Compliance & 10DLC Issues

Compliance is a prerequisite for sending messages through Sent. If your compliance submission is incomplete, rejected, or missing required information, your messages will not be delivered. This guide covers the most common compliance-related issues and how to resolve them.

Compliance requirements exist to protect consumers and are enforced by carriers and regulators. Non-compliant messaging can result in number suspension, fines, or account termination. If you're unsure about requirements for your use case, contact support before sending.

Compliance Checklist

Before submitting your compliance form, make sure you have the following ready. Having everything prepared upfront avoids back-and-forth and speeds up approval.

  • Legal business name: must match your official registration documents
  • Business address: the registered address of your business entity
  • EIN or Tax ID: for US businesses, your Employer Identification Number; for non-US businesses, the equivalent tax registration number
  • Live website URL: must be publicly accessible at the time of review (not localhost, not behind authentication)
  • Privacy policy URL: must be live and must mention SMS or messaging communications
  • Opt-in mechanism URL: a direct link to where end users consent to receive messages from you
  • Use case description: a clear explanation of what messages you send, who receives them, how they opted in, and how often they receive messages
  • Sample messages: one or two examples of the messages your app will send
  • Opt-out instructions: how recipients can stop receiving messages (for example, reply STOP)

10DLC Errors Blocking SMS Sending

The Problem

You have been approved on the Sent platform, set up your channels, and attempted to send SMS messages to US numbers, but messages fail with a 10DLC-related error.

Sent registers your brand and campaign with The Campaign Registry (TCR) on your behalf when you submit your compliance form. For what 10DLC is and how the review works, see What is 10DLC?; for the registration steps and form requirements, see the 10DLC Registration Guide.

Why Messages Fail

Messages will fail with a 10DLC error if:

  • Your compliance submission was incomplete and TCR registration was not completed
  • Your brand or campaign was rejected by TCR
  • Your compliance form was approved but the TCR registration is still processing (this can take 3-7 business days)
  • You are sending messages that do not match your registered campaign use case

How to Fix It

  1. Go to Dashboard → Compliance and check the status of your submission.
  2. Look for any rejection notices, pending items, or action items that require your attention.
  3. If your status shows as approved but messages still fail, the TCR registration may still be propagating. Wait 24-48 hours and try again.
  4. If you see a specific rejection reason, address the issue and resubmit your compliance form.
  5. If the status is unclear or you cannot determine the issue, contact Sent support with your account email and the error message you are receiving.

TCR registration typically completes within 3-7 business days after your Sent compliance form is approved. During this window, SMS to US numbers may not be delivered.

SMS Test Messages Failing Right After Onboarding

The Problem

You just completed onboarding, created a template, and tried to send a test SMS to a US number, but the message failed. Everything else looks correct: your account is active, your template is set up, and the API is responding. Yet no SMS arrives.

Why This Happens

Sending SMS to US numbers requires an approved 10DLC brand and campaign registration. This registration is submitted as part of your onboarding compliance form, but approval from The Campaign Registry (TCR) typically takes 3–7 business days after submission. Until that approval comes through, SMS messages to US numbers will not be delivered, even in a test environment.

This is not an issue with your account, your template, or your API integration. It is a mandatory hold period imposed by US carriers.

How to Test While Waiting for Approval

During the approval window, you can still test your integration end-to-end using the shared short code available on your account. The shared short code is pre-registered and approved for testing purposes, so messages sent through it are delivered without waiting for your own 10DLC registration to complete.

To send a test message using the shared short code:

  1. Go to Dashboard → Profiles and look for the pre-configured Shared Short Code Sender Profile.
  2. Send the message as that profile: use an API key created under it, or pass its ID in the x-profile-id header with an organization API key. See Messages Routing to Wrong Sender Number for both options.
  3. Send to your own number or a test number to confirm delivery.

The shared short code is intended for testing only while your 10DLC registration is pending. Once your brand and campaign are approved, switch to your dedicated number to send to real users.

What to Expect in the Dashboard

While your 10DLC registration is pending, test messages sent without the shared short code Sender Profile will appear in Dashboard → Activities with a delivery failure. The failure is expected. It reflects the carrier-level block on unregistered traffic, not a bug in your setup.

Once your registration is approved, the same API request will deliver successfully without any code changes on your side.

Checking Your Registration Status

  1. Go to Dashboard → Compliance and check the status of your submission.
  2. If the status is Approved, your TCR registration is either still propagating (allow 24–48 hours) or there is an issue with your campaign details. Contact support.
  3. If the status is Pending, your submission is still under review. Typical review time is 3–7 business days.
  4. If the status is Action Required or Rejected, follow the guidance in the dashboard or see Compliance Submission Rejected below.

