VK

Features of VK messages

When sending VK messages the following features should be taken into account:

1. A Partner can send text messages with a maximum length of 2048 characters.

2. Messages may contain links.

3. Messages are sent on behalf of the VK group to any VK user on his phone number.

4. A Partner can send no more than 50 messages per second from one VK group.

5. A Partner can send no more than 5 messages per day and night to one user from one VK group.

6. All VK groups and examples of texts of messages are subject to preliminary moderation with the presentation of a contract for the provision of services, a trademark and other necessary documents.

7. Messages are delivered within a period of lifetime from 1 minute to 24 hours. The message lifetime is configured on the Service Provider’s side in agreement with the Partner.

8. Only delivered messages are charged.

9. Messages are delivered only to active VK users. Active users are those who have visited the site within the last 7 days (mobile or web version of the social network).

To enable sending VK messages, the Partner has to additionally provide the Service Provider with the URL of the VK group (on behalf of which the sending will be carried out), as well as provide examples of text messages for moderation.

Sending request

POST and GET requests are allowed in the HTTP API.

Request Examples

POST requestsGET requests

Text formatText in URL format

POST request with a message in Latin “test“ in a simple text format.

{
    POST /login HTTP/1.1
    Host: 10.10.10.10:9080
    Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded;charset=utf-8
    Content-Length: 58
    serviceId=login&pass=123&clientId=79161234567&message=test
}

Request Parameters

The parameters are applicable for POST and GET requests.

Parameter	Required	Type	Description
clientId	yes	string	Subscriber’s phone number, no more than 25 characters. More details Examples: 79036550550, +79036550550, 8-903-655-05-50, 89036550550.
message	no	string	Text of the message in UTF-8 encoding. More details Maximum length: 2048 characters.
serviceId	yes	string	ID of the Partner’s service (login), which is used to send a message. More details The Service Provider establishes serviceId while enabling the Partner’s service and reports it to the Partner.
pass	yes	string	Password for authorization in the service. More details The Service Provider establishes the password while enabling the service and reports it to the Partner.
ptag	no	string	Message identifier in the Partner’s system. More details It may contain from 1 to 50 characters. Valid characters: 0...9a...zA...Z- It may be any identifier in the Partner's system. Note For example, it may be the unique identifier of a message or the identifier of subdivision, which initiates the request for sending. In contrast to the partnerMsgId parameter, which is needed to control resending and duplication, the Service Provider does not control values sent in the ptag parameter (only format compliance is checked). The Service Provider optionally returns this identifier to the Partner as part of a request for receiving the message delivery status (this functionality is described in the section Delivery Status Service).
sending_time	no	string	Local time to send a message to a subscriber. More details Specified in the hh_hh format, where two hour values specify the time period in which the message should be sent. Warning If the parameter is specified, then its value cannot be empty. Note For example, if the parameter value is sending_time = 10_20, the message will be sent within the period from 10:00 to 20:00 local time in the time zone of the subscriber. The time zone of the subscriber is determined not by actual location of the subscriber. If the Partner doesn't send the time_zone parameter, the time zone of the subscriber will be determined by the phone number. If the Partner sends the time zone in the time_zone parameter, the message will be sent to the subscriber according to local time of this time zone.
time_zone	no	string	Time zone of the subscriber. More details Specified in the ±hh:mm format. For details see ISO 8601. If the Partner sends the value time zone in this parameter, the message will be sent to the subscriber according to local time of this time zone, otherwise the time zone of the subscriber will be determined by the subscriber's phone number. Note The subscriber with the number from Khabarovsk is in Moscow. The following sending options are available: The values are received: sending_time = 10_20, time_zone = +04:00 (Moscow time). The message will be sent within the period from 10:00 to 20:00 Moscow time. The sending_time = 10_20 value was received and the time_zone parameter wasn't passed. The message will be sent within the period from 10:00 to 20:00 (Khabarovsk time). For the zero zone it is necessary to specify a "+" or "–" sign. The "+" sign will be transformed into %2B when encoded in URL. For example, the +04:00 time zone will be sent as time_zone = %2B04:00.
source	no	string	Name of the sender. More details The message will be sent to the subscriber from the service name specified in this parameter. This parameter is optional. If the parameter is missing in the request, the message will be sent to the subscriber from the default service name (setting on the Service Provider's side). Important This parameter is not available for the Partner by default. This feature can be activated only after approval by the Service Provider. In this case, the list of allowed senders' names is set for the Partner's service or the dynamic signature feature is activated.
output	no	string	Request response format. More details If output = xml, the response to request will be formed as XML, see Response in the XML Format. If the parameter is not defined or is different, the default format is used: text/plain (see Response to the request).
partnerMsgId	no	string	Message unique identifier in the Partner’s system. More details Allowed length: from 1 to 50 characters. This parameter is required for resending and duplicate control. The Partner can send a request to send a message several times with the same partnerMsgId. In this case: the message will be sent to the subscriber only once (when the first request is received); in responses to requests the Service Provider will return to the Partner the same message identifier in the Service Provider system (the same that was sent for the first request). The Service Provider as an option returns this identifier to the Partner as part of the request for receiving the message delivery status (see section Delivery Status Service). This parameter is not available by default. To enable this functionality, please coordinate with your manager.
shortenLinks	no	boolean	Parameter specifies whether to shorten links in the message text. More details Important It is used for single messages only. If cascade resending, you need to use the shorten_list parameter (see Cascading Message Sending). Important This option is not available by default. The activation of this functionality should be agreed with your manager. For more details: see Link Shortening Service.

