Deliver high-volume SMS at speed from a memorable short code.
Send time-sensitive alerts, flash-sale broadcasts, and verification codes from a memorable 4–6 digit number that customers recognize and can reply to. Bird guides your carrier application and program review, then allocates the approved short code to your workspace so you can send and receive through the same SMS API.
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Short code·Dedicated
A program built around your traffic
Setup checklist
Plan the market
Short codes are national senders.
Prepare the program
Review use case, content and opt-in flow.
Connect the allocation
Use the sender assigned to your workspace.
12345
Short code·Dedicated
A program built around your traffic
Setup checklist
Plan the market
Short codes are national senders.
Prepare the program
Review use case, content and opt-in flow.
Connect the allocation
Use the sender assigned to your workspace.
12345
Short code·Dedicated
A program built around your traffic
Setup checklist
Plan the market
Short codes are national senders.
Prepare the program
Review use case, content and opt-in flow.
Connect the allocation
Use the sender assigned to your workspace.
Reach national audiences when timing matters.
Short codes sit alongside long codes, toll-free numbers, and alphanumeric sender IDs on Bird SMS numbers inside the Bird SMS API. Teams choose a short code when flash-sale drops, urgent service alerts, or login surges need high national throughput from a single recognizable number, trading a longer carrier approval window for pre-vetted capacity and two-way reply support.
What a short code gives your messaging program.
High national throughput, pre-vetted carrier trust, and two-way replies on a memorable number.
- 01
Move large sends without long-code bottlenecks.
Deliver flash-sale broadcasts, outage notifications, and peak-hour verification codes across a country without spreading traffic across dozens of local numbers. Throughput and availability depend on the destination market and carrier program.
- 02
Guided carrier application and program review.
Short codes are allocated to your workspace rather than bought from self-service inventory. Bird works with you to scope the target country, traffic profile, sample messages, and opt-in flow before submitting the dossier to carriers.
- 03
Pre-approved by carriers before launch day.
Carriers review your brand, use case, and consent flow up front so your program launches on an approved sender path. You can track review progress in the dashboard while your engineering team finishes integration.
- 04
Memorable 4–6 digit identity with two-way replies.
Customers recognize a short number at a glance for OTPs and promotional alerts, and they can reply with keywords like STOP or HELP or respond to two-way prompts when your program includes inbound SMS.
Build against the same SMS API while carriers review your application.
Short codes use the same Bird SMS send endpoint and signed inbound webhook events as other numbers in your workspace. Your team can build and test the messaging flow first, then set the allocated short code as the sender once carrier approval completes and the destination country is enabled.
Choose between a national short code and faster-provisioning numbers.
Because each short code is national and reviewed by local carriers, factor approval timelines into your launch calendar and apply per country. If you need to start sending sooner, need voice alongside SMS, or want a local area code for regional support conversations, compare a 10DLC long code or verified toll-free number while your short code is being provisioned.
Questions about this sender
What is an SMS short code?
How do I get a short code with Bird?
Can I use the same short code internationally?
Other ways to send
Short codes are one of four sender types. Compare the rest.
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.