10DLC Compliance and related features¶
Table of Contents¶
- What is 10DLC?
- Feature Overview
- Welcome Message
- OPT OUT -- Unsubscribing from Messages
- OPT IN -- Re-subscribing to Messages
- HELP -- Getting Assistance
- How End Users Experience It
- Configuration Scope Options
- Required Information from Customer
What is 10DLC?¶
10DLC is a US carrier-mandated framework for sending business (A2P -- Application-to-Person) SMS messages over standard 10-digit phone numbers. It requires registered brands and campaigns (On SMS gateway provider side) to ensure transparency, reduce spam, and give message recipients control over what they receive.
As part of 10DLC compliance, every messaging application must: - Identify itself (brand name) in automated messages - Provide contact information for customer support - Allow recipients to opt out of receiving messages at any time - Allow recipients to opt back in after opting out - Provide help/support information on request - Send a welcome message to new recipients with opt-out instructions
Feature Overview¶
When 10DLC is enabled for a customer's application, Acrobits Linkup Messaging automatically handles the following compliance requirements without any action needed from end users of the messaging platform (the business operators):
| Feature | What happens | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome message | An introductory SMS is sent to a new recipient before any other content | Automatically, before the first message to a new SMS recipient |
| OPT OUT | Recipient is unsubscribed and receives confirmation | Recipient sends STOP |
| OPT IN | Recipient is re-subscribed and receives confirmation | Recipient sends START |
| HELP | Recipient receives support contact information | Recipient sends HELP or INFO |
Welcome Message¶
When Acrobits Linkup Messaging sends the first SMS message to a new recipient (or when a new unknown phone number sends an SMS to Acrobits Linkup Messaging), an automatic welcome message is delivered before the actual content.
Example welcome message:
Welcome! You're subscribed to the Acme Corp channel. For help, contact Phone: +1-555-0100, Email: support@acme.com. Reply HELP to resend instructions and support info. Reply STOP to opt out. Reply START to re-subscribe. Msg & data rates may apply. Message frequency varies by channel.
The welcome message: - Is sent only once per recipient per used outbound sms number (tracked internally) - Identifies the brand (company/service name) - Provides contact information for support - Instructs the recipient how to opt out, opt in, and get help - Includes standard carrier-required disclaimers (message rates, frequency)
If 10DLC is not enabled or not properly configured, the welcome message is not sent, and regular messaging continues without it.
OPT OUT -- Unsubscribing from Messages¶
A message recipient can stop receiving SMS messages at any time by replying with the keyword STOP.
What happens when a recipient sends STOP:
- The recipient immediately receives a confirmation:
You have successfully opted out of receiving messages. Reply START to opt back in.
- The recipient stops receiving all future SMS messages from all channels that use the same outbound SMS number
- The recipient's opt-out status is immediately visible to Linkup Messaging users in all affected channels
- The recipient can still send messages to Acrobits Linkup Messaging (they just won't receive any)
Important: The opt-out is scoped to the outbound SMS number, not to a single channel. If a recipient has conversations in multiple channels that all send from the same outbound SMS number, opting out affects all of those channels at once.
OPT IN -- Re-subscribing to Messages¶
A recipient who has previously opted out can re-subscribe by replying with the keyword START.
What happens when a recipient sends START:
- The recipient immediately receives a confirmation:
You have successfully opted in to receive messages. Reply HELP for help, STOP to cancel.
- The recipient resumes receiving SMS messages from all channels that use the same outbound SMS number
- Acrobits Linkup Messaging updates the recipient's status back to active
- The status change is immediately visible to Linkup Messaging users in all affected channels
HELP -- Getting Assistance¶
A recipient can request support information at any time by replying with HELP or INFO.
What happens when a recipient sends HELP or INFO:
- The recipient receives a help message with contact information:
Acme Corp: For assistance, please contact customer support - Phone: +1-555-0100, Email: support@acme.com. Reply STOP to opt out. Reply START to re-subscribe. Msg & data rates may apply.
- No status changes occur -- the recipient's subscription state remains unchanged
How End Users Experience It¶
Scenario: New Recipient¶
Acrobits Linkup Messaging --> Recipient: "Welcome! You're subscribed to the Acme Corp channel..."
