Anti-Spam Recommendations

If you send too many messages that trigger spam filters, your number could be blacklisted—or forever banned—and you’ll be unable to text any number owned by that carrier. 

There is no getting off a carrier’s blacklist once your number is marked, so we want to help you keep that from ever happening. Follow these spam recommendations below to prevent your messages from being filtered as spam.

 

1. Follow best practices for sharing URLs

In addition to using Link Sharing, it’s best to follow these practices:

• Do not use free and unbranded link shorteners (like Bitly). 
• Do not add unreasonably long links to messages, unless using Link Sharing to shorten them first.
• Do not end a message with a link. 
• Do not send a message containing only a URL.
• Do not send links without the “https://www.” at the beginning.
  
  

Examples of these rules: 

Good: “Here’s a link https://txtrqt.co/46Gvzn to our newest release.”

Bad: “Check out this link: https://bit.ly/3Hxm66f”

Bad: “Hi Ralph. google.com/search?q=textrequest&rlz=1C1VDKB_enUS958US958&oq=textrequest&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j0i512j69i60l5j69i65.7585j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 Have a good one!"

 

2. Don’t include ALL CAPS anywhere in your message

It’s the equivalent of yelling. Your contacts will think you’re desperate for their attention, and carriers will assume there’s something wrong. 

Good: “We have a new seasonal deal on our [service]. Visit our website to learn more.”

Bad: “BIG SUMMER DEAL for a LIMITED time on our website. Don’t miss out!”

 

3. Limit using special characters and emojis

Special characters and emojis are great for one-on-one conversations, but larger group messages including these characters will get the carrier's attention. Dollar signs in particular have a high chance of triggering spam filters.

Good: “Your payment for [service] is due.”

Bad: “Your payment of $250 for [service] is due. 🔔”

 

4. Don't include prohibited content 

Carriers expressly forbid any mention of hate speech, sex, tobacco, cannabis, drugs, firearms, and alcohol.

Messages containing any form of these prohibited topics are immediately filtered by the mobile carriers,  resulting in message deliverability issues and even possible suspension of campaigns. 

 

5. Don’t send the same message to large groups repeatedly

Using templates can be valuable, but sending identical messages to the same large list of contacts multiple times is going to land you on the no-fly list. Your messaging campaigns should be varied to bring value to your contacts. 

We recommend formally planning and spacing your messages out, so you don’t annoy your contacts and attract the attention of carriers.

 

6. Avoid sending texts that may be better as an email

You’re sending a text for a reason. If it’s the size of an email, carriers are going to stop you. Your contacts will also become disengaged when you send them paragraphs to read instead of short sentences. If the information you need to share is detailed, we recommend redirecting the conversation to a link, scheduling a phone call, or attaching an image or flyer with more information. 

Good: “We have a guide at [link] to help with all your questions related to [feature].”

Bad: “Our new [feature] is available in the bottom right-hand corner of your menu. You can click the button in the corner of that menu option to start setting up and entering the credentials required. These include the account you want to manage the feature, the settings you want to include, and the times you want [feature] to be active. Each of these items will be marked with a blue arrow that will change to green once you’re finished.”

 

7. Make sure your messages sound like an actual human wrote them

Unusual sentence structure or words trigger spam filters, including any grammatical errors and misspellings. If your sentences are filled with typos or sound like they were created by a wonky AI, carriers will block you. 

Good: “Thanks for choosing [business]! How can our reps help?”

Bad: “Thanks for chosing us today to help with your needs. send us you name and current issue and rep will get back soon”

 

Potential Spam Triggers:

All caps — One or more words in your message use all capital letters.

Email addresses — Inserting an email address into your message will most likely result in carrier filtering. 

Non-shortened URLs — We recommend using a URL shortener for any URLs you want to include in your message.

Unbranded link shorteners — Third-party link shorteners are often flagged as spam, so we recommend using our built-in link shortener feature, Link Sharing. 

Messages ending in a URL — Messages ending in a URL are more likely to be filtered, even if the URL is shortened. 

Dollar signs — Having a dollar sign in your message will increase your chances of being flagged for spam. 

 

 

All of these things not only trigger spam filters, but they also annoy your contacts—and you don’t want contacts to block your number, because getting blocked too many times can get you blacklisted. 

Our Spam Scanner will help you avoid these common mistakes when sending group messages. It automatically alerts you if it senses any of the spam indicators mentioned above. While we don't have a Spam Scanner for individual messages, the best practices mentioned above still apply to individual messages. 

There are other factors that carriers pay attention to, and these factors vary from carrier to carrier—but if you pass our Spam Scanner, there’s a high chance you’re good to go.