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After you verify an
agent for
a brand that you manage, build out your message-routing capabilities, and
determine that your infrastructure is ready to interact with users, it's time to
launch.
To make an agent available to users, you launch the agent on various entry
points. Entry points control where users can begin conversations with the agent.
You can only launch an agent on entry points that you configured before you
verified the agent. To edit allowed entry points after agent verification,
contact us. (You must first sign
in with a Business Messages Google account. To register for an account, see
Register with Business
Messages.)
Pre-launch checklist
Before you launch your agent, use the following checklist to catch any issues
that might appear during the launch process.
Agent configuration
Agent verification
Required. Verification that the agent's information is accurate
and that the agent can represent the associated brand. See
Verify agents and locations.
Privacy policy
Required. A publicly available URL starting with "https://". See
Create an agent.
Messaging availability
Required. The days and times that human representatives are
available to respond to users. If a human interaction type isn't
specified for your agent, it can't launch on Google-managed
entry points (except for the Google Ads entry point). See
Set messaging availability.
Greeting
Required. The welcome message and optional conversation starters
that guide users through known user journeys. See
Begin the conversation.
Offline message
Recommended. A message that displays when a user starts a
conversation outside of an agent's operating hours. See
Begin the conversation.
Infrastructure readiness
Message handling is complete
Required. Your webhook and agent infrastructure are ready to
receive,
send, and
track messages.
Required. Live agents are ready to respond to user messages as
soon as the agent launches.
Automation is complete and available
Recommended. Any automation you've developed or integrated with
is complete and ready to handle user messages as soon as the agent
launches.
Launch an agent
When you launch an agent, Business Messages performs checks for necessary
approvals, emails you once the agent is approved for launch, and begins the
launch process. Once the launch process begins, the agent is available to users
within a few hours.
You should be ready to respond to user messages before you launch an agent.
In Non-local regions, select each region you want to launch the agent
in.
Click Launch.
Unlaunch an agent
If you need to cancel an agent launch or unlaunch a live agent, you can mark an
agent entry point as unlaunched. If the agent was in a pending launch state,
this cancels the agent launch for that entry point. If the agent was launched,
this removes the agent from the specified entry points and regions.
When you unlaunch an agent, conversations persist on user devices, but users
can't send messages to the agent.
In Non-local regions, select each region you want to remove the agent
from.
Click Unlaunch.
Enter "UNLAUNCH", then click Unlaunch.
Next steps
Now that your agent is launched, users can start conversations on the agent's
configured entry points. Identify and review the
metrics you
can use to measure your agent's success.
To enable location-specific entry points, launch the
locations
associated with your agent.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Missing the information I need","missingTheInformationINeed","thumb-down"],["Too complicated / too many steps","tooComplicatedTooManySteps","thumb-down"],["Out of date","outOfDate","thumb-down"],["Samples / code issue","samplesCodeIssue","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2024-11-14 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eTo launch an agent and make it available to users, ensure it's verified, meets pre-launch requirements, and then launch it through the Business Communications Developer Console, targeting specific regions.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eBefore launching, complete a pre-launch checklist to confirm agent configuration, infrastructure readiness, and conversation readiness are in place.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eAfter launch, agents can be unlaunched to prevent new conversations, though existing conversations on user devices persist.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eMonitor post-launch performance metrics to assess the agent's success and identify areas for improvement using available tools.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eFor location-based entry points, launch individual locations associated with the agent to enable users to engage with specific business locations.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# Launch an agent\n\n| Choose whether to manage agents with the Business Communications [Developer\n| Console](https://business-communications.cloud.google.com?utm_source=/business-communications/business-messages/guides/how-to/launch/agents&utm_medium=devsite&utm_campaign=business-messages) or [API](/business-communications/business-messages/reference/business-communications/rest). \n| Developer Console API\n\nAfter you [verify an\nagent](/business-communications/business-messages/guides/how-to/verify) for\na brand that you manage, build out your message-routing capabilities, and\ndetermine that your infrastructure is ready to interact with users, it's time to\nlaunch.\n\nTo make an agent available to users, you launch the agent on various entry\npoints. Entry points control where users can begin conversations with the agent.\n\nYou can only launch an agent on entry points that you configured before you\nverified the agent. To edit allowed entry points after agent verification,\n\ncontact us. (You must first [sign\nin]() with a Business Messages Google account. To register for an account, see\n[Register with Business\nMessages](/business-communications/business-messages/guides/how-to/register).)