A2P 10DLC
Why A2P 10DLC Campaigns Get Rejected, and How to Fix It
Rejections feel arbitrary. They are not. There are three causes, and one of them accounts for most of what we see.
Spent 8 years running operations for a startup studio that launched more than a dozen companies. Leads CRM, automation, AI assistants, websites, and delivery infrastructure at Agency Logics.
Published
Cause 1: the opt-in cannot be verified
This is the most common one and the most commonly misdiagnosed, because people respond to a rejection by rewriting the campaign description when the actual problem is a URL.
The reviewer opens the opt-in form URL you supplied. If your site collects phone numbers but the page carries no consent language, the campaign is rejected. If the URL needs a login, sits behind a funnel step, or is gated by a cookie wall, the reviewer cannot see it, and an unverifiable opt-in is treated the same as no opt-in.
- The URL must load publicly, with no authentication.
- The consent language must be visible on that page, not on a linked terms page.
- If you claim opt-in by text message, your samples must be consistent with people who actually gave you their number. A sample reading like cold outreach to a stranger fails immediately.
Cause 2: the required language is missing
Four components are checked separately. Missing any one is enough on its own.
| Component | Why it is checked |
|---|---|
| Named sender | The consumer must know which business will text them. |
| Message and data rates may apply | Standard carrier disclosure. |
| Message frequency | Either a stated frequency or 'message frequency varies'. |
| STOP and HELP | The consumer must be told how to stop and how to get help. |
Two adjacent details worth knowing: opt-in keywords must be alphanumeric with no spaces, so "I Agree" and "Sign Up" fail as keywords. And your opt-out reply itself has requirements, it should acknowledge the request, name the brand, and confirm no further messages will be sent.
Cause 3: the campaign does not match the messages
This is the judgement call, and it is where vague submissions die.
| Rejected | Passes |
|---|---|
| Use case: "Customer notifications" | Use case: "Appointment confirmations and reminders for HVAC service visits booked through our website form" |
| Sample: "Big savings this month! Call now." submitted under an appointment reminder use case | Sample: "[Business]: your AC tune-up is confirmed for Tue 9am. Reply R to reschedule or STOP to opt out." |
| Sample with no business name | Business name in every sample, opt-out language in at least one |
| Description written as marketing copy | Description that names the audience, the trigger, and the frequency |
The pattern: a reviewer is trying to confirm that what you say you will send is what you will actually send. Registering a promotional programme as transactional to get an easier approval is the version of this that fails hardest, and it is also the version that creates TCPA exposure later, since promotional messaging carries a higher consent standard. See the corrected TCPA rules.
Diagnosing before you resubmit
Resubmission is free, which tempts people into changing something at random and trying again. That burns review cycles. Work through the four fields in this order, because this is roughly the order of likelihood:
- Open your own opt-in URL in a private window. Does it load without logging in, and is the consent language visible on that page? This catches most of them.
- Read your samples as if you were the reviewer. Do they look like the use case you declared?
- Check the brand details against public record. Legal name and EIN exactly as registered, not the trading name.
- Rewrite the description last. It is the field people fix first and the one that is least often the actual cause.
Common questions
- Why was my A2P 10DLC campaign rejected?
- Almost always one of three things: the opt-in proof is unclear or unreachable, required compliance language is missing (STOP and HELP, message frequency, message and data rates may apply), or your campaign details do not match your real message flow. Reviewers compare your use case, sample messages, website, and consent process against each other, and reject when they do not agree.
- Does it cost anything to resubmit?
- No. The $15 A2P resubmission charge has been removed, so resubmission is free. What a rejection costs you is another full review cycle, which is the part that hurts when a client launch is scheduled.
- What consent language does my website need?
- Visible on the page that collects the phone number, publicly reachable, and containing four things: who is sending, that message and data rates may apply, that message frequency varies, and STOP and HELP instructions. A standard pattern is: By providing your phone number, you agree to receive text messages from [Business]. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. Reply STOP to opt out or HELP for help.
- Can I use verbal or in-person opt-in?
- Yes, those are accepted opt-in methods alongside website forms, paper forms, lead forms, QR codes, and kiosks. But you still have to be able to evidence the process, and if you claim opt-in by text message while your sample messages are clearly cold outreach to people who never gave you a number, the campaign is rejected.
- My opt-in keyword was rejected. Why?
- Opt-in keywords must be alphanumeric or accented characters, and spaces are not permitted. Multi-word keywords such as I Agree or Sign Up will fail for that reason alone. Use a single token.
- How many times can I resubmit?
- There is no hard published limit, but repeated identical resubmissions waste review cycles and get you nowhere. Diagnose which of the four fields is out of step before resubmitting rather than tweaking the description and hoping. In our experience the failing field is the opt-in form URL more often than the campaign text people usually rewrite.
Sources
- 1.HighLevel: A2P campaign rejections, required fixes and vetting errors Rejection categories and required remediation.
- 2.HighLevel: A2P 10DLC campaign approval best practices Opt-in language, keyword rules, and sample message requirements.
- 3.A2P 10DLC campaign approval requirements Independent statement of the same approval criteria.
- 4.Campaign rejection in A2P 10DLC messaging Registry-side view of brand and campaign rejections.
Send us the rejection reason
Nine times in ten we can tell you which of the four fields is out of step from the rejection code and a look at your opt-in page. It is usually the URL, and it is usually a same-day fix.
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