What is RSMF?
RSMF stands for Relativity Short Message Format. It is a structured container designed to hold short-message communications — such as WhatsApp, SMS, iMessage, Slack and Microsoft Teams chats — in a way that preserves the flow of a conversation rather than flattening it into a single document.
Traditional document review was built around emails and files: discrete items with a sender, recipient and date. Chat data does not fit that model. A single conversation can run for months, involve multiple participants, and include images, reactions, edits and deletions. RSMF was created so that this kind of data can be loaded into Relativity while keeping its conversational structure intact.
Why conversational structure matters
When chat data is exported as a flat spreadsheet or a printed PDF, reviewers lose the context that gives messages meaning. A one-line message can read very differently depending on what came immediately before it. RSMF preserves the sequence, the participants and the timestamps, so a reviewer can read a conversation the way it actually happened.
This also matters for defensibility. If the way a conversation is presented changes its apparent meaning, the other side can challenge it. Reviewing chat data in its native conversational form, with accurate metadata, reduces that risk.
How chat data becomes RSMF
The journey usually begins with a forensic extraction from a phone, a collaboration platform export, or a cloud account. That raw data is then processed and normalised — participants are identified, timestamps are standardised, and attachments are linked to the messages they belong to. The result is converted into RSMF and loaded into Relativity alongside conventional documents.
Good processing keeps a clear record of every transformation, so the path from the original device or account to the reviewable item can be explained if it is ever questioned.
What law firms should ask for
When instructing a provider to prepare chat data for Relativity, it helps to ask how conversations will be segmented, how participants will be identified, how attachments and reactions will be handled, and how date and keyword filtering will work across message-level data. These details affect both the cost of review and the reliability of what reviewers see.
Key takeaways
- RSMF is a Relativity format built specifically for short-message and chat data.
- It preserves conversation flow, participants and timestamps that flat exports lose.
- Chat data is extracted, normalised and converted before it reaches review.
- How conversations are segmented and filtered has a direct effect on review cost and accuracy.
Frequently asked questions
Is RSMF only for WhatsApp?
No. RSMF can carry many short-message types, including SMS, iMessage, WhatsApp, Slack and Microsoft Teams chats. It is designed for conversational data generally, not one application.
Does RSMF change the original evidence?
No. The original extraction is preserved. RSMF is a reviewable representation produced from that source, and the processing steps are recorded so the path can be explained.
Do we need Relativity to use RSMF?
RSMF is designed for Relativity, but the same underlying chat data can be prepared for other review platforms. We can advise on the right approach for the platform you use.
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