# SMS Consent, Opt-Outs and Campaign Controls The decision behind one message Example campaign Campaign review A clear permission trail Opt-in recorded The customer asked for SMS offers. Source, time and scope are retained. Sender checked The sender is eligible for the destination and campaign purpose. Current preferences checked Suppressions and later preference changes determine whether this send can proceed. Illustrative review workflow. Registration, customer consent and current send eligibility are separate decisions. [Part of the Bird SMS platform](/sms-api) ## Three checks. Three different questions. Registering a sender does not create customer consent. An audience membership does not override an opt-out. Give each decision a clear place in your campaign review. ## Sender readiness Choose a sender that supports the destination and use case. Complete the country or carrier registration it requires. ## Customer permission Record how the person opted in, the scope they agreed to and the relevant source and time. Keep communication preferences connected to the contact. ## Current eligibility Check suppressions and preference changes when preparing and sending the campaign. A stale exported list should not override a later opt-out. ## A reply should change what happens next. Bird recognizes supported opt-out keywords and records a suppression for the sender-and-subscriber pair. Workspace-wide SMS preferences are a separate control. ## Honor STOP A supported stop keyword opens a suppression for that sender and number. The inbound event remains available to your application. ## Keep the scope clear A sender-level suppression and a workspace-wide preference are different records. Use the control that matches what the customer requested. ## Review local behavior Keyword recognition and automatic replies vary by country. Check the current catalogue and test the path for each market you launch. ## Build a repeatable launch review. Choose appropriate sending windows and a clear opt-out route. Use Bird’s operational controls alongside your organization’s review of the rules that apply to the campaign. ## Timing Set the schedule deliberately and account for the recipient’s local time. A large send may continue beyond the moment it starts. ## Content Make the brand, purpose and next action clear. Review links, offers and the instructions a person uses to stop messages. ## Evidence Keep the campaign, audience, permission records and delivery outcomes connected so your team can investigate an individual message. ## Find the operational guide for the decision - [Sender and carrier compliance](/sms-api/features/compliance): Explore registration and sending controls. - [Opt-outs and keywords](/docs/guides/sms/opt-outs-and-keywords): Read the exact coverage and suppression behavior. - [Choose a sender](/sms-api/features/numbers): Compare long codes, toll-free numbers, short codes and sender IDs. ## Questions about SMS compliance ### Does sender registration mean I can text everyone in my database? No. Registration establishes eligibility to use a sender under a destination or carrier program. Customer permission, message purpose and opt-outs remain separate requirements. ### What does a STOP keyword block? A supported STOP keyword creates a suppression for the sender-and-subscriber pair. Workspace-wide SMS preferences are separate. Consult the keyword guide for current country coverage and automatic replies. ### Can recipients reply to an alphanumeric sender ID? No. An alphanumeric sender name has no SMS reply path. Choose a sender and opt-out mechanism appropriate to the destination and campaign. ### Does using Bird guarantee legal compliance? No. Bird provides registration, suppression and campaign controls. Your organization still needs to determine the permissions, content and rules that apply to its messages and markets. ## Keep building your SMS program - [SMS marketing](/sms-api/features/marketing): Return to the complete campaign workflow. - [SMS API](/sms-api/features/sending): Build application-triggered notifications. - [Delivery analytics](/sms-api/features/analytics): Understand each delivery outcome. - [SMS resource library](/sms-api/resources): Find a guide, answer or diagnostic tool. ## Scale without losing control. Organize teams in workspaces, control API access, and trace changes through audit logs. Harbor Organization Workspaces Production Sandbox ### Delivery agent API key · Customer operations team Active Permissions Access Email Read & write SMS Read & write WhatsApp Read Read & write AL Alex Lee Admin Permissions updated ### Audit log Production API key updated Alex Lee · 09:42:18 UTC Workspace Production Resource Delivery agent WhatsApp Read Read & write Succeeded [Workspaces](/docs/guides/workspaces)[Team roles](/docs/guides/users-teams-roles)[API authentication](/docs/guides/authentication) [Explore Enterprise](/enterprise) ## Start with SMS. Build across channels with Bird. [Get started](/dashboard/signup?returnTo=%2Fdashboard%2Fw%2Fsms%2Fonboarding) · [Contact Sales](/demo?product=sms) [Email](/email-api) · [SMS](/sms-api) · [WhatsApp](/whatsapp-api) · [Apple Messages](/apple-messages-api) · [Voice](/voice-api) ## Related resources - [How do I collect SMS opt-ins?](/explained/sms/how-do-i-collect-sms-opt-ins) (answer) - [Operate messaging reliably](/learn/paths/reliability) (course) [Get an implementation brief](/learn/workspace?topic=consent)