Phone System · 1 min read
Best Practices for SMS Deliverability and Avoiding Restrictions
Why delivery is monitored
Carriers block or suspend senders whose texts fail often or get many opt-outs. To protect your number and your account, your sub-account's error rate and opt-out rate are monitored.
- Violation email: you're notified when your error or opt-out rate rises above the healthy range.
- Temporary restriction: if rates keep rising, outbound SMS from the sub-account is paused until the restriction resets, and any texts sent during it fail.
What to do after a violation email
- Pause workflows, campaigns, triggers and bulk actions that text contacts who didn't explicitly opt in.
- Turn on opt-out language and sender ID in your SMS compliance settings.
- Clean your list: remove invalid, landline and unreachable numbers, and contacts who never opted in.
- Check the error codes on failed messages and fix the causes.
- Resume sending gradually to engaged, opted-in contacts.
Habits that keep delivery healthy
- Only text people who gave consent, and keep proof of it.
- Send relevant messages at a reasonable frequency and during local business hours.
- Avoid link shorteners, ALL CAPS and spammy wording.
- Register your A2P brand and campaign, or verify your toll-free number.
- Use the phone validation option on forms to keep bad numbers out.