What a compliant SMS opt-in disclosure needs
In the United States, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) requires prior express consent for automated texts and prior express written consent for marketing texts. The CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices, which carriers enforce through A2P 10DLC campaign vetting, describe what the moment of consent should show. The result is a short checklist, and the generator covers every item:
- The name of the business sending the messages.
- A description of the messages the person will receive.
- How often messages will arrive, or a statement that frequency varies.
- The phrase "Msg & data rates may apply".
- How to opt out (reply STOP) and how to get help (reply HELP).
- That consent is not a condition of purchase.
- Links to a privacy policy and SMS terms.
The disclosure comes out at about 70 words, short enough to sit next to a checkbox in full. Reviewers want to see the whole text at the moment of consent, not a "read more" link or a tooltip. Pair it with a separate, unchecked checkbox: the opt-in checkbox builder produces the matching HTML.
The keyword confirmation reply
When someone texts your keyword or submits your form, the first message they receive should confirm what they joined and repeat the essentials. Campaign reviewers ask for this message when the opt-in method is a keyword, and Twilio lists a missing or incomplete opt-in message as a cause of error 30896. The generated reply starts with the brand, names the message types, states the frequency and rates, and ends with HELP and STOP instructions.
The reply uses short forms ("appt reminders", "promos and offers") so that it fits inside one 160-character segment with the default inputs. The segment pill next to each reply shows the count, and the segment calculator can check any edits you make.
HELP and STOP replies that satisfy carrier rules
Carriers expect a texting program to answer HELP with the business name and a way to reach support, and to answer STOP with a single confirmation and then silence. Most platforms handle STOP automatically but let you edit both replies. The generated HELP reply names the business, gives the support contact you entered (or points to your website if you left it blank) and reminds people they can reply STOP. The STOP reply confirms the unsubscribe and tells people how to rejoin, using your keyword if you set one or START otherwise.
Keep a record of each consent and each STOP: the phone number, the timestamp, the page or keyword used and the exact disclosure shown. If a complaint arrives months later, that record is what proves the consent was valid.
Transactional versus marketing consent
Appointment reminders, order updates, account alerts and verification codes are transactional. Marketing and promotional messages need a higher standard of consent in the US and most other countries, and consent cannot be a condition of buying something. If you send both, the cleanest structure is two disclosures and two checkboxes, so that a customer can book an appointment and receive reminders without agreeing to promotions. Tick only marketing in this generator to get the marketing version, or use the two-checkbox mode in the form builder.
Outside the United States
The structure travels well but the legal details change. In the United Kingdom, PECR and UK GDPR apply, and marketing texts to individuals generally need opt-in consent. Canada's CASL requires express consent and clear sender identification. Australia's Spam Act requires consent, sender identification and a working unsubscribe. Adjust the frequency and opt-out wording to local conventions and have a local adviser check it. The pieces are the same: who, what, how often, cost, how to leave.
Once the language is ready, the privacy policy generator and the SMS terms generator produce the two documents the disclosure links to, and the website compliance checker walks through what reviewers look at before you submit a campaign.