Scaling RCS Audience Planning: Implementing Async Bulk Verification

#api #rcs #automation #architecture

For developers building communication platforms, identifying which users can receive Rich Communication Services (RCS) is a critical step in audience segmentation. When handling large contact lists, attempting real-time validation often hits architectural bottlenecks. The most robust approach is to shift to an asynchronous, task-based pipeline.

The Asynchronous Workflow

Instead of blocking your application thread, use an asynchronous pattern where your system submits a batch and polls for completion. This decoupling ensures that your service remains responsive even when processing thousands of numbers.

1. Submitting the Batch

To begin, upload your contact list (formatted as E.164 phone numbers) to the /v1/tasks endpoint. Ensure your task_type is set to rcs.

curl --location 'https://api.numberchecker.ai/v1/tasks' \
--header 'X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY' \
--form 'file=@"./numbers.txt"' \
--form 'task_type="rcs"'

Upon a successful request (HTTP 202), you will receive a task_id. Store this ID, as it is your reference point for the lifecycle of that specific job.

2. Monitoring Task State

Once the task is created, its lifecycle moves through several states: pending, processing, and finally exported or failed. Use the /v1/gettasks endpoint to track progress.

When implementing your polling logic, ensure you handle the following states gracefully:

pending / processing: The task is in the queue or currently being analyzed. Continue polling at a non-aggressive interval.
exported: The results are ready. You will receive a result_url to download the processed file.
failed: The task encountered an error. Note that if a task fails, the system automatically handles the refund of the charged amount.

3. Handling Errors and Retries

Robust integration requires defensive programming around API boundaries:

400 Bad Request: Often indicates an issue with file formatting or unsupported task types. Validate your input file against the E.164 standard before submission.
402 Insufficient Balance: Always check your account balance before initiating large batch uploads to avoid interruption.
500 Internal Server Error: If you encounter a 500 status, implement a backoff strategy. Do not retry immediately; wait for a period before attempting to query the status again.

Best Practices for Data Pipelines

When building your integration, treat the result_url as a temporary resource. Once you have downloaded the zipped results, parse them to map the rcs field (which returns yes or no) against your internal user database.

By treating RCS verification as an asynchronous task, you gain the ability to scale your audience planning without compromising the stability of your core messaging infrastructure. For more details on integrating these signals, visit the official documentation.

This article was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed before publishing.