How Do You Manage Push Notifications in SFMC?
Use MobilePush to plan, build, and orchestrate push across iOS and Android—from SDK setup and token capture to journey-triggered sends, frequency caps, and revenue-safe reporting. Here’s a complete, compliant workflow you can operationalize.
In Salesforce Marketing Cloud, push notifications are managed with MobilePush. You register your app (APNs/FCM keys), instrument the SDK to collect device tokens and attributes, build audiences in Contact Builder, and compose messages in Content Builder. Deliver pushes via Journey Builder or API, enforce consent & quiet hours, cap frequency, and track sends, opens, device engagement, and conversions—with fallbacks (in-app/SMS/email) when a device is opted out or unreachable.
What Matters for SFMC Push
SFMC Push: End-to-End Workflow
Follow this sequence to implement scalable, compliant, and high-performing mobile push.
Plan → Configure → Instrument → Model → Compose → Orchestrate → Govern → Measure
- Plan: Define push use cases (onboarding, lifecycle re-engagement, transactional alerts) and KPIs (enablement rate, push open, session starts, conversion).
- Configure: Set up APNs/FCM credentials in MobilePush; create app(s) for dev/stage/prod; enable SDK features (analytics, location if used).
- Instrument: Add SFMC SDK; capture device token, contact key, locale, app version; implement deep links and notification click handling.
- Model: In Contact Builder, relate Devices ⇄ Contacts; store preferences, quiet hours, and last-push timestamp for frequency control.
- Compose: Build templates in Content Builder with dynamic fields and localization; add images and action buttons where appropriate.
- Orchestrate: Use Journey Builder entry sources (events, API, data updates); add decision splits by behavior, device type, or opt-in status.
- Govern: Enforce consent, time-of-day rules, and caps (e.g., ≤2/day); prioritize transactional over promotional; set channel collision rules.
- Measure: Use Mobile Analytics and Journey reporting; run A/B tests, control groups, and post-send audits of deliverability and opt-outs.
Mobile Push Capability Maturity Matrix
| Capability | From (Ad Hoc) | To (Operationalized) | Owner | Primary KPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDK & Tokens | Basic SDK, inconsistent token capture | Reliable token mapping to Contact Key with versioning and deep links | Mobile Eng/MarTech | Push-enabled rate |
| Audience & Data | Static lists | Behavioral segments with preferences, quiet hours, and locale | Marketing Ops | Active reachable devices |
| Content | Generic copy | Dynamic, localized templates with rich media and deep links | Content/UX | Open rate, session start |
| Orchestration | One-off sends | Event-driven journeys with decisioning and failover across channels | Lifecycle/CRM | Conversion rate |
| Governance | Manual checks | Automated consent, caps, quiet hours, collision rules | Compliance/RevOps | Opt-out rate |
| Analytics | Opens only | Attribution to app actions and revenue with tests/holdouts | Analytics | Incremental lift |
Snapshot: Activation Lift with Event-Triggered Push
By capturing tokens reliably, adding quiet hours, and triggering push from first-run events in Journey Builder, a B2C app increased push-enabled devices and improved activation. Explore outcomes: Comcast Business · Broadridge
Tie mobile push to The Loop™ and your lifecycle goals; use RM6™ governance to keep consent and caps enforced across channels.
Frequently Asked Questions about SFMC Push
Operationalize Mobile Push in SFMC
We’ll configure MobilePush, instrument your SDK, design journeys, and enforce consent and caps—so pushes drive real outcomes.
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