Docs/Retention Engine/AI Message Generation

AI Message Generation

Leverage AI to generate personalized, contextual messages that drive player engagement and retention.

10 min read

Overview

Ilara uses advanced AI to generate personalized messages for each player based on their behavior, preferences, and lifecycle stage. Messages feel human-written while scaling to millions of players.

Key Benefits

Personalized at Scale: Unique messages for each player
Context-Aware: References recent activity, achievements, progress
Multi-Language: Auto-translate to player's language
Brand Voice: Maintains your game's tone and style

How It Works

Trigger: Event or schedule triggers a message campaign
Context Collection: Ilara gathers player context (events, attributes, segment)
Generation: AI generates personalized message using your templates
Review (optional): Messages can be queued for human review
Delivery: Sent via push, email, or in-app

Message Templates

Templates provide structure while allowing AI to personalize content:

Template Example

json

{
  class="code-string">"name": class="code-string">"Re-engagement - Lapsed Player",
  class="code-string">"trigger": class="code-string">"player_inactive_7_days",
  class="code-string">"channel": class="code-string">"push",
  class="code-string">"template": {
    class="code-string">"title": class="code-string">"We miss you, {{player.name}}!",
    class="code-string">"body": class="code-string">"{{ai:personalized_message}}",
    class="code-string">"action_url": class="code-string">"/game/daily-reward"
  },
  class="code-string">"ai_context": {
    class="code-string">"tone": class="code-string">"friendly_casual",
    class="code-string">"goal": class="code-string">"re-engage lapsed player",
    class="code-string">"mention": [class="code-string">"recent_achievement", class="code-string">"friends_activity", class="code-string">"new_content"],
    class="code-string">"max_length": 160
  }
}

Template Variables

Variable	Description	Example
`{{player.name}}`	Player display name	Alex
`{{player.level}}`	Current player level	45
`{{player.last_seen}}`	Time since last session	3 days
`{{ai:personalized_message}}`	AI-generated content	Your guild misses you!
`{{game.event_name}}`	Current live event	Winter Festival

AI Context Configuration

Tone Options

Tone	Description	Best For
`friendly_casual`	Warm, conversational	Re-engagement, casual games
`exciting_urgent`	High energy, FOMO	Limited events, sales
`helpful_supportive`	Encouraging, informative	Tutorial help, tips
`mysterious_intriguing`	Curiosity-driven	New content reveals
`competitive`	Challenge-focused	PvP, leaderboards

Content Goals

re_engage — Bring back inactive players
upsell — Promote premium content/IAP
celebrate — Acknowledge achievements
inform — Share news, updates, tips
social — Encourage social features
retain — Prevent churn for at-risk players

Personalization Features

Player Context

AI has access to player data for personalization:

Recent achievements and milestones
Favorite game modes or items
Friends and guild activity
Purchase history and preferences
Time played and session patterns
Current progress and next goals

Generated Message Example

json

class=class="code-string">"code-comment">// Input context
{
  class="code-string">"player": {
    class="code-string">"name": class="code-string">"DragonSlayer99",
    class="code-string">"level": 45,
    class="code-string">"last_achievement": class="code-string">"Defeated Fire Dragon",
    class="code-string">"days_inactive": 5,
    class="code-string">"favorite_mode": class="code-string">"raids"
  },
  class="code-string">"game": {
    class="code-string">"new_content": class="code-string">"Ice Realm expansion",
    class="code-string">"guild_activity": class="code-string">"Guild completed 3 raids"
  }
}
 
class=class="code-string">"code-comment">// AI-generated message
{
  class="code-string">"title": class="code-string">"The Ice Realm awaits, DragonSlayer99!",
  class="code-string">"body": class="code-string">"Your guild completed 3 raids while you were away! The new Ice Realm expansion has challenges perfect for a dragon slayer like you. Ready for round 2? 🐉❄️"
}

Creating Campaigns

Dashboard Setup

Go to Retention → Campaigns → Create
Select campaign type (re-engagement, celebration, etc.)
Choose target segment
Configure AI message template
Set delivery channel and timing
Review and activate

API Setup

Create Campaign via API

json

POST /v1/notifications/campaigns
{
  class="code-string">"name": class="code-string">"Lapsed Player Re-engagement",
  class="code-string">"segment_id": class="code-string">"lapsed-7-days",
  class="code-string">"channel": class="code-string">"push",
  class="code-string">"template": {
    class="code-string">"type": class="code-string">"ai_generated",
    class="code-string">"ai_config": {
      class="code-string">"tone": class="code-string">"friendly_casual",
      class="code-string">"goal": class="code-string">"re_engage",
      class="code-string">"mention": [class="code-string">"recent_achievement", class="code-string">"new_content"],
      class="code-string">"max_length": 160,
      class="code-string">"include_emoji": true
    },
    class="code-string">"fallback": {
      class="code-string">"title": class="code-string">"We miss you!",
      class="code-string">"body": class="code-string">"Come back and see what's new!"
    }
  },
  class="code-string">"schedule": {
    class="code-string">"type": class="code-string">"trigger",
    class="code-string">"trigger_event": class="code-string">"player_inactive_7_days"
  }
}

A/B Testing Messages

Test AI-generated messages against manual templates:

A/B Test Configuration

json

{
  class="code-string">"name": class="code-string">"AI vs Manual Message Test",
  class="code-string">"variants": [
    {
      class="code-string">"name": class="code-string">"control",
      class="code-string">"weight": 50,
      class="code-string">"template": {
        class="code-string">"type": class="code-string">"static",
        class="code-string">"title": class="code-string">"Come back to the game!",
        class="code-string">"body": class="code-string">"New content is waiting for you."
      }
    },
    {
      class="code-string">"name": class="code-string">"ai_generated",
      class="code-string">"weight": 50,
      class="code-string">"template": {
        class="code-string">"type": class="code-string">"ai_generated",
        class="code-string">"ai_config": {
          class="code-string">"tone": class="code-string">"friendly_casual",
          class="code-string">"goal": class="code-string">"re_engage"
        }
      }
    }
  ],
  class="code-string">"success_metric": class="code-string">"return_within_24h"
}

Best Practices

Set clear goals: Define what action you want players to take
Respect frequency: Don't spam players with too many messages
Test variations: A/B test tones, lengths, and calls-to-action
Monitor metrics: Track open rates, click rates, and conversions
Use fallbacks: Always have a static fallback if AI generation fails
Review sensitive: Enable human review for high-value segments

Next Steps

Send Time Optimization — Deliver at the perfect moment
Multi-Channel Setup — Coordinate across channels
Churn Prediction — Target at-risk players

REST API

Send Time Optimization