Overview
Are you experiencing issues with undelivered SMS messages showing up in the activity feed? The content of your message may be triggering wireless carriers' junk message filters.
This article provides best practices and dos/don'ts for sending SMS messages to avoid being filtered out by spam filters.
10DLC Compliance and Deliverability
Your institution's SMS numbers are registered as part of Element451's A2P 10DLC compliance program. For detailed information on regulatory requirements and compliance, please see our companion article, SMS: Subscribe/Unsubscribe + Federal Regulations.
Numbers with poor compliance records experience reduced deliverability. As this article outlines, Maintaining good sending practices helps preserve your carrier trust score.
Sharing Links or URLs
While carriers generally don't share how to "beat" their filtering rules, based on recent testing and research, carriers are scrutinizing messages containing both text and URLs in the same message. However, it is still possible to share links effectively:
Separate content from URLs: Send text content and URLs as stand-alone messages to increase deliverability rates (our testing showed 95-100% deliverability when separated).
Use branded domains: When possible, use URLs that match your institution's domain rather than third-party services.
Include complete URLs: Always include the entire URL in your message, including the protocol (http:// or https://).
Avoid link shorteners: Do not use link shorteners like bit.ly or tinyurl.com as these are frequently associated with spam.
Example best practice:
Message 1: "It's Eric, your admissions counselor at Element University. I hope to see you at one of our upcoming admitted student events. Remember, I'm here to answer any questions you might have."
Message 2: https://www.yourschool.edu/admitted-events
Sharing Email Addresses
SMS messages containing email addresses were delivered during our most recent testing. However, Element451's recommended best practice is to avoid including an email address in your initial SMS, as it may be interpreted as a link by the carrier's filters.
If you need to share an email address, consider:
Sending it in a standalone message
Avoiding email addresses in the first message of a conversation
Using alternative formatting (e.g., "erange at elementuniversity dot edu")
Device Level Filtering (Blocking)
Even if the carrier allows your message to be delivered, recipients may have device-level filtering enabled. Since device-level filtering is an active setting, most users don't have it enabled. However, some recipients may have:
Blocked your specific number
Enabled filtering for all numbers, not in their contacts list
Activated enhanced spam filtering on their device
One way to reduce the impact of device-level filtering is to encourage prospective students to add your Element451 phone number to their contacts by sharing it via email or other communication channels.
SMS Character Limits for Conversations
Element451 can send SMS messages of up to 1600 characters via the Conversations module. That said, brevity is best when using the SMS channel.
Messages over 160 characters will prompt you with a warning; however, those messages can still be sent
Messages over 320 characters may see reduced deliverability by carriers
Messages over 1600 characters will be rejected
📙 Note: The character limits above apply to SMS messages sent via Conversations. As bulk messaging rules are more strict, SMS messages sent via Campaigns are limited to 918 characters.
Content Triggers to Avoid
The following content elements frequently trigger spam filters:
ALL CAPS text or excessive capitalization
Multiple exclamation points (!!!) or question marks (???)
Words like "free," "win," "prize," "urgent," or "limited time"
Excessive use of emojis or special characters
Dollar signs combined with numbers (e.g., $100)
Language that creates artificial urgency ("Act now!" or "Limited time!")
Note: Also avoid "SHAFT" content (sexual content, hate speech, alcohol and other drugs, firearms, tobacco) as mentioned in our compliance article, as these can lead to number suspension.
Best Practices
Personalization
While the article mentions keeping messages relevant, it's worth emphasizing that personalization significantly improves engagement and reduces spam reports:
Go beyond just using first names
Reference specific program interests or previous interactions
Mention specific events the student has registered for
Include the name of their specific admissions counselor
Reference their application status or specific milestone
Other
Keep it friendly. Text messaging is a great way to connect with your prospective students. While you should always remain professional, it is not as formal as an email or a letter.
Keep it short and sweet.
Keep messages sent via Conversations relevant to the student. For instance, you may want to increase engagement with a particular admitted student. You could start an SMS conversation by offering to answer any questions about their offer of admission and invite them to an upcoming admitted student event. This is the personal touch that will stand out to the student and their family. Save the general institutional promotion and marketing lingo for Campaigns and other communication channels.