A2P 10DLC Campaign Approval Best Practices

Learn how to get your A2P 10DLC campaign approved on the first try—what to include, what to avoid, and how to show consent, sample messages, and clear use-case details.

What You Need to Know

If you're using long code phone numbers to send text messages to parents and families in the United States, you need to register your messaging campaigns under the A2P 10DLC framework. As of January 26, 2023, all new A2P campaigns go through a manual vetting process to ensure compliance.

Follow these best practices to get your campaign approved quickly and avoid rejection.

Campaign Registration Requirements

User Consent (Call to Action)

Your consent process must prove that parents agree to receive text messages and understand what they're signing up for. The consent must be accessible to third-party reviewers for verification.

Your consent process must include:

• Description of your program or service
• Phone number(s) messages will come from
• Your childcare center's name
• Clear language about opt-in and any fees or charges
• Compliant privacy policy
• How to opt-out and customer care contact information

If your consent process is behind a login, not yet published, verbal, or on paper:

• Explain this in your application
• Provide a screenshot of the consent process
• Host the screenshot on a publicly accessible site (like OneDrive or Google Drive) and include the URL
• If consent is provided in languages other than English, include translated copies

[SCREENSHOT: Example of compliant opt-in language on a childcare enrollment form showing checkbox with consent text and phone number field]

Campaign Description

Your campaign description must provide:

1. Clear overview of your campaign's objectives (e.g., "Send tour reminders and enrollment updates to prospective families")
2. Detailed description of what parents will experience after opting in (e.g., "Parents receive appointment confirmations, waitlist updates, and occasional program announcements")

View the complete list of campaign use case types for A2P 10DLC registration

Terms and Conditions

Your Terms and Conditions page must be publicly accessible. The easiest way to do this is to add a Terms and Conditions page to your center's website.

Find boilerplate terms of service that meet carrier requirements

Opt-in Confirmation Message

This is the confirmation message parents see immediately after opting in. Required for all opt-in methods.

Your confirmation message must include:

• Program or service description
• Customer care contact information
• Opt-out instructions
• Disclosure about message frequency (if recurring messages)
• "Message and data rates may apply" disclosure

Example: "Welcome to ABC Childcare! You'll receive tour reminders and enrollment updates. Reply STOP to opt out or call (555) 123-4567 for help. Message and data rates may apply."

Sample Messages

Provide real examples of messages you'll send to accurately show your campaign's use case.

Your sample messages must:

• Identify your childcare center (brand name)
• Indicate templated fields with brackets [like this]
• Include opt-out language in at least one sample message

Example: "Hi [Parent Name], this is ABC Childcare. Your tour is confirmed for [Date] at [Time]. Reply STOP to opt out. See you soon!"

Data Accuracy and Consistency

Inconsistent information across your registration is a common reason for rejection. Keep everything aligned.

Brand, Website, and Message Consistency

✅ Example: Best chance for approval

• Brand name: Bright Beginnings Childcare
• Website: www.brightbeginnings.com
• Sample message: "Here's your tour confirmation from Bright Beginnings Childcare. Visit www.brightbeginnings.com to view details."

❌ Example: Will be rejected

• Brand name: ABC Marketing Agency
• Website: www.brightbeginnings.com
• Sample message: "Here's your tour confirmation. Visit www.differentcenter.com for details."

Sample Messages Must Match Your Use Case

❌ Your campaign will be rejected if:

You register a marketing campaign but your sample messages say "Here's your one-time passcode: 123456" — which clearly indicates a two-factor authentication use case, not marketing.

Email Domain Must Match Your Business

❌ Your campaign will be rejected if:

Your brand is "Sunshine Childcare Center" but your email is sunshinechildcare@gmail.com

✅ Use a professional email address:

director@sunshinechildcare.com

Submit Working Websites

❌ Your campaign will be rejected if:

You indicate parents opt-in on your website, but the website address you provide doesn't work or doesn't exist.

Register the Actual Brand Sending Messages

❌ Your campaign will be rejected if:

You register your software company's information but the messages are actually sent by individual childcare centers.

✅ Register each childcare center:

If ABC Childcare and XYZ Academy both use Enrollio, they each need their own A2P registration with their own brand information.

Avoid Duplicate Brands and Campaigns

Excessive brands with the same EIN or excessive campaigns with identical attributes may be flagged as high-risk and rejected.

Use Brackets for Templated Fields

When showing sample messages, use brackets to indicate which parts will be customized.

✅ Example:

"Hi [Parent Name], [Child Name] has a scheduled tour at [Center Name] on [Date] at [Time]. Visit [Website] or call [Phone Number] to reschedule."

Collecting Consent Best Practices

Proper consent collection is critical for approval. Refer to the CTIA guidelines for detailed instructions.

Collect Opt-In Appropriately

❌ Your campaign will be rejected if:

• Your registered opt-in method: Text message
• Your sample message: "Hi, is this the owner of 123 Oak Street? I'd like to discuss enrollment options for your child"

This clearly shows you haven't collected proper consent before sending messages.

Display Opt-In Language on Your Website

❌ Your campaign will be rejected if:

You indicate parents opt-in through your website, but your website doesn't contain any opt-in language.

✅ Example opt-in language:

"By providing your phone number, you agree to receive text messages from ABC Childcare about tours, enrollment updates, and program information. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out at any time."

[SCREENSHOT: Example of website enrollment form with compliant opt-in language clearly displayed near phone number field]

Opt-In Methods

Common opt-in methods for childcare centers include:

• Website forms: Tour request forms, enrollment applications, waitlist sign-ups
• In-person: Paper forms at your center with opt-in checkboxes
• Text message: Parents text a keyword like "TOUR" to your number
• Verbal: Phone calls where parents verbally agree (must be documented)

Double Opt-In Recommendations

Consider using double opt-in for your campaigns: after parents provide their number, they receive a confirmation message requiring them to reply YES or click a link to confirm.

While not always required, double opt-in provides stronger proof of consent and can help with campaign approval.

Common Campaign Rejection Reasons

Your campaign may be rejected if you:

• Include prohibited content (cannabis, hate speech, etc.)
• Show inconsistencies between brand name, website, and messages
• Register a use case that doesn't match your sample messages
• Use a generic email address instead of your branded domain
• Provide a non-working website URL
• Register your software company instead of your childcare center
• Don't show clear opt-in consent collection
• Missing required fields in confirmation messages
• Create excessive duplicate brands or campaigns

Related Articles

• Getting Started with A2P 10DLC Registration
• Understanding A2P 10DLC Compliance Requirements
• Messaging Policy and Prohibited Content
• Setting Up Text Messaging in Enrollio