Blocked Text Numbers

The text number used to send your text broadcasts can be blocked by our third-party carriers when they suspect - even erroneously - that the number is sending spam or unwanted messages. 

While this is out of Text-Em-All's hands, we know that this experience can be frustrating! 

We try to be proactive in notifying our users when their text messages are not being sent because our carriers have established blocks, and we will work as fast as we can to immediately remedy the blocks. 

Note: If you would like an inbound text number blocked from sending messages to your Text-Em-All account, please contact our Customer Experience team. Be advised that we are unable to completely prevent all inbound messages, but in situations of harassment or spam/unwanted messages, we are happy to help!  

What does "blocked" mean?

If our carriers believe the content of your text messages is spam-related or matches the content of similar spam campaigns, they will block the texting number and prevent it from sending text messages. 

While Text-Em-All does its best to identify spam-like messages, the carriers are responsible for monitoring spam or unwanted messages to the public and have implemented their own filtering systems.

These systems are created and managed solely by the carriers.

To prevent true spammers from working around their filters, our carriers do not share exactly what words, phrases, or terms cause a message (and text number) to be blocked. 

How does a number become unblocked?

Once a message or text number has been blocked, Text-Em-All will temporarily disable the blocked texting number in your account to prevent future messages from being sent unsuccessfully.

Simultaneously, our team immediately begins working with the carriers to remove the block. A part of this process includes clarifying your use case and providing proof of the consent you've obtained from your contacts. For example, we may ask you how you obtained the phone numbers you are messaging. If this information is unclear, we may reach out to you to learn more.

If you're using an unregistered local number that is now blocked, our team will likely ask you to complete a Letter of Authorization. This form will be submitted to the carriers to help establish a trusted relationship between your organization and the carriers. 

As soon as your texting number has been reinstated by our carriers, we will notify you and you can resume sending text messages from that number.

Can I still message my contacts in the meantime?

While your texting number is blocked, if you have important or urgent messages to send out, we recommend Sending a Voice Broadcast because voice messages are not subject to the same type of carrier filters as text.

Again, your blocked number only impacts text broadcasts,  so you can still send out voice broadcasts in the meanwhile. 

Best practices when sending mass text messages

While a blocked number by the carriers is out of our control, there are some best practices to keep in mind as you compose your message to minimize the chances of being blocked:

• Clearly identify your organization or business in the body of your message. 
  
  • For example: "[Insert Your Business Name]: You have an appointment for Tuesday at 3:00 PM. Let us know if you have any questions!"
• Clearly state your audience if applicable (i.e. employees, members)
• Avoid using words or phrases that could be mistaken as  gambling-related or  promotional in nature.
  

  • Promotional words or phrases: Cash, On Sale, 50% off, Buy Now, etc. 
  • Gambling-related words: Poker, bingo, lottery, casino, hold-em, etc. 
  • For example, alerting your staff of a safety bingo game or the upcoming sales within your store. While these are informational within the context of your account, they could still be perceived as spam by our carriers.  
• Refrain from using URL shorteners. Each broadcast should include the entire URL (this includes links to Zoom meetings or Google Meet sessions) 
• Don't include a callback number that is different from the number you are sending the message from (Call forwarding is available for Text-Em-All text numbers - please contact our Customer Experience team to set this up!)
• Avoid using all caps and excessive punctuation (THANKS, ASAP, @, %, !!!, ???)
• Don't use a cash or payment handle "@sendmemoney" in your messages. We have seen a large number of blocks when including requests for donations to cash or payment apps.

Feel free to reach out to our team to contact us anytime at support@text-em-all.com or call us at 877-226-3080.