10DLC Campaign Registration: Use Cases and Samples

A 10DLC campaign tells carriers what kind of text messages your business will send, who receives them, how those people agreed to receive them, and how they can stop. To get one approved, choose the use case that matches your real messages, write a specific description, provide sample messages that include your business name and opt-out language, and describe a consent flow a reviewer can verify.

Campaigns are reviewed by people, not just software. Write them so a stranger understands your messaging in thirty seconds.

Where campaigns fit

You register a brand first. Each brand can then have one or more campaigns. Each campaign is linked to the phone numbers that send it. If you are new to the system, start with what 10DLC is.

Choosing a use case

Twilio's list of standard campaign use cases is a good reference for what carriers recognize:

Use case	Covers	Good fit for
2FA	Login codes, account verification	Apps, portals
Account Notifications	Status of an account or membership	Gyms, subscriptions, utilities
Customer Care	Support, account management, customer conversations	Most service businesses
Delivery Notifications	Status of a delivery	Retail, couriers, restaurants
Fraud Alert Messaging	Suspicious activity alerts	Financial services
Higher Education	Messages from colleges and universities	Schools
Marketing	Promotions, sales, limited-time offers	Retail, restaurants
Mixed	More than one of the above	Businesses with several message types
Polling and Voting	Surveys (not political)	Customer feedback
Public Service Announcement	Awareness messages	Nonprofits, agencies
Security Alert	Notice of a compromised system	IT and security providers

There is also Low Volume Mixed, which covers multiple use cases with a lower monthly fee and the lowest throughput tier, and Sole Proprietor for sole proprietor brands. Special use cases such as charity, emergency services and political messaging carry their own requirements.

The most common mistake is choosing Customer Care and then sending promotions. If any message will be promotional, include marketing (as its own campaign or under Mixed) and collect the consent marketing requires.

Writing the campaign description

A good description answers four questions in plain sentences.

1. Who are you? "Northside Dental is a family dental practice in Columbus, Ohio."
2. Who receives messages? "Patients who have booked an appointment or contacted the office."
3. What do you send? "Appointment confirmations, reminders the day before, and replies to patient questions."
4. How do they opt in? "Patients provide their mobile number and check a consent box when booking online, or give verbal consent by phone, which staff record in the patient file."

Avoid vague lines like "We send messages to customers about our services." Reviewers reject vague descriptions because they cannot tell what will be sent.

Sample messages

Write samples that look exactly like what you will send. Rules of thumb:

• Start with your business name so the recipient knows who is texting.
• Match the use case. Appointment samples for a notifications campaign; offers for marketing.
• Include opt-out language ("Reply STOP to opt out") in at least one sample, ideally the first message in a conversation.
• Use realistic placeholders like [first name] or [time] rather than lorem ipsum.
• If you will send links, include a sample with a link on your own domain. Public URL shorteners are often filtered.

Examples for a customer care and notifications campaign:

Northside Dental: Hi [first name], this is a reminder of your cleaning tomorrow at [time]. Reply C to confirm or call us to reschedule. Reply STOP to opt out.

Northside Dental: Thanks for your message. Our front desk will reply during office hours, 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

A second example: a Mixed campaign

A neighborhood restaurant that confirms catering orders and also sends a monthly specials text would register a Mixed campaign (or two separate campaigns). The description should name both purposes: "We text catering customers to confirm orders and pickup times, and we send a monthly specials message to customers who signed up for promotions on our website." Its samples should include one order confirmation and one promotion, each starting with the restaurant's name, and the promotional sample should carry opt-out language. Its opt-in section must explain both flows: catering customers give their number when ordering, while promotional subscribers check a separate, unchecked-by-default box on the website that states they agree to receive marketing texts.

Opt-in: the part reviewers check hardest

Carriers want proof that recipients agreed to texts. The CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices describe consent expectations, and the FCC's TCPA rules (47 CFR § 64.1200) require prior express written consent for telemarketing messages.

Describe exactly where opt-in happens:

Opt-in method	What to include in the registration
Website form	URL, the consent checkbox wording, link to privacy policy
Verbal on a call	The script staff use and where consent is recorded
Paper or in-person form	The wording on the form; a photo if your provider allows uploads
Customer texts you first	Note that you only reply to inbound messages for that conversation
Keyword (e.g. "Text JOIN to...")	The keyword, the confirmation reply, where the keyword is advertised

See SMS opt-in language examples for wording you can adapt.

STOP, HELP and the confirmation message

Your campaign registration typically asks for:

• Opt-out keywords (STOP, and commonly UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT) and the reply sent when someone opts out.
• Help keyword (HELP) and the reply, which should include your business name and how to reach you.
• Opt-in confirmation for keyword or web opt-ins, stating who you are, what they will receive, message frequency, "Msg & data rates may apply," and how to opt out.

Example HELP reply:

Northside Dental: For help, call (555) 010-0100 or email [email protected]. Reply STOP to opt out.

Fees and timing

Twilio lists a $15 campaign vetting fee and monthly campaign fees of $1.50 (low-volume mixed), $2 (sole proprietor), $10 (standard use cases) and special rates for charity ($3) and emergency services ($5). Review is manual. See 10DLC fees explained.

Before you submit: checklist

• Use case matches every message you will send
• Description answers who, to whom, what, and how they opt in
• At least two realistic samples with your business name
• Opt-out language in samples
• Opt-in method described with exact wording or URL
• Privacy policy is live and mentions text messaging
• Website shows the same business name as the brand
• HELP and STOP replies written
• No public link shorteners in samples

If your campaign comes back rejected, see why 10DLC campaigns are rejected.

After approval

Once approved, send only what you registered. If your messaging changes, for example you start sending promotions, update or add a campaign before you send. Keep consent records so you can show them if a carrier or customer asks.

Campaign registration on Callata

Callata's in-app texting registration asks the questions carriers care about in plain language: what your business does, why you text customers, and an example message. Callata submits your brand and campaign for a one-time $49 fee, shows the status in the app, and lets you update and resubmit if carriers reject it. Once approved, your team shares one inbox for your business number with templates and delivery receipts, all included in Callata Office at $99 a month for up to five users. Start here.