---
schema_version: "1"
id: add31501d70bc05fbac178ca945f42b5b2c046cf7684390a46554e4c3cbfc175
title: Create and Send a Push Notification
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/mktg/264-0-0/mc_mp_outbound_message.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_mp_outbound_message.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 95434845cc7e1dd6a7ac0bed01838d43d7d7f280258ce91c2a13397d52731def
description: Use the Outbound Message template in MobilePush to send a push message to mobile devices based on demographic attributes.
products:
  - Marketing
  - Marketing Cloud Engagement
release: "264"
---
# Create and Send a Push Notification

Use the Outbound Message template in MobilePush to send a push message to mobile devices based on demographic attributes.

![Important](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-mktg-mc_mobile_studio-264-0-0-production-enus/26e7f9fa-f44c-489b-9b21-135d26904a29/images/icon_important.png)

Important Journey Builder push notifications are no longer created in MobilePush. Instead, [create your Journey Builder push notifications](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_configure_push_in_journey_builder.htm&language=en_US) without leaving Journey Builder.

Before you begin, keep these considerations in mind:

- MobilePush limits outbound messages to 2048 bytes for iOS and 4096 bytes for Android, including sounds and features.
- To use a data extension as your audience source in MobilePush, it must be marked as sendable and have the subscriber key set as the primary key. You can't pull attributes from source data extensions during a scheduled send.

1. In MobilePush, select a push method.
    - The **Alert** push method sends a push notification.
    - The **Alert + CloudPage** push method launches a web page when the user opens the push notification.
2. Click **Create Message**.
3. Select the **Outbound** template.
4. Click **Next**.
5. Enter a name for the message, and then select the app and send method..
    - **Schedule**—Send immediately or at a specified time.
    - **API Triggered**—Send based on an external API call.
    - **Inbox - Automation**—Send as part of an automation in Automation Studio.
6. For the push method, select **Alert**, and then click **Next**.
7. Select or create the audience. To send only to contacts who meet certain criteria, [create a filtered list](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_mp_create_filtered_list.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "A filtered list is a list of contacts who are filtered based on their demographic or interest data, such as ZIP code, income, products purchased, or birth date. In MobilePush for Marketing Cloud Engagement, you can use a filtered list to send push messages to a specific audience based on their demographics, such as age, gender, or interests.") or [create a data extension](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_cab_data_extensions_manage.htm&language=en_US) in Contact Builder.
    - **Contact List**—Drop selected contact lists in the Targeted and Excluded boxes and click **Save**.
    - **Data Extension**—Drop selected data extensions in the Targeted and Excluded boxes and click **Save**.
    - ![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-mktg-mc_mobile_studio-264-0-0-production-enus/26e7f9fa-f44c-489b-9b21-135d26904a29/images/icon_note.png)
        
        Note When a subscriber is listed in multiple targeted data extensions, personalization can be pulled from either data extension. The order in which the personalization is chosen can’t be guaranteed, and it can differ every time you send a message.
8. Click **Next**.
9. Enter a title, subtitle, and content for your message.
    
    If you insert personalization strings or AMPscript, the number of bytes used isn’t available.
10. To personalize your message, click inside the Message field and select contact attributes from the personalization dropdown menu.
11. Customize your message.
    1. [Add media to your message.](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_mp_create_rich_notification.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Create rich notifications in MobilePush for Marketing Cloud Engagement. Rich notifications include images, video, or sound. If the device cannot load the image, video, or sound, the notification displays without the media. iOS devices must use iOS 10 or later to receive rich notifications. Apple and Google control rich notification dimensions and scaling.")
    2. If you enabled Custom Sound for your app, select which sound to play when a push message arrives.
    3. Select whether to update the number of unread messages displayed on the iOS icon for this app when you send the message.
    4. Enable your mobile app to use badge count correctly and use the correct API calls to increment badge counts. Changing this switch to **No** doesn’t reset the badge count for users of your app.
    5. If you enabled OpenDirect for your app, enter the URL address for the screen to display when the user selects a message in the OpenDirect field. Specify a full URL address with subdomains (if any), including https://.
    6. If you enabled Interactive Notifications, select which to use.
    7. If you enabled Custom Keys for your app, enter the key values.
        
        To insert unique keys based on Contact attributes or campaigns, you can include an AMPscript value in the Custom Key text fields.
12. Click **Next**.
13. If you selected API Triggered, send the message.
14. If you selected Schedule or Outbound - Automation, move to the next page.
15. To improve the send throughput of upcoming sends, select **Future** and choose a future date and time. Then, click the checkbox next to **Pre-compile subscribers one hour prior to send**.
    
    ![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-mktg-mc_mobile_studio-264-0-0-production-enus/26e7f9fa-f44c-489b-9b21-135d26904a29/images/icon_note.png)
    
    Note
    
    This feature allows Marketing Cloud Engagement to assemble the sendable audience before the scheduled send time by processing inclusions and exclusions in advance. Sends continue to use real-time personalization.
16. On the Review and Send Page, click **Send Copy to Inbox** to send the same push notification to the user's inbox as a message. This feature is compatible with SDK version 9.0 or newer.
    
    By default, an End Date for **Send Copy to Inbox** message is automatically set for 1 months. You can set the End Date to a maximum of 1 year.
    
    ![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-mktg-mc_mobile_studio-264-0-0-production-enus/26e7f9fa-f44c-489b-9b21-135d26904a29/images/icon_note.png)
    
    Note
    
    Carousel notifications don't support **Send Copy to Inbox**. For Standard notifications, the following fields are available for Push Copy to Inbox: Title, Subtitle, Message, Open Behavior (Cloudpage, App/Web URL), Media, custom key-value pairs.
17. Click **Save**.
18. Schedule or send the message.

#### See Also

- [Marketing Cloud Engagement MobilePush API](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud/references/mc_rest_push/createPushMessage.html)
- [Send Push Notifications with Journey Builder](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_mp_use_mobilepush_with_journey_builder.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "You can send push notifications and inbox messages in Journey Builder to create a sequence of messages, such as a welcome experience or an abandoned cart reminder.")
- [MobilePush and Journey Builder](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_mp_configuring_mobilepush_for_use_with_journey_builder.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "To use MobilePush with Journey Builder, complete these prerequisites and review the personalization considerations.")
- [Create a Rich Notification](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_mp_create_rich_notification.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Create rich notifications in MobilePush for Marketing Cloud Engagement. Rich notifications include images, video, or sound. If the device cannot load the image, video, or sound, the notification displays without the media. iOS devices must use iOS 10 or later to receive rich notifications. Apple and Google control rich notification dimensions and scaling.")