Acrobits Linkup Messaging --> Recipient: "Hello, this is your appointment reminder for tomorrow."
Scenario: Recipient Opts Out¶
Recipient --> Acrobits Linkup Messaging: "STOP"
Acrobits Linkup Messaging --> Recipient: "You have successfully opted out of receiving messages..."
(Recipient no longer receives messages from any channel using the same outbound SMS number)
(Opt-out status is visible to Linkup Messaging users in all affected channels)
Scenario: Recipient Opts Back In¶
Recipient --> Acrobits Linkup Messaging: "START"
Acrobits Linkup Messaging --> Recipient: "You have successfully opted in to receive messages..."
(Recipient resumes receiving messages in all channels using the same outbound SMS number)
(Opt-in status is visible to Linkup Messaging users in all affected channels)
Scenario: Recipient Requests Help¶
Recipient --> Acrobits Linkup Messaging: "HELP"
Acrobits Linkup Messaging --> Recipient: "Acme Corp: For assistance, please contact customer support..."
Configuration Scope Options¶
10DLC configuration can be scoped in different ways depending on the customer's needs:
| Scope | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Per Application | One 10DLC configuration shared across all networks using the same application | Simple setup -- one brand, one set of contact info for the entire app |
| Per Network | Separate 10DLC configuration for each network within an application | Different networks have different branding or contact information |
The scope determines how many separate configurations a customer needs to provide. Most customers use the Per Application scope.
Required Information from Customer¶
To enable 10DLC compliance features, the customer must provide the following information.
Mandatory Fields¶
| # | Field | Description | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brand name | The business or service name that will appear in welcome and help messages | Acme Corp |
Must not be empty. Used as the sender identity in all automated messages. |
| 2 | At least one contact method | Support contact information displayed in welcome and help messages. At least one of the three options below must be provided. | At least one is required. Multiple can be provided and will all be displayed. | |
| 2a | Contact phone number | Phone number for customer support | +1-555-0100 |
Optional if email or other contact is provided |
| 2b | Contact email | Email address for customer support | support@acme.com |
Optional if phone or other contact is provided |
| 2c | Other contact info | Any other contact method (website, chat link, etc.) | https://support.acme.com |
Optional if phone or email is provided |
Optional Fields¶
| # | Field | Description | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Enabled | Whether 10DLC features should be active | false (disabled) |
Must be explicitly enabled. When disabled, no welcome messages or keyword responses are sent. |
| 4 | Configuration scope | How the 10DLC config is scoped (see section above) | Per Application | Most customers use Per Application. Per Network requires a separate configuration per network. |
| 5 | Network ID | Required only when scope is Per Network | none | If Per Network scope is chosen, customer must provide this for each network(or domain) configuration. |
Summary Checklist¶
The customer needs to provide:
- Brand name (company or service name)
- At least one contact method: support phone number, support email address, other support contact (URL, chat, etc.)
- Decision: one configuration for the whole app, or separate per network?
- If per network: list of networks with individual brand/contact info for each
Validation Rules¶
Acrobits Linkup Messaging will not send welcome messages (and 10DLC features will be effectively inactive) if:
- Brand name is missing or empty
- No contact information is provided at all (all three contact fields are empty)
- The 10DLC configuration is set to disabled
If any of these conditions are true, regular messaging works normally without 10DLC compliance features.
Automated Message Templates¶
For reference, these are the exact message templates Acrobits Linkup Messaging sends. The placeholders are filled with the customer-provided information.
Welcome Message¶
Welcome! You're subscribed to the {brand} channel. For help, contact {contact info}. Reply HELP to resend instructions and support info. Reply STOP to opt out. Reply START to re-subscribe. Msg & data rates may apply. Message frequency varies by channel.
OPT OUT Confirmation¶
You have successfully opted out of receiving messages. Reply START to opt back in.
OPT IN Confirmation¶
You have successfully opted in to receive messages. Reply HELP for help, STOP to cancel.
HELP Response¶
{brand}: For assistance, please contact customer support - {contact info}. Reply STOP to opt out. Reply START to re-subscribe. Msg & data rates may apply.
Contact info format: Phone: {number}, Email: {email}, Other: {other} -- only fields
that the customer has provided are included.