What a campaign is
A campaign is a registered description of a messaging program. It is attached to an approved brand and describes the use case, the kind of content, sample messages, how recipients opt in and how they opt out. Phone numbers are then assigned to the campaign in your messaging platform.
One brand can have several campaigns. A dental clinic might register one campaign for appointment reminders and a separate one for promotional offers, each with its own description and samples.
What a campaign registration includes
- Use case: the category of messages you send
- Campaign description: a clear explanation of who receives messages and why
- Sample messages: realistic examples of what you actually send
- Message flow: how a person ends up receiving your messages, including the opt-in method
- Opt-in details: where and how consent is collected, with the wording shown
- Opt-out and help handling: how replies such as STOP and HELP are answered
- Content flags: whether messages include links, phone numbers, age-gated content or similar
Choosing the right use case
The use case needs to match your real traffic. Common choices include:
- Customer care: support, reminders and account-related conversations
- Account notifications: alerts and status updates
- Delivery notifications: order and shipment updates
- Marketing: promotions and offers
- Mixed or low-volume mixed: senders that combine several kinds of messages
- Two-factor authentication: one-time passcodes
Picking the use case that sounds easiest to get approved is a mistake. The campaign is reviewed against what you send, and a mismatch can cause messages to be blocked after approval. If your business sends more than one kind of message, we help you decide between one mixed campaign and several focused ones.
Writing a campaign description
A good description answers four questions in plain sentences: who is sending, who receives the messages, why they receive them, and what the messages contain. Avoid vague phrases such as "customer communication". Say what actually happens, for example that a clinic sends appointment confirmations and reminders to patients who booked online.
Writing sample messages that pass review
- Name your business in the message so recipients know who is writing
- Use realistic wording with the details you would actually include
- Keep the samples consistent with the campaign description
- Include opt-out language where it is expected, especially for marketing
- Link to your own domain rather than a public link shortener
- Provide more than one sample when your messages vary
An example for an appointment reminder campaign might read: "Hi Sam, this is Bright Smile Dental. Reminder: your cleaning is tomorrow at 2:30 PM. Reply C to confirm or call us to reschedule. Reply STOP to opt out." Notice the business name, the specific detail and the opt-out line.
Describing the message flow and consent
The message flow is where many campaigns are returned. It should say specifically where the person agrees to receive messages, for example a web form with an unchecked consent box, and quote the disclosure shown next to it. Include the page address of the form where you can. Read more about opt-in and consent.
Opt-out and help responses
Recipients must be able to stop messages easily, and a HELP reply should return useful information. Most messaging platforms handle STOP and HELP automatically, and your campaign registration describes the responses. The help response should include your business name and a way to contact you.
Links, phone numbers and special content
Campaigns declare whether messages contain embedded links or phone numbers, and whether any content is age-gated. Answer accurately. A campaign that says it sends no links but then sends them will be flagged. If you use links, use your own domain so reviewers and carriers can see where they lead.
Why campaigns get rejected
- Opt-in proof is missing or vague
- The description does not match the sample messages
- The website has no privacy policy or SMS terms
- The use case does not fit the real traffic
- Sample messages do not identify the business
- Public link shorteners appear in messages
We cover each one, and how it is fixed, on our rejections page.
After approval
Once a campaign is approved, you attach numbers to it in your messaging platform. Keep sending messages that match what you registered. If your program changes, for example you add promotions to a reminders-only campaign, register the new traffic instead of quietly sending it under the old campaign.
What we do for you
We choose the use case, write the description and samples, describe the message flow, and check your website and opt-in form before we submit. If the campaign comes back we correct it and resubmit. See how the process works or start a registration request.