How does Text-Em-All text messaging work

Text-Em-All connects your messages to mobile phones through a network of carriers and aggregators. Understanding how this works—and what you need to do to get started—helps you send messages confidently and stay compliant with industry regulations.

Here's how the system works and what you need to know.

How Text-Em-All delivers your messages

Text-Em-All operates as a Communications Service Provider (CSP). When you send a message through our platform, it travels through several steps before reaching your recipients:

You create and send your message through Text-Em-All's platform
Text-Em-All routes your message to messaging aggregators we partner with
Aggregators deliver to mobile carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.)
Mobile carriers deliver to recipients' phones

This infrastructure matters because it determines deliverability, speed, and compliance. Text-Em-All maintains direct relationships with aggregators and follows carrier requirements, which is why we require carrier registration before you can send messages.

Getting started: Required steps

Before you can send messages, you need to complete four steps. Each one is required and serves a specific purpose.

Create your account at text-em-all.com. You'll provide basic business information and verify your email address.

2. Complete onboarding

Answer questions about your business and how you plan to use text messaging. This information helps us understand your use case and ensure you're set up correctly.

3. Choose your plan

Select a plan based on your expected message volume. You can change plans anytime as your needs grow.

4. Register with carriers

This is the most important step. Mobile carriers require all businesses sending commercial messages to register their messaging campaigns before launching.

Why registration matters: Carriers use registration to fight spam and verify legitimate businesses. Without registration, carriers will block your messages or filter them as spam.

What you'll provide:

Business information and verification
Sample message content
Description of how you're getting consent
Your use case (marketing, alerts, reminders, etc.)

How long it takes: Most registrations are approved within 1-2 business days. Some require additional verification and may take longer.

Text-Em-All guides you through registration and handles the technical submission to carriers. Once approved, you can start sending messages.

Compliance: Rules you need to follow

Text messaging is regulated to protect consumers. Following these rules keeps your account in good standing and ensures your messages get delivered.

Text-Em-All's terms of service and responsible use

When you create an account, you agree to use Text-Em-All responsibly. This means:

Only messaging people who gave you permission
Honoring opt-out requests immediately
Following all applicable laws (TCPA, CAN-SPAM, state regulations)
Not sending prohibited content

Our terms of service outline these expectations in detail. We monitor accounts for compliance and may suspend accounts that violate policies.

Prohibited content

You cannot send messages containing:

Illegal content or activities
Phishing, fraud, or scams
SHAFT content (sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, tobacco)
Cannabis or CBD (even where legal)
Payday loans or debt consolidation
High-risk financial services
Misleading or deceptive content
Content that violates third-party rights

This list isn't exhaustive. When in doubt, contact support before sending.

You must have permission before texting someone. Acceptable consent includes:

Written consent (signed forms, checkboxes with clear disclosure)
Verbal consent (documented phone conversations)
Website opt-in forms with clear terms
Keywords people text to join your list

Consent must be:

Clear: People understand they're agreeing to receive texts
Specific: They know what types of messages to expect
Documented: You can prove they gave permission

Purchased lists, scraped contacts, and assumed consent don't meet these requirements. If someone didn't explicitly agree to receive texts from your organization, you cannot message them.

Every message must include an easy way to opt out (like "Reply STOP to unsubscribe"). Text-Em-All handles opt-outs automatically.

How the service works

Once you're registered and compliant, here's what you'll use to send messages.

Contacts

Your contact list lives in Text-Em-All. You can:

Upload spreadsheets (CSV or Excel files)
Import from integrations (CRMs, email platforms, other tools)
Add contacts manually
Collect opt-ins through web forms or text-to-join keywords

Organize contacts into groups based on location, interest, customer type, or any criteria that matter to you. This makes targeting specific audiences easy.

Text-Em-All tracks opt-out preferences automatically. When someone unsubscribes, they're removed from future campaigns across your entire account.

Broadcasting

Broadcasting means sending one message to many people at once. Create your message, choose who receives it, and send.

Message types:

SMS: Plain text, up to 160 characters per segment
MMS: Text plus images, up to 1,600 characters

Features:

Personalization with recipient names and custom fields
Scheduling for specific dates and times
Time zone detection so messages arrive at appropriate local times
A/B testing to compare message performance

Text-Em-All sends thousands of messages per minute, so even large lists receive messages within seconds.

Results

After sending, you'll see detailed delivery reports showing:

Delivered: Message successfully reached the recipient
Failed: Message couldn't be delivered (with specific error reasons)
Pending: Message still in transit

Understanding delivery results helps you maintain list quality and identify issues early.

Inbox and conversations

Text-Em-All supports two-way messaging, so recipients can reply to your messages. Your inbox shows all incoming messages in one place.

You can:

Read and respond to replies directly
Set up automated responses for common questions
Assign conversations to team members
Forward replies to email or your CRM

Two-way messaging turns broadcasts into conversations when recipients have questions or need to engage with your organization.

What makes Text-Em-All different

Text-Em-All has been delivering messages since 2005. Here's what sets us apart:

Direct carrier relationships: We maintain partnerships with major aggregators and follow carrier requirements closely. This means better deliverability and fewer blocked messages.

Transparent compliance support: We guide you through carrier registration and help you understand compliance requirements. Our team answers questions about prohibited content and consent.

Reliable infrastructure: Our platform handles high-volume sending without slowdowns. Messages deliver consistently, even during peak periods.

Real customer support: Real humans answer your questions. No chatbots, no ticket systems that go nowhere. Call or email and talk to someone who can actually help.

Fair, transparent pricing: No hidden fees, no surprise charges. You know exactly what you're paying for.

Common questions

Why do I need carrier registration if I already have an account? Carriers require registration to verify you're a legitimate business and prevent spam. Without registration, carriers will block your messages. Registration is mandatory for everyone sending commercial messages.

How long does carrier registration take? Most registrations are approved within 1-2 business days. Some require additional verification and may take up to a week. We'll keep you updated on status.

Can I send marketing messages? Yes, as long as recipients gave you permission and your content isn't prohibited. Text-Em-All supports marketing campaigns, promotional messages, and sales communications.

What happens if I send a message to someone without consent? You risk compliance violations, account suspension, and legal liability. Only message people who explicitly agreed to receive texts from you.

What if I'm not sure if my content is allowed? Contact our support team at support@text-em-all.com or call 877-226-3080. We'll review your use case and let you know if there are any concerns.

Can I test messages before sending to my full list? Yes. Send test messages to yourself or a small group to verify formatting, links, and content before broadcasting to everyone.

What if someone replies STOP? Text-Em-All automatically processes opt-outs and removes them from all future campaigns. You don't need to do anything manually.

Do you sell my contact data? Never. Your contacts belong to you. We don't share, sell, or use your data for any purpose other than delivering your messages.

Next steps

Ready to start? Sign up at text-em-all.com and we'll guide you through onboarding and carrier registration.