Campaign registration: Setting up your use case in Aloware

If you haven't completed brand registration yet, start there first. This guide covers Step 3, which only works after Steps 1 and 2 are done, click here.

When you send business text messages in the U.S., phone carriers need to know who you are and what kind of messages you're sending. This is called A2P 10DLC compliance (Application-to-Person, 10-Digit Long Code). Without it, your messages may be blocked, delayed, or filtered as spam.

Registration does two things:

The use case you select describes the kind of messages you'll be sending, such as customer support replies versus marketing promotions. This is the most important choice you'll make in this step, because it's tied directly to your brand approval and your sending limits.

Each use case allows up to 50 campaigns, but it's usually best to use as few as possible and group your lines together. This makes campaigns easier to manage and helps keep fees lower.

Before you click anything, plan how you'll group your lines. Two common groupings cover most businesses:

If a line does both, you'll typically place it under a Mixed campaign (explained below).

Aloware gives you two paths depending on what your messages are for.

Use Quick setup if your messages fall under Customer Care, Marketing, or Mixed. Most businesses use one of these three.

Use Advanced setup if your messages fall under a more specialized category, such as two-factor authentication codes, delivery notifications, fraud alerts, or messages from a school or university. The full list is further down this guide.

If you can split your messages into a dedicated Customer Care campaign and a dedicated Marketing campaign instead, that's usually the better choice.

Example Mixed message: "Hi Sam, your meal kit is on the way and will arrive by 6 PM today. Need help? Just reply here. Reply STOP to opt out."

If none of the three above fit, click Advanced Setup. You'll see additional options:

By default, Aloware will include all your unregistered lines, but you can select specific lines for your campaign.

Once you've picked a use case, you'll be taken to the campaign details form. By default, Aloware adds all your unregistered lines to this campaign. You can leave it that way or pick specific lines manually.

Here's what each field is asking for and how to fill it in.

Describe what this campaign is for in one or two sentences. Focus on what you do for your customers, not on selling them.

Example for Customer Care: "Provide assistance to our current customers, mainly conversational communication."

Example for Marketing: "Send seasonal offers and product announcements to subscribers who opted in through our website."

This is one of the most important fields. Carriers want proof that the people you're texting actually agreed to be texted. You need to explain every way someone can opt in to your messages.

This explanation must be between 40 and 2,048 characters. List each opt-in method, even if you have several.

Example: "Customers opt in by checking a consent box during checkout on our website, by texting JOIN to our number, or by signing a paper form at our retail location. The consent language clearly states that they agree to receive transactional and promotional SMS from [your company]."

You need to provide two real-looking sample messages that match the use case. These show carriers what kind of content you'll actually send.

Important: Both samples must include opt-out language, like "Reply STOP to opt out." Leaving this out is one of the most common reasons campaigns get rejected.

You can click the refresh button to have Aloware pull random examples from your actual outbound SMS history, then edit them.

Sample 1 example: "Hi [lead name], this is [rep name] from [your company]. Following up on your inquiry about our service. Let me know if you have any questions. Reply STOP to opt out."

Sample 2 example: "Hi [lead name], thanks for reaching out to [your company]. Your account has been updated as requested. Reply STOP to opt out."

You will also be asked for:

Tell the carrier whether your messages will contain links or phone numbers. Be honest here. If you say no and then send links, your campaign can be flagged later.

Message restrictions

Confirm whether your messages contain certain regulated content. Be honest here. Misrepresenting your content is a fast way to get a campaign suspended.

These rules apply to every message you send, not just during registration. They affect whether your campaign gets approved and stays in good standing.

Every initial message, and any follow-up that isn't part of an active conversation, must clearly say who you are. Include your name and your company name.

The only exception is when you're already in a back-and-forth with the recipient. You don't need to identify yourself in every reply during a live conversation.

Every initial message must include a clear way to unsubscribe, such as "Reply STOP to opt out." This isn't optional. It's a regulatory requirement.

For ongoing conversations, you must include the opt-out reminder again at least every 30 days when starting a new initial message thread. This makes sure recipients can leave at any point, even if they engaged with you previously.

Each use case has a one-time fee that covers carrier processing costs. This is separate from your Aloware subscription. For a full breakdown, see A2P 10DLC fees: Brand and campaign costs.

You'll need to agree to the Terms and Conditions before submitting. Read these carefully so you understand your responsibilities as a sender.

Click Finish to submit your campaign for review.

That's it for your part. Approval typically takes a few business days, though it can be longer for Mixed and Advanced use cases.

A note on rejections: If your campaign is rejected or comes back with a brand score of 0, your billing admin will receive an email notification. The most common reasons for rejection are missing opt-out language in the samples, vague campaign descriptions, or an opt-in explanation that doesn't clearly show consent.

Once your campaign is approved, the next step is to add your phone lines to it so they can start sending under the registered use case.

When you send messages through Aloware Sequences or Broadcast, an opt-out instruction is appended to your messages automatically. You don't need to type it in manually each time.

This helps you stay compliant without extra work, but it doesn't replace the need to include opt-out language in your registration sample messages.