Do not attempt to send live SMS campaigns to US recipients while your 10DLC registration is pending. Unregistered traffic is filtered by US carriers and may negatively impact your sender reputation.

Compliance Form Questions

The Problem

The compliance form asks for business-level details that may seem excessive, especially if you are an individual developer or working on a small project. Understanding what is needed and why helps you fill it out correctly the first time.

Required Information Explained

Legal Business Name Enter the name your business is registered under, not a product name or DBA. This must match the name associated with your EIN or tax ID. If you are a sole proprietor, use your full legal name.

Business Address Your registered business address. This is verified against public records, so it must match your official filings.

EIN / Tax ID For US businesses, this is your 9-digit Employer Identification Number. For businesses outside the US, provide your local tax registration number or business registration number.

Website URL A publicly accessible website that represents your business. The site must be live and reachable at the time of review. Placeholder pages, under-construction pages, or password-protected sites will result in rejection.

Message / Call-to-Action Field This field should contain a direct URL to the page where users opt in to receive messages. For example, if users sign up on https://yourapp.com/signup and check a box to receive SMS notifications, that URL goes here.

Use Case Description Clearly explain:

  • What type of messages you will send (for example, order confirmations, appointment reminders, OTP codes)
  • Who receives the messages (for example, registered users of your platform)
  • How recipients opted in (for example, checked a consent box during registration)
  • Approximate message frequency (for example, 2-3 messages per week per user)

Privacy Policy URL Must link to a live privacy policy that explicitly mentions SMS or messaging communications, including how users can opt out.

If You Don't Have a Website Yet

Create a simple landing page that includes:

  1. Your business name and contact information
  2. A privacy policy (templates are available online for common jurisdictions)
  3. A description of your messaging service and how users opt in
  4. An opt-in mechanism (even a simple checkbox with disclosure text)

This is sufficient to pass review. You can update the site later.

Building on Behalf of Another Business?

If you are a developer building a messaging integration for another business, enter that business's details on the compliance form, not your own. The compliance registration must reflect the entity that end users will receive messages from.

A2P Registration Requirements

The Problem

You are not sure what registration is required for your messaging use case, or the requirements differ from what you expected.

Requirements by Channel

Virtually all messages sent through Sent are A2P (Application-to-Person); What is 10DLC? explains the A2P/P2P distinction and why US carriers gate this traffic.

US SMS (10DLC)

  • 10DLC registration is mandatory for all A2P SMS to US numbers. Sent registers your brand and campaign with TCR as part of your compliance submission; both must be approved before messages are delivered. See the 10DLC Registration Guide.

International SMS

  • Requirements vary by country: some require sender ID pre-registration (for example, India, Philippines), and some restrict content or block international A2P SMS entirely. Sent's compliance review covers foundational requirements; country-specific details are addressed during channel setup. Compliance & Regulations summarizes the major frameworks per region.

WhatsApp

  • You need a Meta-approved WhatsApp Business Account (WABA), and message templates must be approved by Meta before use. Sent guides you through this during channel configuration; see WhatsApp Setup if you get stuck.

Sent's compliance review covers the foundational requirements for your account. Channel-specific requirements (such as WhatsApp template approval or country-specific sender ID registration) are handled during channel setup and configuration.

A common design question is whether the marketing messaging opt-in checkbox can be merged with a mandatory terms of service or purchase confirmation checkbox, so that completing an action (booking, purchase, account creation) automatically grants marketing consent.

Why this approach is risky

This pattern, sometimes called "bundled consent," is broadly non-compliant and can expose you to regulatory and carrier liability:

  • US SMS (TCPA/CTIA): The CTIA guidelines and TCPA require that consent to receive marketing text messages be obtained separately from unrelated agreements. Tying marketing opt-in to a required step in a purchase or signup flow is considered coercive and can constitute a TCPA violation.
  • Meta/WhatsApp: Meta's messaging guidelines require opt-in language to be presented clearly and distinctly. Consent must not be a required condition for accessing a service that is not itself a messaging service.
  • EU/UK (GDPR/PECR): GDPR explicitly prohibits bundled consent. Marketing consent cannot be a precondition for a non-messaging service. Consent must be freely given, specific, and separately obtained.

What compliant opt-in looks like

Present the marketing consent as a separate, optional, unchecked checkbox with clear language. Positioning it near (but distinct from) a mandatory agreement is acceptable, as long as it can be independently checked or left unchecked without blocking the user's action:

☐ Agree to receive marketing messages from [Your Brand]. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out.

Users who do not check the box must still be able to complete the purchase or sign up.

