Reason for SMS Footers
Phone carriers in the United States ultimately decide whether your business texts will be delivered to the inboxes, whether you are texting 1:1 personalized messages to a client or sending mass communications. Beyond requiring consent, carrier guidelines for business texting require identification of who the sender is and the inclusion of simple opt-out instructions for your contacts to revoke consent.
This information is critical to share the first time you send a text message to a phone number. Guidelines also state that this information must be refreshed regularly to ensure that the consumer always understands.
To facilitate these requirements, smrtPhone can automatically append your outgoing text messages with the name of your company and opt-out information.
💡 Reminder: All phone numbers you use for texting must be registered to an A2P campaign, or the messages will not be sent.
Why is this Good News:
One of the top reasons smrtPhone clients get dinged for compliance is not including opt-out language. The more violations you have, the more your traffic is throttled and scrutinized by carriers. Implementing this new measure is beneficial to all of your text conversations.
Better Compliance - Ensures you are adhering to the requirements to provide opt-out language in your business texts, even if you are texting 1:1.
Better Deliverability - When receiving carriers detect this footer, they are more likely to deliver your messages to the recipient's inboxes. It reduces filtering.
It's Automatic! - You don't have to worry about it, or program any extra automations into your CRM. The compliance is taken care of for you.
Timing of the SMS Footer
The automatic SMS Footer will be added to your messages:
When you send a message to a contact's phone number for the first time.
Every 30 days after the original message was sent or from the last inbound text from that number. The footer will appear on your next message and the 30-day reset.
Any inbound text message from that contact phone number resets the 30-day countdown clock because it confers implied consent to text. If you have an ongoing text conversation with a contact, the footer will not interfere.
Example:
On April 24, 2025, you send a text message to John for the first time. This first message includes an SMS Footer.
You and John continue texting back and forth. The last message John sent was on May 19, 2025.
On May 27, 2025, you send John another message. This message will not include an SMS Footer because John’s inbound text on May 19 reset the 30-day timer.
However, if you send John a message on June 20, 2025, and he has not sent you any inbound texts since May 19, your message will include an SMS Footer, as the 30-day window has passed.
Automatic Message Text - Setup
Head to the Trust Center to configure your SMS Footer. On the right bottom side is the SMS Footer access button. Click on Configure and start the setup.
SMS Footer - The message
smrtPhone offers an easy, customizable footer option and the ability to decline it.
You can compose your custom message that includes your brand name and opt-out instructions. There are some mandatory requirements as the above-mentioned business name, opt-out option, and using the provided words for opt-out.
Any characters in your SMS Footer count toward your character limit for text messages and may require a second message, depending on the total length. Be cognizant of length when making your SMS Footer or crafting your first text message to a contact.
Select Caller IDs
Even if you decide to go with the default version or edit a new text, the next step is to choose the Caller IDs which can be associated with the SMS Footer. Main reason for this option is that there might be the case when you don't use all the numbers in your account for texting, only few. And now is the time to choose them.
If you decide that it is better to be covered, you can choose all the Caller IDs available on your account.
This option is customizable at any point in your Trust Center, as well as the option to disable the SMS Footer. And of course, to enable it back.
Opt-out from smrtPhone's Tool
You may decline the use of the SMS Footers on your account.
Whether you use smrtPhone's automated tool or not, text messages from a business to an individual must comply with opt-in and opt-out consent rules. We know that a lot of businesses do this from outside of our platform, and that is why we give you the option to decline the automated footers.
All receiving mobile carriers can detect a text message sent from an application (this is the "A" in A2P) and assume that it is business texting. Even though you may be behaving as an individual having a casual conversation with a contact and not mass texting with templated messages, it is a gray area about whether that is still considered "in promotion" of your business, as you are relationship and rapport building. We encourage you to educate yourself on text consent laws and consult with a compliance attorney to keep your business operating properly.
We consider that smrtPhone's SMS footer is worth a try. You can still access the setup in the Trust Center, edit and modify it, or disable it at any point.
What Happens if a Contact Opts Out?
While the Standard SMS Footer includes the word STOP, several other recognized words are considered actions to opt-out when typed in a single response message by your contact. This includes STOP, END, UNSUBSCRIBE, STOPALL, CANCEL, and QUIT.
When your contact types any of these opt-out words, our system automatically adds them to your DNT (Do Not Text) list. Our underlying carriers recognize these words and will automatically block you from being able to send text messages to the contact who has opted out.
Your contact will receive confirmation that they have been opted out, with instructions on how to opt in again.
Do Not Text List (DNT Numbers)
When a contact opts out of SMS communication from you, they are automatically added to your DNT (Do Not Text) List, accessible from the Admin menu. Any phone number that has responded with an opt-out word will be placed on this list. From here you'll be able to view the numbers that have opted out, as well as the messages that were sent to revoke consent.
Important information about your DNT List:
Your DNT List is on the Account level. This means any number on your DNT List cannot be texted from any Caller ID on your Account.
You can manually add phone numbers to your DNT List if someone has verbally requested to stop receiving text messages.
You cannot remove numbers from the DNT List.
Your DNT list is different than your DNC List. Being placed on the DNT List does not disable voice calls to those numbers. You must place a number on your smrtPhone DNC list to block the ability to place calls to the number.
Regaining Consent to Text
If a contact wishes to return to receiving text messages from you, they can send a text message that says START, YES, or UNSTOP. This will automatically remove them from your DNT list, and you will be able to reach them by SMS again.
