Messaging / Getting started / 2. Platform & flows
Platform & flows.
Steps 7 through 11. Choose your platform, register your sender, build the first message flows, and wire up STOP / HELP / preference handling and integrations to the business systems that already drive your customer journeys.
Step 7: Choose your messaging platform
Your provider should support the type of messaging you plan to send, the countries where you operate, and the systems your team already uses.
What to look for
| Capability | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Sender registration / verification support | Helps you prepare the brand and campaign information required for business messaging. |
| Consent and opt-out handling | Keeps suppression lists, STOP handling, and subscriber status reliable. |
| Automation tools | Lets you trigger welcome messages, reminders, alerts, and follow-ups. |
| CRM / ecommerce integrations | Syncs leads, customers, purchases, appointments, and preferences. |
| Reporting | Tracks delivery, opt-outs, clicks, conversions, and campaign performance. |
| Branded link support | Helps customers recognize your business and avoid public link shorteners. |
| Role-based access | Lets marketing, support, and operations work safely in the same system. |
| API access | Gives your engineering team flexibility for custom workflows. |
Platform questions to ask
- Which sender types are available for my use case?
- What registration or verification is required before sending?
- How are STOP, HELP, and opt-outs handled?
- Can I store and export consent records?
- Can I segment subscribers by source, preference, or purchase behavior?
- Can I connect messaging to my CRM, website forms, scheduling tool, or ecommerce platform?
- What reporting is available for delivery, opt-outs, clicks, and conversions?
Step 8: Register or verify your sender
Depending on your country, number type, message type, and provider, your business may need to register or verify its sender before launching.
Information to prepare
| Item | Example |
|---|---|
| Legal business name | The exact legal name tied to your tax ID or business registration. |
| Public brand name | The name customers recognize on your website and in messages. |
| Business website | A live site that clearly represents the brand and use case. |
| Tax ID or business ID | The official identifier required for verification. |
| Contact information | Business address, support email, support phone, and authorized contact. |
| Use case | Marketing, appointment reminders, customer care, alerts, or another defined purpose. |
| Campaign description | A plain-language explanation of who receives messages and why. |
| Message flow | How users opt in and what disclosure they see. |
| Sample messages | Realistic examples that match the use case. |
| Privacy and terms links | Public pages that support the messaging program. |
Registration tips
- Use the exact legal name and tax information from official records.
- Make sure the website brand matches the business you register.
- Describe one clear use case per campaign where possible.
- Make sample messages match what you will actually send.
- Use branded links, not public URL shorteners.
- Don't claim consent from sources you cannot prove.
For deeper coverage of 10DLC vetting in particular, see the 10DLC vetting guide.
Step 9: Build your first message flows
Start with a small number of high-value flows. Each flow should have a purpose, an audience, a trigger, a message, and a success metric.
Flow 1: Website lead welcome
Purpose: Respond quickly when someone requests information.
Trigger: A website visitor submits a form and opts in to text messages.
[Brand]: Thanks for your interest. We received your request and will follow up soon. You can also book a time here: [branded link]. Reply STOP to cancel, HELP for help.Success metric: Booking rate, reply rate, lead-to-customer conversion.
Flow 2: Appointment confirmation
Purpose: Reduce missed appointments and improve customer experience.
Trigger: Appointment is booked.
[Brand]: Your appointment is confirmed for [date] at [time]. Need to make a change? Call [phone] or visit [branded link]. Reply STOP to cancel.Success metric: Confirmation rate, no-show rate, reschedule rate.
Flow 3: Promotional campaign
Purpose: Drive sales from subscribers who opted in to marketing.
Trigger: Scheduled campaign or audience segment.
[Brand]: This week only, save [offer] on [product/service]. Shop or book here: [branded link]. Reply STOP to cancel, HELP for help.Success metric: Click rate, redemption rate, revenue, opt-out rate.
Flow 4: Post-purchase / post-service follow-up
Purpose: Improve satisfaction and gather feedback.
Trigger: Order delivered or service completed.
[Brand]: Thanks for choosing us. How did we do? Share feedback here: [branded link]. Reply STOP to cancel.Success metric: Review rate, satisfaction score, repeat purchase rate.
Step 10: Set up STOP, HELP, and preferences
Customers should always be able to control whether they receive messages.
Required customer controls
| Control | What it should do |
|---|---|
| STOP | Unsubscribes the customer from the messaging program. |
| HELP | Returns support contact information and basic program help. |
| Preference center | Lets customers choose message types, frequency, or channels where possible. |
| Suppression list | Prevents future sends to opted-out numbers. |
| Support access | Lets your team view opt-in source and opt-out status. |
STOP confirmation
[Brand]: You have been unsubscribed and will receive no further text messages from this program. Reply HELP for help.HELP response
[Brand]: For help, contact [support email], call [support phone], or visit [support URL]. Reply STOP to cancel.Operational rule
Before every send, check whether the customer is currently opted in for that message type. Don't send marketing texts to numbers that are opted out, suppressed, or missing marketing consent.
Step 11: Connect messaging to your business systems
Messaging becomes more useful when it connects to your existing tools.
Common integrations
| System | Messaging opportunity |
|---|---|
| Website forms | Welcome messages, quote follow-ups, lead routing. |
| CRM | Sales follow-ups, lifecycle campaigns, segmentation. |
| Ecommerce platform | Order updates, cart reminders, win-back campaigns. |
| Scheduling tool | Appointment confirmations, reminders, rescheduling links. |
| Helpdesk | Support updates, case follow-ups, satisfaction surveys. |
| Loyalty platform | Rewards updates, birthday offers, VIP campaigns. |
| Analytics platform | Attribution, conversion tracking, campaign reporting. |
Data to store
| Data point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Phone number | Identifies the message recipient. |
| Consent status | Shows whether the person can receive a message. |
| Consent source | Shows where the opt-in happened. |
| Consent timestamp | Shows when the opt-in happened. |
| Disclosure version | Shows what the customer saw when opting in. |
| Message type | Separates marketing, transactional, and support messaging. |
| Opt-out timestamp | Shows when the customer revoked consent. |
| Campaign or flow ID | Connects messages to reporting and compliance records. |