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Overview

Every new A2P 10DLC campaign must pass a strict vetting process. This ensures the SMS ecosystem remains secure, spam-free, and fully compliant with carrier and CTIA regulations.

This guide breaks down exactly what you need to prepare before submitting your campaign in Talkdesk, helping you get approved on the very first try.

Part 1: Campaign Details & Description

This section defines the core purpose of your messaging strategy. Accuracy here is crucial for the reviewers assessing your application.

Campaign Use Case

Select the category that most accurately reflects your text messages.

Standard Brand Use Cases:

• 2FA: Two-factor authentication and one-time passcodes.
• ACCOUNT_NOTIFICATION: Alerts regarding account status or profile changes.
• CUSTOMER_CARE: Two-way support, ticketing updates, and account management.
• DELIVERY_NOTIFICATION: Order tracking and shipping updates.
• FRAUD_ALERT: Suspicious activity warnings and spending alerts.
• HIGHER_EDUCATION: Communications from universities and academic institutions.
• MARKETING: Promotional blasts, discount codes, and sales events.
• POLLING_VOTING: Customer surveys and feedback polls (Strictly non-political).
• PUBLIC_SERVICE_ANNOUNCEMENT: Community alerts and awareness campaigns.
• SECURITY_ALERT: IT warnings regarding compromised hardware or software.
• MIXED: Campaigns combining multiple use cases (e.g., Marketing + Customer Care). Note: Mixed campaigns generally face higher carrier fees and lower throughput.

Low Volume & Special Use Cases:

• LOW_VOLUME / SOLE_PROPRIETOR: Ideal for smaller brands or unregistered businesses sending minimal traffic.
• Special Use Cases: Charities, emergency services, and political campaigns fall here and require additional vetting for specialized throughput.

Campaign Description

Your description must be a complete sentence that clearly answers three things: who is sending it, who is receiving it, and why they are receiving it.

The description must align perfectly with your chosen Use Case and Brand details.

🚨 Important Compliance Notes: > * No PII: Never include Personally Identifiable Information (real names, real phone numbers) in this field.

• Direct Lending: If you are a financial institution offering direct loans, you must state "Direct Lending" in your description, even if you are only sending 2FA codes.

Part 2: Message Flow (End-User Consent)

This is the core of your application, and truthfully, it’s the most common stumbling block for rejections. Your "Message Flow" must explicitly explain how a consumer permits you to text them.

If you have multiple ways people can sign up (e.g., a website form and an in-store kiosk), you must describe all of them.

Your Message Flow description must include:

1. Service Name: E.g., "Talkdesk Shipping Alerts"
2. Fee Disclosure: You must include the exact phrase: "Message and data rates may apply." (Do not use the word "standard" rates).
3. Frequency: E.g., "Message frequency varies" or "2 messages per month."
4. Support Info: E.g., "Reply HELP for assistance."
5. Opt-Out Info: E.g., "Reply STOP to cancel."

Visual Examples of Compliant Opt-Ins:

💻 Web Form

🔳 QR Code

🗣️ Verbal/IVR

• Talkdesk IVR: "Would you like to receive automated text alerts about your account? Message frequency varies, and message and data rates may apply. You can reply STOP at any time to opt out.  Mobile Terms of Service are available at http://talkdesk.com/terms and our Privacy Statement can be found at https://talkdesk.com/pp. Please reply with 'yes' or 'no' to indicate if you would like this service". Reply 'Yes' or 'No' if you would like this service"
• Caller: "Yes."
• Talkdesk IVR: "Great, we will send a confirmation text shortly."

📝 Paper Form

An in-store visitor completes a physical document (like a patient intake form or a sign-up sheet) that collects their phone number and explicit consent to subscribe to your texting campaign.

• Important Note: Since reviewers cannot visit your store to see the form, you must take a clear photo or scan of the blank paper form, host it on a publicly accessible website (like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive), and paste that URL directly into the Message Flow field.