Response

After receiving and processing the request, the Service Provider synchronously returns the response to the Partner.

By default, the response from the Service Provider comes in the text/plain format.

The response can be generated in XML format (optionally).

Note

The Service Provider sends messages to subscribers only if the request is successfully processed.

Successful Sending

In case of successful processing of the request the Service Provider returns to the Partner:

• HTTP code 200 OK;

• the ID of the message in the Service Provider’s system.

Response exampleResponse parameters

{
   OK
   4095284974
}

Sending Errors

When sending an incorrect request, a short text error message may be transmitted in the response body.

Response exampleError codes when sending the request

An example of an error response – invalid serviceId/pass combination:

{
    Invalid password
}

Response in the XML Format

To receive the response in XML format the Partner needs to send the output = xml parameter in the body of the request.

In this case the Service Provider synchronously responds to the request with one of the following HTTP codes:

• 200 — the request was successfully processed;

• 500 — internal server error, technical problems on the Service Provider’s side.

Response Examples

Successful sendingError sendingDescription of XML elements

Response example in XML format in case of successful request sending (HTTP code 200) .

The description of the response content is given in «Description of XML elements» tab.

{
    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
    <response>
        <code>200</code>
        <text>OK</text>
        <payload>
            <id>4095284976</id>
        </payload>
    </response>
}

VK message Delivery Statuses

To receive VK message statuses, you need to set up the Delivery Status Service.

Delivery Error Codes

Delivery error codes for each message type are provided in the corresponding tab of the Error codes (parameter unifiedExtStatus) section.

Moderation Rules in VK Social Network

These moderation rules are applied for all message templates, which are submitted for approval for further mass messaging to end users of Mail.Ru Group projects. A sender (a company) and the text (a template) of the message are being moderated.

When checking a company, the industry to which the company belongs, the type of company, its reputation in the market are taken into account. Messages from following companies are not accepted for review:

1. Microlenders.

2. Debt collection agencies (including corresponding divisions of banks).

3. Betting offices.

4. Online casinos.

5. Jewelry stores.

6. Cigarette manufacturers.

7. Drug product manufacturers.

8. Alcohol producers.

When moderating text, the following rules apply:

1. Advertising texts are not being accepted for review. Any messages, which are addressed to any number of unspecified persons and intended for drawing attention to advertised object, formation or sustaining an interest to it or its marketing, are deemed as advertising.

2. If the template of message submitted for moderation contains both service and advertising component, it will not pass the moderation.

3. All message templates must comply with the requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation and the legislation of the country in which the users to whom the message is addressed are located, as well as existing ethical norms and principles (templates should not contain messages that offend human dignity, promote violence, racial or national hatred, etc.).

4. Message templates should not contain information directly or indirectly compromising the Mail.Ru Group and all projects and products that are part of the group of companies. Message templates should not contain information that can advertise products that compete in price or consumer properties with services provided by projects and services of the Mail.Ru Group.

5. Message templates should contain information, which is strictly related to the interaction between the user and the owner of official group, on behalf of which the message is sent.

6. Message templates should contain information concerning only orders and/or actions of users, which were performed immediately prior to the information message sending.

7. Templates might contain URL to WEB pages and sites only after individual approval.