Campaign

Write a CTA that passes

About a 2-3 minute read.

The call to action (CTA), labeled "How recipients opt in" on the campaign form, describes how a person ends up giving you permission to text them. It's the field carriers read most carefully, and a vague or non-compliant one is the single most common reason campaigns come back rejected.

The CTA is judged in two ways, and both have to hold up:

  1. The field itself, what you write into the form has to describe the opt-in mechanism in concrete detail.
  2. The real opt-in experience, the form, page, keyword, or script where someone actually says yes has to carry a specific set of disclosures.

This guide covers both.

Three rules that always apply

Whatever your opt-in mechanism, three rules hold every time:

  1. Consent is one-to-one, between the person and your brand, not "you and our network of partners."
  2. Consent can't be shared with third parties for their marketing. This is hard-banned by the carriers regardless of what your privacy policy says.
  3. Consent can't be implied. No pre-checked boxes, no "by submitting this form you also agree to texts," no opt-in buried inside terms. The person has to take an explicit, separable action.

If your flow breaks any of these, no amount of disclosure wording will save the campaign.

Describe the mechanism you actually use

Pick the one that matches how people sign up, and write it into the "How recipients opt in" field plainly and specifically.

Web form. Most common for online products. Include the direct URL of the page the form lives on (not just your homepage), the field that collects the phone number, the consent checkbox and what its label says, and the submit action. A missing URL is a frequent rejection.

Example: People opt in on a web form at https://example.com/get-started. The form has a phone-number field and an unchecked SMS opt-in box labeled "Yes, text me scheduling reminders and updates from Example Assistant. Msg & data rates may apply. Msg frequency varies. Reply HELP for help, STOP to cancel," with links to the privacy policy and terms. They submit the form to opt in.

Keyword by SMS. Someone texts a keyword (like JOIN) to your number. Include the keyword and the number, where the keyword is advertised (a URL, or a photo of the sign/flier), and what confirmation they receive back.

In-person or point of sale. A paper form, tablet, or verbal sign-up. Describe the flow and include a photo of the form or the exact script the staff member reads.

Phone / IVR. Someone opts in during a call. Describe the prompt flow and include the exact script the system plays or the agent reads.

If the opt-in lives behind a login (inside an app or account page) the reviewer can't reach it from a URL. Provide the login or app-store URL anyway, describe that it's behind authentication, and attach screenshots of the actual opt-in screen with every disclosure visible.

The disclosures shown at the moment of opt-in

Wherever someone agrees, that screen, sign, or script has to include all of the following. These are the same elements covered in Opt-in, opt-out, and HELP:

  1. Your brand name, "By signing up you agree to receive texts from [Brand]."
  2. What kind of texts, be specific: scheduling reminders, account alerts, marketing offers.
  3. Message frequency, "Msg frequency varies" is fine, or be specific.
  4. Message and data rates, "Msg & data rates may apply."
  5. HELP, "Reply HELP for help" or equivalent.
  6. STOP, "Reply STOP to cancel" or equivalent.
  7. Links to your privacy policy and terms.

A complete checkbox label looks like this:

☐ Yes, text me scheduling reminders and updates from Example Assistant. Msg & data rates may apply. Msg frequency varies. Reply HELP for help, STOP to cancel. See our Privacy Policy and Terms.

Every element is there: brand, message type, frequency, rates, HELP, STOP, and the policy links.

Common reasons a CTA gets rejected

  • No URL when the opt-in is on a website. Even a perfect live form fails review if the reviewer can't reach it.
  • A pre-checked opt-in box. It has to default to unchecked.
  • Opt-in required to complete a purchase. Consent can't be a condition of sale.
  • Implied consent, "by submitting this form you also agree to texts."
  • Opt-in buried in terms and conditions instead of standing on its own.
  • Marketing language when the use case isn't Marketing. Either pick a use case that covers it (often Mixed) or drop the marketing wording. See Pick a use case.
  • A missing disclosure element, frequency and rates present but no HELP, for example.

For how rejection feedback reaches you and what to do with it, see How rejections work.

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