10DLC Registration Without the Guesswork
10DLC registration is the process of registering your business brand and messaging campaign so US carriers accept texts from 10-digit local numbers. ColdTexting collects your brand details, use case, sample messages and opt-in proof inside the app and submits the registration for you.
The terms
What carriers mean by A2P 10DLC
Registration tells carriers who is texting, why and how people agreed to it. Done right, your texts get delivered. Skipped, they get filtered.
- A2P
- Application-to-person messaging, meaning texts sent by software on behalf of a business rather than typed by a person on a phone.
- 10DLC
- A 10-digit long code, the ordinary local phone number format, approved for business texting once a brand and campaign are registered.
- Brand
- The registered identity of your business: legal name, tax ID, address and website. One brand can hold several campaigns.
- Campaign
- A declared use case, such as sales follow up or appointment reminders, with sample messages and the opt-in flow. Numbers are attached to a campaign.
Before you start
What you need to register a brand and a campaign
The form in the app asks for each item in this order and explains on the spot why carriers want it. Have these ready and registration takes one sitting.
| Item | Example | Why carriers ask |
|---|---|---|
| Legal business name and tax ID | Copperleaf Kitchen LLC, EIN | Confirms the brand is a real registered business |
| Business address and website | Street address, copperleafkitchen.com | Website must match the brand and show a privacy policy |
| Use case description | Order updates and weekly offers to customers who joined at checkout | Vague descriptions are a top reason for rejection |
| Two or more sample messages | Copperleaf Kitchen: your order is ready for pickup. Reply STOP to opt out | Shows brand naming and opt-out language in practice |
| Opt-in description | Unchecked box at online checkout with the consent wording quoted | Proves contacts asked for the texts |
| HELP and STOP responses | Brand name, support contact and opt-out confirmation | Required for every registered campaign |
A longer walk through every field, with wording that tends to pass review, is in the A2P 10DLC registration guide.
Avoiding rejection
Most rejected campaigns fail on the sample messages
Reviewers read your samples as the texts you will really send. A sample without a brand name, without opt-out language or with a public shortener looks like the traffic carriers want to stop, and a rejection restarts the review clock. That is why every sample in the form runs through the same engine as the SMS compliance checker before it is submitted.
The other common reasons are a website without a privacy policy, a use case that does not match the samples and an opt-in flow described in one vague line. Registration also does not replace consent. A registered campaign can still break the law if contacts never agreed, which is where TCPA compliance and per contact consent records come in.
Status tracking
From submitted to sending in five stages
Each stage shows in the account with its date, so you know whether you are waiting on carriers or on a missing detail.
Brand verification usually completes quickly. Campaign review by carriers often takes several business days. Until a campaign is approved you can still check messages, import consented contacts and build campaigns, so the first send is ready the day the number goes live.
- 01 Brand submittedBusiness details sent for verification Oct 1
- 02 Brand verifiedIdentity confirmed against the tax ID Oct 1
- 03 Campaign submittedUse case, samples and opt-in flow sent to carriers Oct 2
- 04 Campaign approvedCarriers accept the declared traffic In review
- 05 Number attachedLocal number linked to the campaign and ready to send Next
FAQ
Questions about 10DLC registration
A2P 10DLC means application-to-person messaging over 10-digit long code numbers. US carriers require every business sending through software on local numbers to register a brand and a campaign.
Carriers filter or block unregistered 10DLC traffic, so messages fail to deliver and the number can be suspended.
Your legal business name, tax ID, website, a use case description, two or more sample messages and a description of how contacts opt in.
Brand registration usually completes quickly, while campaign review can take several business days. ColdTexting shows the status in your account.
Common reasons are sample messages without a brand name or opt-out language, a vague use case, a website without a privacy policy and an unclear opt-in flow.
Register your brand and start texting from local numbers
Brand and campaign registration is handled in the app on every plan. Starter includes 1 registered local number from $24 per month billed yearly.