A2P 10DLC Approval Best Practices

A2P 10DLC has two approvals that must work together:

1. Brand approval (your business identity + trust score)

2. Campaign approval (how you collect consent + what messages you send)

If Brand is incorrect → you may get rejected or a low Trust Score (lower throughput, more carrier scrutiny).
If Campaign is incomplete → manual vetting can reject or delay approval.

PART 1 — BRAND APPROVAL BEST PRACTICES (Business Identity)

Step 1) Use the right Tax ID (critical)

This is one of the biggest rejection and delay reasons.

US businesses:

• Use a valid EIN (not a DUNS number).

• The EIN must match the business name exactly as filed.

Non-US businesses:

• Use the correct government issued Tax ID number for your country.

Common mistake: entering the wrong number type or typos. Even one digit off can result in mismatch issues. Twilio Help Center

Step 2) Enter the Legal Company Name exactly as registered

• Use the legal registered name (including LLC / Inc / Ltd if part of the legal name).

• Avoid abbreviations, informal versions, or brand nicknames.

• If you use a DBA publicly, that’s fine — but Brand registration must reflect the legal entity as required.
  

  

Step 3) Use your official registered address (must match records)

Carriers and registry checks compare your address components. Mismatches can reduce trust score or trigger issues:

Best practice:

• Use the official registered business address

• Ensure accuracy in:

  • Street

  • City

  • State/Province

  • Postal/Zip

  • Country Twilio Help Center

Avoid:

• Using a random branch office or coworking address if it doesn’t match official registration, because this can cause mismatch. Twilio Help Center

Step 4) Understand what Brand approval affects (trust score + sending ability)

Brand vetting determines your eligibility and messaging throughput.

Higher trust scores typically = fewer limitations and better message deliverability. Twilio Help Center

Step 5) Best practices to avoid Brand rejections or low trust score

Do:

• Verify your EIN / Tax ID with official paperwork

• Match Legal Name + Address exactly to business registration

• Ensure your website and public branding match what reviewers will see later

Don’t:

• Use a mismatched address

• Use invalid Tax ID format

• Substitute business identity fields with someone else’s business identity

(These mistakes usually cascade into Campaign rejections too.)

PART 2 — CAMPAIGN APPROVAL BEST PRACTICES (Messaging Program)

As of Jan 26, 2023, campaigns are subject to manual vetting.

That means a real reviewer checks your submission for compliance + consent proof.

Below are the most important steps to pass manual review.

Step 1) Choose the correct campaign use case

Your use case must match your real messages.

Example:

• “Customer Care” or “Appointment Reminders” messages should look transactional

• “Marketing” should be promotional and include marketing-related content

Rejection trigger:

• You register “Marketing,” but your examples look like login/OTP messages (or vice versa).

Step 2) Ensure ALL campaign information is consistent

Reviewers check if everything matches your identity.

Must match across:

• Brand name

• Website domain

• Sample messages

• (Often) email domain consistency for recognizable brands

Rejection example:

• Brand says one business name

• Website is a different brand

• Sample messages reference a different company or domain

Step 3) Build a compliant “Call to Action” (CTA) for Opt-In

CTA = what proves users agreed to receive texts.

Your CTA must be publicly accessible to a third-party reviewer.

CTA must clearly show:

• Program or product description

• Sending phone number(s)

• Identity of the sender (brand)

• Opt-in language + disclosures

• Privacy policy

• Terms and conditions

• Opt-out instructions + customer care info

If your CTA is behind a login or not public:

• Provide a screenshot hosted in a publicly accessible link and share the URL.

Step 4) Your website must contain required disclosure pages

Reviewers expect to find these easily:

Required:

• Terms & Conditions page must be publicly accessible.

• Privacy Policy must also be accessible and compliant.

Best practice: Put them on your website footer, and make sure the links work.

Rejection trigger:

• Broken website link

• Missing terms page

• Missing privacy policy

• Terms/Privacy exist but don’t mention messaging or consent clearly

Step 5) Your Opt-In method must be clearly documented

The reviewer needs proof that consent is real and unambiguous.

Acceptable opt-in types include:

• Web form

• Verbal opt-in (hardest to prove)

• Paper or offline opt-in (needs evidence)

• SMS keyword opt-in (like START, JOIN, etc.)

Rejection triggers:

• You claim website opt-in, but the site doesn’t show consent language

• Verbal opt-in claimed but not explained

• Paper opt-in claimed but no example provided

• QR code claimed but no screenshot or proof shared

Step 6) Website opt-in checkbox must be explicit and separated

For web form opt-in:

Must have:

• A selectable checkbox by the user (not prechecked)

• A consent disclaimer next to it including key disclosures

• Separation between:

  • transactional consent

  • marketing consent (if you collect marketing consent)

  • privacy/terms acknowledgements

Step 7) Create an Opt-In confirmation message (required)

After the user opts in, you must send a confirmation text immediately.

Confirmation message must include:

• Program/product description

• Customer care contact info

• Opt-out instructions

• Message frequency disclosure (or “message frequency varies”)

• “Message and data rates may apply”

Step 8) Write sample messages the “right way”

When submitting sample messages:

Must include:

• Sender identity (business name)

• Realistic content that matches the use case

• Indicate template fields like:
  “Hi [First Name], your appointment is confirmed for [Date]…”

• Include opt-out language in at least one sample message (highly recommended; often expected).

Avoid:

• Generic language like “the company” or “the business” — use the actual brand name.

QUICK “APPROVAL READINESS” CHECKLIST (Use This Before Submitting)

Brand Readiness

• EIN/Tax ID is valid and correct

• Legal name matches official records

• Address matches business registration details Twilio Help Center

Campaign Readiness

• Use case matches sample messages

• Website works and is live

• Terms & privacy pages are public

• CTA includes ALL disclosures

• Opt-in method is clearly described + verifiable

• Confirmation message includes required items

• Sample messages include brand identity + at least one includes STOP

• Double opt-in considered (recommended)

OPTIONAL: Use the Templates (Topline Templates)

A) Website Opt-In Checkbox Text (Template)

“By checking this box, you agree to receive text messages from [Brand Name] related to [Program Type: appointment reminders / support updates / offers]. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out. Reply HELP for help. View our Terms and Privacy Policy.”

This aligns with the CTA disclosure checklist described in the campaign best-practices guide.

B) Opt-In Confirmation Message (Template)

“Thanks for opting in to [Brand Name] texts for [Program Description]. Message frequency varies. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out. Reply HELP for help.”

Matches the confirmation message requirements.

C) Sample Message (Appointment Reminder Example)

“Hi [First Name], this is [Brand Name] — your appointment is scheduled for [Date] at [Time]. Reply STOP to opt out.”

Aligns with required elements and opt-out language best practice.

TOP REJECTION REASONS (Most Common)

If you want to reduce approval retries, focus on avoiding these:

1. Consent proof missing or not publicly accessible

2. Website opt-in language not present where claimed

3. Brand identity mismatch (legal name, address, tax ID)

4. Use case doesn’t match sample messages

5. Missing Terms/Privacy pages or broken URLs