Setting Up Locations & Entry Points

Before You Begin

Before you can start using Messages for Business, you’ll need to add all business locations, add location group IDs to each location, and turn on the entry points. To get a list of all location group IDs for your business locations contact Podium Support by logging into your Podium account and initiating a live chat to request the full list. 

Adding Business Locations

Once you have the file from Podium with all your business locations and their location group IDs, you're ready to set up locations in Messages for Business. 

To add your locations to Messages for Business:

1. Go to https://register.apple.com.
2. Click Locations.
3. Click Get Started.
4. Add the location’s name.
5. Select a brand.
6. Select a country.
7. Add the location’s phone number.
8. Add the location’s address.
9. Click Next.
10. Move the pin as needed and click Next.
11. Select a category and click Next.
12. Set the location’s business hours and click Next.
13. Add web links and click Next.
14. Click Send now.
15. Continue with the next task, “Adding Location Group IDs.”

Adding Location Group IDs

When you're setting up a location for Messages for Business, you'll need to include the location group ID so all incoming messages will be directed to the correct Podium location.

1. Click Back.
2. Click Messages for Business Accounts.
3. Select a brand. 
4. Under Message Buttons, click Set Intent and Group ID.
5. Using the file from Podium that contains all your business locations, click Edit and paste the location group ID for each location.
6. Click Update. 
7. Click Done. 

Turning on Entry Points

Entry points (i.e., Apple Maps, Spotlight Search, Message Suggest, and Webchat) make your business easily accessible to Apple users. They also drive customer behavior towards texting over calling which means they’ll get help faster. For example, if you turn on Message Suggest, each time a customer taps on your phone number to call, Apple will suggest they send a text instead. Once you choose the entry points, send an email with the list of entry points to registry@apple.com and contact Product Support by logging into your Podium account and initiating a live chat.