Send one-way SMS alerts from your brand name.

Deliver login codes, shipping updates, and account alerts from a 3 to 11 character brand name so customers recognize who is texting at a glance. Bird shows which countries support dynamic alphanumeric senders and which require carrier pre-registration, so you can claim your brand string once and clear local rules before you launch.

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When should you use an alphanumeric sender ID?

Use an alphanumeric sender ID for one-way messages where instant brand recognition matters more than a reply path, including verification codes, order confirmations, and dispatch alerts. Because recipients see your company name in their inbox rather than an unfamiliar phone number, they can trust the text right away. Alphanumeric senders are one of four options in Bird SMS numbers on the Bird SMS API.

Send recognizable one-way texts across global markets.

Claim your brand string once, check country rules in advance, and pair with reply-capable numbers where needed.

01
Show a recognizable brand name in the inbox.
Display a 3 to 11 character brand label at the top of the text so customers immediately know a login code, delivery window, or payment alert came from you.
02
Design for one-way alerts and web opt-outs.
Because an alphanumeric sender has no underlying phone number, recipients cannot text back. Include a web link or app action for opt-outs and customer responses, or use a phone number when you need two-way replies.
03
Check country support before you launch.
Each destination country sets its own alphanumeric sender policy. Bird shows whether a market accepts dynamic brand strings right away, requires carrier approval first, or mandates a local or toll-free number instead, such as in the United States.
04
Pre-register to prevent carrier overwrites.
In markets that regulate brand senders, carriers block unregistered strings or replace them with a generic number. File country registrations in Bird and track approval timelines before routing live traffic.
05
Claim your 3 to 11 character sender string for free.
Claiming an alphanumeric sender ID in your workspace takes effect immediately at no cost. Use letters, digits, spaces, hyphens, underscores, or dots (with at least one letter and no punctuation at the start or end).

Send branded alerts and login codes with one API call.

Once your brand string is claimed and cleared for the destination country, pass it as the sender on your outbound SMS request. You use the same sending endpoint across alphanumeric IDs and phone numbers, and marking verification texts as authentication traffic automatically redacts the passcode body from stored message logs.

alphanumeric.ts

202 · accepted

// "from" is your alphanumeric sender, not a number.
// Permitted per country; often pre-registered first, and never for the US,
// which delivers only from a number you hold.
const { data: message, error } = await bird.sms.send({
  from:     "Bird",
  to:       "+31612345678",
  text:     "Your verification code is 481920.",
  category: "authentication",
}).safe();
if (error) throw error;

// text reads back as "**REDACTED**": an authentication body is not retained.
console.log(message.status, message.text); // → "accepted" "**REDACTED**"

Handle carrier registration and two-way fallbacks in one place.

Some countries accept dynamic alphanumeric senders right away, while others require carrier approval before delivering your brand name. Bird manages per-country sender ID registration in the dashboard and API so your texts arrive under the identity you claimed. For destinations that require a phone number or workflows where customers need to reply, pair your brand sender with a long code, toll-free number, or short code.

Questions about alphanumeric sender IDs

What is an alphanumeric sender ID?

A short brand string shown in the SMS sender field instead of a phone number. It is an identity you claim and register where required, rather than a reply-capable number.

Can recipients reply to the brand name?

No. Use a number with SMS capability when the workflow needs replies. Prepare the appropriate opt-out mechanism for the campaign and destination.

Is claiming a sender ID enough to start sending?

Only where the destination permits that sender and no required registration remains. Enable the destination and inspect the sender’s country requirements before launch.

Other ways to send

Compare branded alphanumeric senders with reply-capable phone numbers.

Long codesProvision local 10-digit numbers for two-way SMS and register US traffic for A2P 10DLC.Short codesReach national audiences at high throughput with a carrier-approved short code program.Toll-freeSend and receive texts across the US and Canada from one verified 8xx number.SMS numbers overviewCompare sender types by country reach, two-way support, and carrier registration.SMS API overviewExplore global SMS sending, number provisioning, two-way replies, routing, and delivery analytics.

Scale without losing control.

Separate production and sandbox traffic into dedicated workspaces, scope API keys to the exact channels each service or agent needs, and track permission changes in the audit log.

Start with SMS.
Build across channels with Bird.