For US SMS specifically, freely given consent that is not bundled with other agreements is a strict requirement, not a best practice. If your opt-in UI ties marketing consent to a purchase or account creation step, do not launch it for US audiences without legal review.

If you are unsure whether your specific opt-in design satisfies the requirements for your target markets, contact support@sent.dm before going live.

Compliance Submission Rejected

The Problem

Your compliance submission was rejected and you received an email explaining the reason. You need to understand what went wrong and how to fix it.

Common Rejection Reasons

Website not live or not accessible Your website URL returned an error, was behind authentication, or showed a placeholder page at the time of review. Make sure the site is publicly accessible and fully functional before resubmitting.

Privacy policy missing or incomplete Your privacy policy either could not be found at the provided URL, or it does not mention SMS or messaging communications. Update your privacy policy to include:

  • That your service sends SMS or messaging communications
  • What types of messages are sent
  • How users can opt out of receiving messages
  • How user data related to messaging is handled

Opt-in mechanism not clearly visible The reviewer could not find a clear opt-in mechanism on the URL you provided. Make sure:

  • The consent checkbox or opt-in prompt is visible without scrolling excessively
  • The opt-in language is explicit (for example, "I agree to receive SMS notifications from [Business Name]")
  • The opt-in is not pre-checked: users must actively consent

Business information does not match public records The business name, address, or tax ID you provided does not match publicly available records. Double-check your information against your official business registration documents.

Use case violates Acceptable Use Policy Sent prohibits certain categories of messaging, including but not limited to:

  • Illegal content or services
  • Deceptive or misleading messages
  • Phishing or social engineering
  • Cannabis, CBD, or controlled substance marketing (varies by jurisdiction)
  • Debt collection harassment
  • Messages without proper opt-in consent

If your use case was flagged in error, contact support with a detailed explanation of your messaging purpose.

How to Resubmit

  1. Go to Dashboard → Compliance.
  2. Review the rejection reason provided in the email or displayed in the dashboard.
  3. Fix the identified issues.
  4. Update your compliance details in the dashboard.
  5. Resubmit the form for review.

There is no limit on resubmissions, but repeated submissions without addressing the stated issues may delay review.

Country-Specific Compliance Considerations

Messaging regulations vary significantly by country. Compliance & Regulations summarizes the major frameworks per region (TCPA, GDPR, PECR, CASL, and others) with links to the authoritative sources, and describes the controls Sent enforces automatically at send time.

Sent's compliance review helps ensure you meet baseline platform requirements, but you are ultimately responsible for legal compliance in every jurisdiction where you send messages. Consult legal counsel if you are unsure about the regulations that apply to your use case.

Carrier-Level Restrictions

Beyond regulatory requirements, individual carriers may impose their own restrictions:

  • Content filtering that blocks certain keywords or message patterns
  • Rate limits that vary by carrier and sender reputation
  • Additional registration requirements for high-volume senders
  • Restrictions on certain message categories (for example, some carriers block loan or gambling-related content)

These restrictions are not always publicly documented and can change without notice. If your messages are being filtered despite regulatory compliance, contact Sent support for guidance. For more on delivery failures caused by carrier filtering, see Messages Not Delivered.

Still Stuck?

If your compliance issue is not covered here or you need help understanding the requirements for your specific use case:

  1. Check Dashboard → Compliance for any actionable items or status updates.
  2. Review the rejection email (if applicable) for specific details about what needs to be fixed.
  3. Contact Sent support at support@sent.dm with:
    • Your account email address
    • The specific compliance issue or error you are encountering
    • Any relevant screenshots from the dashboard
    • Your intended messaging use case and target countries

Phone Number & Sender ID Issues

Troubleshoot common problems with phone number availability, sender IDs, regional number provisioning, and messages sending from the wrong number.

On this page

Compliance & 10DLC IssuesCompliance Checklist10DLC Errors Blocking SMS SendingThe ProblemWhy Messages FailHow to Fix ItSMS Test Messages Failing Right After OnboardingThe ProblemWhy This HappensHow to Test While Waiting for ApprovalWhat to Expect in the DashboardChecking Your Registration StatusCompliance Form QuestionsThe ProblemRequired Information ExplainedIf You Don't Have a Website YetBuilding on Behalf of Another Business?A2P Registration RequirementsThe ProblemRequirements by ChannelCombining Marketing Consent with a Mandatory AgreementWhy this approach is riskyWhat compliant opt-in looks likeCompliance Submission RejectedThe ProblemCommon Rejection ReasonsHow to ResubmitCountry-Specific Compliance ConsiderationsCarrier-Level RestrictionsStill Stuck?Related Guides