Opt-out
An opt-out is the working exit from a message stream: a reply such as STOP that is recorded and reaches every system able to send.
Definitions only — a term explained here is not a service we sell.
An opt-out is a request to stop receiving messages on a stream. It is a suppression record first: the request must reach every system that can send, before the next campaign, and the record must survive an audit.
A broken exit keeps sending after the customer has asked to stop.
The reply must be recorded and propagated. A confirmation message does not stop the next send.
How the exit is processed
A reply of STOP or a local keyword arrives as an inbound message. The application matches the number, records the request, adds it to a suppression list and sends one confirmation. Every later send checks the list before submission. The number may also sit in a CRM or a support desk, so the suppression has to reach every system that can send.
Where a STOP reply goes
- Sign-up form
- OTP request
- SMSC
- Handset
- STOP Opt-out recorded
Text description
The stream starts on the sign-up form and an OTP request. A STOP reply from the handset returns through the SMSC and is recorded as an opt-out.
What breaks the exit
Shared short codes and shared sender IDs can route the reply to a different application. English-only keyword lists miss local equivalents. A queued campaign must stop before the next send.