Apple Messages for Business Entry Points: How Customers Start a Chat
Entry points are how customers open a Messages for Business chat — from Safari, Maps, Spotlight, Siri, QR codes, apps, and email. Here is how each one works.
Apple Messages for Business is customer-initiated: people start the conversation by tapping a message button. Those buttons are called entry points, and where you place them determines how much volume the channel drives. Understanding them is the difference between a channel nobody finds and one that quietly absorbs a chunk of your support and sales.
Website and Safari
The most common entry point is your own website. A message button on contact, support, product, or checkout pages lets Apple-device visitors open Messages instantly. Placement matters — a button on the returns page or at checkout captures intent at the exact moment a customer needs help.
Apple Maps
When your business is verified in Apple Business Connect, a message button appears on your Maps place card. This is powerful for brands with physical locations: someone looking up your store or branch can message before they visit or call.
Spotlight and Siri
Search your brand name in Spotlight, or ask Siri, and a message option can surface directly in the results. These system-level entry points put your brand one tap from a conversation without the customer ever opening a browser.
QR codes and NFC
QR codes bridge the physical and digital. Print one on packaging, receipts, in-store signage, or mailers, and a scan opens Messages pre-addressed to your brand. It is a natural fit for retail, hospitality, and events.
Apps and email
You can embed entry points inside your own iOS app and in emails, handing off from a channel the customer already uses into a live conversation. This keeps context and reduces the friction of switching channels.
Designing your entry-point strategy
The best deployments place entry points where intent is highest, not everywhere at once. Look at how live brands surface Messages, and make sure your MSP supports the entry points you need. For the fundamentals, see what Apple Messages for Business is.