Systems and methods for opt-in messaging

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments relate to techniques for allowing a first user of a messaging platform to send follow-up message(s) to a second user after expiration of an allotted messaging time period without violating existing messaging policies based at least in part on opt-in messaging. The first user may perform an API call to an API of a messaging server to send a follow-up message request. Based on the request, the messaging server may send an opt-in message to the second user who may then explicitly opt in to receive a follow-up message from the first user. A qualifying response by the second user to the opt-in message may cause the messaging server to generate a unique token for the communicating pair. The first user may send the follow-up message to the second user by sending the message with the token.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving a request from a sender to send a follow-up message from the sender to a client device;   sending an opt-in message to the client device based on the received request;   determining whether a qualifying response to the opt-in message has been received;   generating, based on the determination, a first token, wherein the sender has a predefined token count;   receiving the follow-up message from the sender with a second token;   verifying that the first and second tokens match; and   sending, based on the verification, the follow-up message to the client device, wherein the predefined token count is decremented by one when the follow-up message is sent to the client device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the follow-up message is sent to the client device without violating any messaging policies and outside a corresponding predefined messaging time period for sending messages to the client device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the request for sending the follow-up message originates from a computing device associated with a business page, and the method further comprising:
 notifying the business page that the qualifying response to the opt-in message has been received from the client device; and   sending the first token to the computing device associated with the business page.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first token expires after a predefined time period. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the computing device associated with the business page is notified via a webhook, and wherein the first token is sent to the computing device associated with the business page via the webhook or in a communication separate from the webhook. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the follow-up message indicates an occurrence of a follow-up event. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the follow-up message: (i) is a one-time notification containing two or more updates on two or more topics or (ii) comprises two or more separate update messages. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the qualifying response to the opt-in message has been received further comprises:
 receiving a response to the opt-in message from the client device;   determining whether the response was received within a predetermined time period;   determining whether the response includes an opt-in indication; and   determining that the qualifying response to the opt-in message has been received based on the response being received within the predetermined time period and the response including the opt-in indication.   
     
     
         9 . An apparatus comprising:
 memory; and   at least one processor operatively coupled to the memory and executing instructions stored in the memory to cause the at least one processor to:
 receive a request from a sender to send a follow-up message from the sender to a client device; 
 send an opt-in message to the client device based on the received request; 
 determine whether a qualifying response to the opt-in message has been received; 
 generate, based on the determination, a first token, wherein the sender has a predefined token count; 
 receive the follow-up message from the sender with a second token; 
 verify that the first and second tokens match; and 
 send, based on the verification, the follow-up message to the client device, wherein the predefined token count is decremented by one when the follow-up message is sent to the client device. 
   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the follow-up message is sent to the client device without violating any messaging policies and outside a corresponding predefined messaging time period for sending messages to the client device. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the request for sending the follow-up message originates from a computing device associated with a business page, and wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
 notify the business page that the qualifying response to the opt-in message has been received from the client device; and   send the first token to the computing device associated with the business page.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the first token expires after a predefined time period. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the computing device associated with the business page is notified via a webhook, and wherein the first token is sent to the computing device associated with the business page via the webhook or in a communication separate from the webhook. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions that cause the at least one processor to determine whether the qualifying response to the opt-in message has been received comprise instructions that cause the at least one processor to:
 receive a response to the opt-in message from the client device;   determine whether the response was received within a predetermined time period;   determine whether the response includes an opt-in indication; and   determine that the qualifying response to the opt-in message has been received based on the response being received within the predetermined time period and the response including the opt-in indication.   
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to:
 receive a request from a sender to send a follow-up message from the sender to a client device;   send an opt-in message to the client device based on the received request;   determine whether a qualifying response to the opt-in message has been received;   generate, based on the determination, a first token, wherein the sender has a predefined token count;   receive the follow-up message from the sender with a second token;   verify that the first and second tokens match; and   send, based on the verification, the follow-up message to the client device, wherein the predefined token count is decremented by one when the follow-up message is sent to the client device.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of  claim 15 , wherein the follow-up message is sent to the client device without violating any messaging policies and outside a corresponding predefined messaging time period for sending messages to the client device. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of  claim 15 , wherein the request for sending the follow-up message originates from a computing device associated with a business page, and wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
 notify the business page that the qualifying response to the opt-in message has been received from the client device; and   send the first token to the computing device associated with the business page.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of  claim 17 , wherein the first token expires after a predefined time period. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of  claim 17 , wherein the computing device associated with the business page is notified via a webhook, and wherein the first token is sent to the computing device associated with the business page via the webhook or in a communication separate from the webhook. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions that cause the at least one processor to determine whether the qualifying response to the opt-in message has been received comprise instructions that cause the at least one processor to:
 receive a response to the opt-in message from the client device;   determine whether the response was received within a predetermined time period;   determine whether the response includes an opt-in indication; and   determine that the qualifying response to the opt-in message has been received based on the response being received within the predetermined time period and the response including the opt-in indication.