In this article, we will explain how to add an unsubscribe option to your SMS messages.
Before you start
- Understand and follow the SMS marketing regulations in your recipient country.
- If you are sending SMS campaigns or transactional SMS to recipients in the United States or Canada, you have to register for a toll-free number and comply with the United States SMS marketing regulations. To learn more, check our dedicated article Comply with the United States SMS marketing regulations with our compliance feature.
Is it mandatory to add an unsubscribe option in SMS messages?
Depending on the type of SMS message you are sending, different rules can apply:
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SMS campaigns
The CNIL imposes that all SMS campaigns must contain a way for the recipients to easily unsubscribe from the sending list of the message sender. -
Transactional SMS
When sending transactional SMS (confirmation code, purchase, appointment reminder, etc.), adding a way to unsubscribe is not mandatory.
How to include an unsubscribe option in SMS messages?
Brevo offers two options to let your contacts unsubscribe from your SMS messages:
The STOP code is a system that allows each recipient of SMS messages to have an easy way to unsubscribe from the sending list of the message sender by simply replying with the word "STOP".
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Include "Reply STOP to [STOP_CODE]" at the end of every SMS sent to the countries below. |
The use of the STOP code is mandatory when sending SMS messages to some countries. It can also be used as an unsubscribe option in other countries:
| Mandatory | Supported |
Special case:
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If your contacts live in a country where the STOP code is not available, include an unsubscribe link in the SMS messages you send them instead.
The unsubscribe link is a system that allows each recipient of SMS messages to have an easy way to unsubscribe from the sending list of the message sender by simply clicking on a link in the SMS.
Step 1: Create your unsubscribe form
- Go to Contacts > Forms > Unsubscription.
- Click Create a new unsubscribe form.
Step 2: Customize your SMS unsubscribe form
- At the Setup step, name your unsubscribe form.
- At the Design step:
- Select the Enter your email address to unsubscribe block.
- In the Attribute list, select SMS.
- Customize the rest of the form to meet your needs.
- At the Settings step:
- Select whether or not you want to redirect your contacts to a confirmation page.
- If necessary, select to which confirmation page you want to redirect your contacts.
- At the Messages step, customize the messages shown when a contact unsubscribes:
- Success message: displayed when a contact successfully unsubscribes.
- Invalid user information: displayed when the information provided does not match the field format.
- Error message: displayed when the unsubscription failed.
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Empty field: displayed when the contact did not enter any information in the field.
Step 3: Share your SMS unsubscribe link
- At the Share step, click the
icon to preview your SMS unsubscribe form.
- To add your SMS unsubscribe link to your SMS campaigns:
- Copy the Quick share link.
- Paste it into your SMS message. Brevo automatically shortens URLs to save space in your SMS content. To learn more, check our dedicated article Create an SMS campaign.
- Copy the Quick share link.
Your contacts can now unsubscribe from your SMS messages whenever needed.
How does Brevo manage SMS unsubscriptions?
The management of SMS unsubscriptions is automatically done by Brevo. After unsubscribing, contacts are automatically blocklisted and receive an automatic confirmation message.
⏩ What's next?
- Manually subscribe or blocklist a contact from your emails and SMS
- Is there a separate blocklist for SMS messages?
- SMS opt-out keywords (HELP, STOP, START, INFO)
🤔 Have a question?
If you have a question, feel free to contact our support team by creating a ticket from your account. If you don't have an account yet, you can contact us here.
If you’re looking for help with a project using Brevo, we can match you with the right certified Brevo Agency partner.