How can you prevent your custom URL shortener from getting blocked by the carriers?

As you know public URL shorteners are at high risk of being identified as spam quickly, thus they should never be used on 10DLC. Sinch recommends you use a customer owned domain/ULR shortener. Read below for best practices to ensure your custom URL shortener doesn’t get blocked by carrier network filtering.  

If you have customers sending out unwanted messages to a list of contacts that did not provide proper consent and the messages include your custom URL shortener, it is at risk of being reported as spam by the end users and getting blocked by the carriers. This will affect delivery of all messaging for customers utilizing your URL shortener.  

It's important to make sure your customers are gaining proper consent from their clients, especially if you allow the ability for your customers to freely upload contacts into your CRM/messaging platform.

Some key items to review with your customers before they start sending messages:

• Does your customer have proper consent mechanisms?
• Is your customer collecting written signatures on a sign-up sheet, specifically for SMS?
• Are they opting in through a webform, that has the proper call to action and disclosures for SMS?
• Does your SMS program provide a double opt in feature as an extra layer of consent? (Optional) Example: Are you sending a confirmation MT to the handset and asking them to reply back with a keyword?
• Do all of the messages identify your brand?
• Do the messages  include an opt out statement?
  • Ex. “Cut Loose Salon, VIPs! don’t forget to schedule your appointments on our website here: {custom shortened URL link}. Reply STOP to stop. Reply HELP for help. Msg&Data rates may apply”

If you are not reviewing these with your customers when you onboard them, especially when it comes to uploading contacts, it may be best to advise your customers to utilize their full URL in their messaging until their opt in methods are properly vetted by your team and confirmed fully compliant. This will reduce the chance of your custom URL shortener getting blocked by the carriers, which will affect any customer utilizing your shortened link in their messaging.  Don’t let your URL shortener get blocked.  Follow these best practice to help prevent your domain from being blocked.
 

Visit the Sinch 10DLC Product Page to learn more about Sinch 10DLC or if you need more help with 10DLC or have any questions, contact Sinch, who will be happy help!