---
title: Best Practices | API Docs
description: Recommended patterns for healthy iMessage conversations using the Linq API.
---

Follow this flow for every new contact to maintain healthy iMessage conversations and optimal deliverability.

## Messaging flow

1. **Set up your contact card** — configure your name and photo via the [Contact Cards](/guides/contact-cards/index.md) endpoints for your numbers. This is a one-time setup per number.
2. **Receive an inbound message first** — wait for the recipient to initiate or respond before sharing your card. See [Sending Messages](/guides/messaging/sending-messages/index.md).
3. **Send an outbound message** — there must be at least one outbound message in the chat before sharing.
4. **Share your contact card** — call the share endpoint so the recipient is prompted to save your name and photo. See [Sharing Contact Card](/guides/chats/share-contact-card/index.md). There’s no confirmation the user saved it, so call the share endpoint once per day after the first outbound activity on that chat — this keeps giving them the option if they dismissed it.
5. **Elicit 3+ responses early** — aim to get at least three replies from a new user as soon as possible to keep the conversation healthy.
6. **Maintain a 1:2 inbound:outbound ratio** — a message reciprocity ratio of 1 inbound for every 2 outbound messages leads to optimal deliverability.
7. **Honor opt-out language** — immediately stop messaging any user who sends stop, unsubscribe, or expresses negative sentiment.

## Tips

DO

- Design for inbound-first messaging
- Space messages naturally
- Make interactions conversational
- Share contact cards early
- Round-robin new users across lines to balance load

DON'T

- Exceed 7,000 messages/day per line
- Include links or media in your first message
- Keep fallback lines dormant
- Bombard non-responders
- Segment Android users to separate lines
- Use iMessage for cold outreach