IDs. On Android, reinstalling an app creates a new channel ID. Messages previously available in an Android user’s inbox will no longer be available after app reinstall.</p>

## Hosting and page size

<p>Content is hosted in a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_delivery_network" target="_blank">CDN<span class="external-link-icon">&thinsp;<i class="ph ph-arrow-square-out"></i></span></a>, ensuring responsive load times for your users globally. Hosted content — including embedded CSS, images and JavaScript — is limited to 1.5 MB, however the ideal page size is much smaller, given the potential for degraded download speeds on cellular networks. We recommend that you optimize your images and HTML to keep total page sizes under 100 KB.</p>
<p>If you have additional assets to load, you can host them in another location and link to them. Airship offers additional asset hosting options as a Professional Service. <a href="https://www.airship.com/contact-us/" target="_blank">Contact Airship Sales<span class="external-link-icon">&thinsp;<i class="ph ph-arrow-square-out"></i></span></a> for more information.</p>

## Welcome Message

You can create a default message that appears in every new user's Message Center inbox when they open your app for the first time:

1. Go to **Messages**, then **Welcome Message**.
1. Enter a message title.
1. Enter HTML for the message body.
1. Select **Save**.

After saving, you have the option to delete the message.


<!-- This is not yet true

### Set tags when users open a Message Center Message {#msg-tag}

You can insert scripts in custom HTML blocks into a message center message to take advantage of [Airship's JavaScript interface](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/messages/custom-templates/).

<p>In addition to standard button actions, you can add a script to your message center message or template to set tags on your audience when they open your message.</p>
<p>Add a custom HTML block to the top of your message center template or message for scripts. While the block takes up space in the editor, users won&rsquo;t see a custom HTML block that only contains scripts in their message.</p>
<p>Use <code>add_tags_action</code> and <code>remove_tags_action</code> from the example below to add or remove tags from your audience when they open your message.</p>
<p>**Add or remove tags when users open your message:**

```html
<script type="text/javascript">
    function onLoad() {
        UAirship.runAction("add_tags_action", "tag-to-add", function() {})
        UAirship.runAction("remove_tags_action", "tag-to-remove", function() {})
    }
    // Check if the interface is fully loaded
    if(typeof UAirship === 'object' && UAirship.runAction) {
        onLoad()
    } else {
        document.addEventListener('ualibraryready', onLoad, false)
    }
</script>
```
</p>
-->

<!-- leftovers

Talk about the [Message Center Object](https://www.airship.com/docs/developer/rest-api/ua/schemas/push/#messageobject) and what you can do with it. Maybe provide an brief example but mostly get them
over to the API reference.


**Possible Example but needs to be better-formatted**:
```json
{
   "audience": "all",
   "notification": {
      "ios": {
         "badge": "+1"
      }
   },
   "message": {
      "title": "This week's offer",
      "body": "<html><body><h1>blah blah</h1> etc...</html>",
      "content_type": "text/html",
      "expiry": "2015-04-01T12:00:00",
      "extra": {
         "offer_id": "608f1f6c-8860-c617-a803-b187b491568e"
      },
      "icons": {
         "list_icon": "http://cdn.example.com/message.png"
      }
   }
}
```


Worth pointing out that the SDK does all of the heavy lifting for user management,
e.g., read/unread count, deletes, etc.
There is one available operation that deletes a message completely, from all
users' inboxes.

-->

## Remove a message from a Message Center

You can remove messages from the Message Center inbox from the dashboard.

> **Warning:** Removing a message from a Message Center is irreversible.


1. Go to **Messages**, then **Messages Overview**.
1. Select the report icon (
) for the message you want to remove.
1. Select **Remove from inbox** and confirm.

After removal, *Removed from inbox* and the removal date, time, and time zone appears in these locations:
   * [Messages Overview](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#messages_overview) — Message Details expanded view 
   * [Message report](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/reports/message/) — Header