Free Twilio A2P 10DLC Campaign Review Tool

What Does A2P Mean?

A2P stands for Application-to-Person messaging. It refers to any SMS or MMS message sent from a software application to a mobile phone user. Unlike P2P (person-to-person) messages exchanged between individuals, A2P messages are automated — triggered by business systems, CRMs, marketing platforms or tools like Twilio.

Common examples include appointment reminders, shipping notifications, two-factor authentication codes, marketing promotions and lead follow-up messages. If your business sends text messages through software, you're doing A2P messaging.

Why Does 10DLC Exist?

10DLC stands for 10-Digit Long Code — the standard local phone number format (e.g., +1-555-123-4567) used by businesses to send A2P messages in the United States. Before 10DLC, businesses could send messages from local numbers without formal registration, which led to widespread spam and abuse.

Starting in 2021, US carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) implemented the 10DLC framework to require businesses to register their brand and SMS campaigns before sending A2P messages. Unregistered traffic now faces heavy filtering, throttling and message blocking.

How Carrier Filtering Works

Carriers use automated content filtering systems to scan A2P messages in real time. Messages from unregistered or poorly registered campaigns are subject to:

• Throttling — Messages are rate-limited and delivered slowly
• Blocking — Messages are silently dropped and never delivered
• Flagging — Your number gets flagged as potential spam
• Number deactivation — Carriers can disable your sending number entirely

Brand vs. Campaign Registration

The 10DLC registration process has two steps:

1. Brand registration — Your business entity is verified through The Campaign Registry (TCR). This confirms your EIN, business name, address and legal identity.
2. Campaign registration — Each SMS use case (e.g., appointment reminders, marketing messages) is submitted as a separate campaign with a description, sample messages and consent details. Each campaign must be approved before you can send at full throughput.

Brand registration is typically straightforward. Campaign registration is where most rejections happen — and where this tool can help.

Getting a 10DLC campaign approved isn't always straightforward. Carriers and The Campaign Registry (TCR) evaluate submissions against strict compliance criteria. Here are the most common reasons campaigns get denied — and how to avoid them.

Missing or Weak Opt-in Language

The number one reason for rejection. Your campaign must describe exactly how end-users consent to receiving messages. A vague description like "users sign up on our website" is not enough. You need to specify the exact checkbox text, form location and what users are agreeing to.

Vague or Promotional Campaign Descriptions

Your campaign use case description needs to be specific and factual. Avoid marketing language. Instead of "We help businesses grow with SMS," write something like "We send automated appointment confirmation and reminder messages to homeowners who request service quotes through our website contact form."

Lead Sharing Ambiguity

If you're a lead generation agency sending messages on behalf of contractors, carriers need to understand the relationship. Who collected the consent? Who is the message sender? If the consent chain is unclear, your campaign will be flagged.

No STOP / HELP Instructions

Every campaign must clearly describe opt-out and help keyword handling. "Reply STOP to opt out. Reply HELP for help." must appear in your opt-in language, your sample messages and your campaign description.

High-Risk Industry Verticals

Certain industries receive extra scrutiny, including cannabis, firearms, gambling, debt collection and financial services. Home services is generally considered low-risk, but lead generation for home services can be flagged if the consent flow is poorly documented.

Affiliate and Third-Party Lead Generation Issues

If you're buying leads from third-party providers or affiliate networks, carriers are especially cautious. The consent must be clearly tied to the brand that will be sending the messages — not just the lead source. Purchased, scraped or shared lead lists are a fast path to rejection.

If you run a roofing company, HVAC service, plumbing business or any other home improvement operation that relies on speed-to-lead SMS, compliance is critical. Carriers are paying closer attention to home services SMS — especially from lead gen agencies.

Speed-to-Lead SMS Pitfalls

Speed-to-lead is one of the most effective strategies in home services — responding within seconds of a form submission can dramatically increase conversion rates. But sending that first SMS without proper A2P registration and consent is a compliance risk.

Many home service companies use unregistered numbers or skip the 10DLC process entirely, leading to filtered messages, blocked numbers and leads that never receive their confirmation text.

Website Form Opt-in Structure

Your website's contact or quote request form needs explicit SMS consent language. A simple "Submit" button is not sufficient opt-in. Best practices include:

• A separate, unchecked checkbox specifically for SMS consent
• Clear language stating what messages the user will receive
• "Message frequency may vary. Message and data rates may apply."
• "Reply STOP to opt out. Reply HELP for help."
• "Consent is not a condition of purchase."

Compliant Messaging Language

Your actual SMS messages should match what users consented to. If your opt-in says "appointment reminders," don't send promotional offers. Keep messages relevant, professional and aligned with your campaign registration.

Real-World Filtering Issues

Home service businesses frequently report that messages "just stop getting delivered" — especially on T-Mobile. This is usually carrier filtering in action. Without proper 10DLC registration, your messages are being silently dropped. The fix is always proper registration, not workarounds.