\n\n\n### Pre-launch checklist\n\nBefore you launch your agent, use the following checklist to catch any issues\nthat might appear during the launch process.\n\n| Agent configuration |\n|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|\n| **Agent verification** **Required.** Verification that the agent's information is accurate and that the agent can represent the associated brand. See [Verify agents and locations](/business-communications/business-messages/guides/how-to/verify). |\n| **Privacy policy** **Required.** A publicly available URL starting with \"https://\". See [Create an agent](/business-communications/business-messages/guides/how-to/agents). |\n| **Messaging availability** **Required.** The days and times that human representatives are available to respond to users. If a human interaction type isn't specified for your agent, it can't launch on Google-managed [entry points](/business-communications/business-messages/guides/concepts/entry-point) (except for the Google Ads entry point). See [Set messaging availability](/business-communications/business-messages/guides/how-to/agents/availability). |\n| **Greeting** **Required.** The welcome message and optional conversation starters that guide users through known user journeys. See [Begin the conversation](/business-communications/business-messages/guides/how-to/agents/begin-conversation). |\n| **Offline message** **Recommended.** A message that displays when a user starts a conversation outside of an agent's operating hours. See [Begin the conversation](/business-communications/business-messages/guides/how-to/agents/begin-conversation). |\n\n| Infrastructure readiness |\n|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|\n| **Message handling is complete** **Required.** Your webhook and agent infrastructure are ready to [receive](/business-communications/business-messages/guides/how-to/message/receive), [send](/business-communications/business-messages/guides/how-to/message/send), and [track](/business-communications/business-messages/guides/how-to/message/receipts) messages. |\n| **Event handling is complete** **Required.** Your webhook and agent infrastructure are ready to [send and receive events](/business-communications/business-messages/guides/how-to/message/events). |\n| **Survey handling is complete** **Required.** Your webhook and agent infrastructure are ready to [send surveys and receive results](/business-communications/business-messages/guides/how-to/message/surveys). |\n\n| Conversation readiness |\n|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|\n| **Live agents are available** **Required.** Live agents are ready to respond to user messages as soon as the agent launches. |\n| **Automation is complete and available** **Recommended.** Any automation you've developed or integrated with is complete and ready to handle user messages as soon as the agent launches. |\n\nLaunch an agent\n---------------\n\nWhen you launch an agent, Business Messages performs checks for necessary\napprovals, emails you once the agent is approved for launch, and begins the\nlaunch process. Once the launch process begins, the agent is available to users\nwithin a few hours.\n\nYou should be ready to respond to user messages before you launch an agent.\n| **Caution:** If your agent doesn't meet minimum [performance\n| thresholds](/business-communications/business-messages/guides/how-to/qa/metrics#performance), your agent may be suspended.\n| **Note:** To launch a location, see [Launch\n| locations](/business-communications/business-messages/guides/how-to/launch/locations).\n\nTo launch an agent to a non-local region,\n\n1. Open the [Business Communications Developer\n Console](https://business-communications.cloud.google.com?utm_source=/business-communications/business-messages/guides/how-to/launch/agents&utm_medium=devsite&utm_campaign=business-messages) and sign in with your Business Messages Google account.\n2. Choose your agent.\n3. In the left navigation, click **Launch**.\n4. In **Non-local regions**, select each region you want to launch the agent in.\n5. Click **Launch**.\n\nUnlaunch an agent\n-----------------\n\nIf you need to cancel an agent launch or unlaunch a live agent, you can mark an\nagent entry point as unlaunched. If the agent was in a pending launch state,\nthis cancels the agent launch for that entry point. If the agent was launched,\nthis removes the agent from the specified entry points and regions.\n\nWhen you unlaunch an agent, conversations persist on user devices, but users\ncan't send messages to the agent.\n| **Note:** To unlaunch a location, see [Unlaunch a\n| location](/business-communications/business-messages/guides/how-to/launch/locations#unlaunch-location).\n\nTo unlaunch an agent from a non-local region,\n\n1. Open the [Business Communications Developer\n Console](https://business-communications.cloud.google.com?utm_source=/business-communications/business-messages/guides/how-to/launch/agents&utm_medium=devsite&utm_campaign=business-messages) and sign in with your Business Messages Google account.\n2. Choose your agent.\n3. In the left navigation, click **Launch**.\n4. In **Non-local regions**, select each region you want to remove the agent from.\n5. Click **Unlaunch**.\n6. Enter \"UNLAUNCH\", then click **Unlaunch**.\n\nNext steps\n----------\n\nNow that your agent is launched, users can start conversations on the agent's\nconfigured entry points. Identify and review the\n[metrics](/business-communications/business-messages/guides/how-to/qa/metrics) you\ncan use to measure your agent's success.\n\nTo enable location-specific entry points, [launch the\nlocations](/business-communications/business-messages/guides/how-to/launch/locations)\nassociated with your agent."]]