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contradiction in Pinpoint docs between the different meanings of "transactional" messages

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https://docs.aws.amazon.com/pinpoint/latest/developerguide/send-messages.html says: "Transactional messages are messages that you send to specific recipients, as opposed to messages that you send to segments."

But in the code sample at https://docs.aws.amazon.com/pinpoint/latest/developerguide/pinpoint_example_pinpoint_SendMessages_section.html the comments say: // The type of SMS message that you want to send. If you plan to send // time-sensitive content, specify TRANSACTIONAL. If you plan to send // marketing-related content, specify PROMOTIONAL. MessageType messageType = MessageType.TRANSACTIONAL;

These two descriptions of the usages of "transactional" obviously seem to be saying different things.

So: (1) First, for my sanity, do you agree that these two usages of the term "transactional" are saying different things; and (2) Which usage is correct? (Or, is one usage correct in the context of email, and the other usage correct in the context of SMS, or something like that?)

Topics
Front-End Web & MobileBusiness Applications
Tags
Amazon Pinpoint
Language
English

asked 2 years ago162 views

1 Answer
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You're right to notice this apparent contradiction, and I agree that these two usages of "transactional" seem to be referring to different concepts. Let me clarify:

  1. Yes, these two usages of "transactional" are indeed referring to different things.

  2. Both usages are correct, but they're used in different contexts:

The first usage, where "transactional messages" are described as messages sent to specific recipients (as opposed to segments), refers to the method of message delivery in Amazon Pinpoint. This is a broader definition that applies to how messages are sent, regardless of the channel (email, SMS, push notification, etc.).

The second usage, where "TRANSACTIONAL" is a MessageType for SMS messages, is specific to SMS regulations and best practices. In this context, "TRANSACTIONAL" refers to the content and purpose of the message, not the method of delivery.

For SMS:

  • TRANSACTIONAL messages are time-sensitive and directly related to a specific transaction or user action (like order confirmations, password resets, etc.).
  • PROMOTIONAL messages are marketing-related content.

This distinction is important for SMS because many countries have regulations that treat transactional and promotional SMS messages differently.

So, to summarize:

  • The first usage refers to how messages are sent in Pinpoint (to specific recipients vs. segments).
  • The second usage is specific to SMS message content classification for regulatory compliance.

Both usages are correct in their respective contexts. The term "transactional" in Pinpoint can have different meanings depending on whether you're talking about the message delivery method or the content type of SMS messages.
Sources
Send transactional messages from your app using Amazon Pinpoint - Amazon Pinpoint
Messages - Amazon Pinpoint

answered 2 years ago

EXPERT

reviewed 2 years ago

  • Bennett
    2 years ago

    Thanks very much! Since this answer says "This recommendation was generated using AWS Generative AI capabilities", can you clarify, did you write the answer or did AI generate the answer but you at least read over it to see if it was correct?

    I understand your answer, but it still seems extremely potentially confusing because there are other contexts where the docs talk about sending SMS messages specifically, but they still use "transactional" to mean "direct", not as in "transactional"/"promotional": https://docs.aws.amazon.com/pinpoint/latest/apireference/apps-application-id-messages.html

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