The article explains the concept and setup of alphanumeric sender IDs, used in messaging. An alphanumeric sender ID (formerly alpha tag), which can be your business name or a unique identifier (3-11 characters), replaces a phone number as the sender ID, enhancing brand recognition. It is suitable for one-way messages since recipients cannot reply.
- Alphanumeric sender IDs are subject to approval.
- Alphanumeric sender IDs only support 1-Way messaging, if you need to receive replies to your messages it may be better to use Dedicated Numbers.
- It is best practice to include an opt-out link in messages sent from alphanumeric sender IDs to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements when sending marketing materials. More info on how to do that can be found in this article Opt-Outs.
How to set up an alphanumeric sender ID
- In the side menu, click on Settings > Numbers > Alphanumeric sender IDs >Add new alphanumeric:
- A modal will then display where you can select the countries that you wish to register your alphanumeric sender ID for sending messages in.
- Next you will be prompted to enter the alphanumeric sender ID that you wish to register and your use case for registering it.
Note - While the alphanumeric sender ID approval process is usually processed within an hour or two, it can take up to 24 hours during high demand periods. After the initial message successfully passes the filtering process, all subsequent messages sent from the same alphanumeric sender ID will move through the messaging gateway as normal.
Once your request for an alphanumeric sender ID has been approved, you can select it as needed when sending a new message. It will be under the heading Business name in the dropdown menu.
You can also update the default sender ID so that all future messages will be sent from your alphanumeric sender ID.
Important - To edit or update an existing alphanumeric sender ID you will need to start this process again and create a new alphanumeric sender ID to replace the existing one. Once done you can then click on the Actions icon (⋮) and delete the original alphanumeric sender ID you were looking to update.