📩 Via Text

If your customers opt-in by texting a keyword (like "JOIN" to your Talkdesk number), you must submit proof showing exactly where the end user saw those instructions. You must provide a publicly hosted link to a screenshot or PDF of any of the following:

• The webpage or mobile app where the number is displayed.
• A copy of the digital landing page.
• An email or digital message where the number was shared.
• A screenshot of a physical or digital ad showing the number.
• Important Note: The collateral you screenshot must include the compliance disclaimer ("Message and data rates may apply," frequency, etc.) right next to the keyword instructions.

The Rules of Consent

• It must be voluntary: You cannot force someone to accept text messages just to buy a product or create an account.
• No pre-checked boxes: SMS consent checkboxes must be unchecked by default.
• Keep it separate: You cannot bundle SMS consent into your general Terms of Service agreement.
• Provide Proof: If your opt-in form is behind a login wall, on a paper form, or in a mobile app, you must upload a screenshot/video to a public link (such as Google Drive) and paste the URL into your application so reviewers can view it.

Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

To pass review, your website must have a publicly accessible Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.

• Privacy Policy Requirement: You must explicitly state that mobile phone numbers and SMS consent will not be shared with, sold to, or bought by third parties or affiliates for marketing purposes.
• T&C Requirement: Must include your program name, fee disclosure, frequency, bolded HELP/STOP instructions, and a note that carriers are not liable for delayed messages.

Part 3: Sample Messages

You must provide 2 to 5 realistic examples of the texts you plan to send. In your Talkdesk configuration, you will also need to flag specific content types:

• Embedded Links: Check if you use URLs.
• Phone Numbers: Check if you include phone numbers in the text body.
• Direct Lending: Check if the content involves loans.
• Age-Gated Content: Check if your content involves alcohol, tobacco, or restricted goods.

Tips for Approval:

• Use brackets for dynamic fields (e.g., [Customer Name], [Date]).
• Always include your Brand Name.
• Include opt-out instructions in at least one sample.

Part 4: Keywords & Automated Responses

You must configure how your system reacts when customers text standard compliance keywords to your Talkdesk numbers.

1. Opt-In Confirmation (Required for Recurring Campaigns)

Regardless of how a user signs up, the very first text they receive must be a confirmation containing: Brand Name, Fee Disclosure, Frequency, and Help/Stop instructions.

Example: "Welcome to Talkdesk! Msg frequency varies. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for support, STOP to cancel."

2. Opt-In Keywords (e.g., START, SUBSCRIBE, IN)

If users can text to join, you must define the keyword and the automated welcome response.

3. Opt-Out Keywords (e.g., STOP, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE)

You must acknowledge the opt-out and confirm that communication has ceased.

Example: "Talkdesk: You have been unsubscribed and will receive no further messages. Reply HELP for support."

4. Help Keywords (e.g., HELP, INFO, SUPPORT)

You must provide alternative contact methods (a phone number, email, or website).

Example: "Talkdesk: For support, visit www.talkdesk.com/help or call 800-111-1111. Msg & data rates apply. Reply STOP to cancel."

Part 5: Data Consistency & Common Rejection Reasons

Before you hit submit in Talkdesk, double-check these common pitfalls that trigger automatic rejections:

1. No PII: Ensure no real customer data is in your descriptions or sample messages.
2. Brand Consistency: If your legal business name is "Global Tech LLC" but your sample messages say "Welcome to Pete's Pizza," you will be rejected.
3. Matching Email Domains: Corporate registrations should use official company email addresses (e.g., name@company.com), not free providers like Gmail or Yahoo.
4. Live Websites: The website URL you provide must be live, functional, and clearly represent the business applying. "Under Construction" pages will fail.
5. No 3rd-Party Link Shorteners: Links inside your sample messages must belong to your brand. Generic shorteners like bit.ly or tinyurl.com are highly scrutinized and often rejected.
6. ISV Registration: If you are a platform providing services to other businesses (an ISV), you must register the end-user's brand (e.g., the local plumber), not your own software company.

Please review our Talkdesk Guide to A2P 10DLC Registration to learn more.